After a long-awaited return to the top of its league, the Placer High wrestling team doesn’t plan on being patient in pursuit of its next title.

The Hillmen upset their way to the Pioneer Valley League championship last season —- their first league banner in nearly two decades. This season the Placer squad is a known commodity. The Hillmen won’t be sneaking up on PVL contenders Colfax, El Dorado and Whitney.

First-year coach Jess Stiff, a former Sierra College wrestler, inherits a young team, but several of the Hillmen return after breakthrough seasons last year.

“I think we’re going to do really well this year,” Stiff said. “We have a good vibe on this team. The kids all work really well together. The kids that we have returning, you can tell they are confident.”

Junior Mitchell Maddox and sophomore Steven Cox are veteran leaders despite their youth. The two captains take over for James Looney and Chris Cox, who were the senior leaders during last year’s dramatic championship run.

“Those guys were really irreplaceable, but we were lucky enough to only lose two,” said Stiff, who was an assistant under Placer head coach Chris Hammer last year. “We’re trying to reload those positions as we go.”

While the team’s youth stands out, Maddox said the young wrestlers are ready to help the Hillmen defend their PVL title.

“I definitely think we can do it again,” he said. “We have a lot of kids that know what they’re doing out there. We should be good.”

Sophomore Jordan Trout is solid at 103 pounds for the Hillmen. Andrew Naleway is improved at 112. Joe Thornton could contend for the PVL title at 125 and Carl Pavich joins the varsity at 130.

Mitchell Maddox wrestles at 135 pounds while his twin brother Aaron Maddox competes at 140.

“It’s kind of a sibling rivalry,” Mitchell said. “There’s always the controversy of who can beat who.”

After a phenomenal freshman season, Cox is back at 145. Alex Marsh competes at 152, Thomas Hill mans the 160 slot and Kyle Hennen —- fresh off the football field —- wrestles at 171. Daniel Weathers fills the 189 slot. Jake Styler, who picked up several big PVL wins last year, is at 215 and senior Alec Rubio will wrestle at heavyweight.

Thornton and Mitchell Maddox both took first place at the Stu Rhodes Invitational earlier this month. Placer saw some of the top competition in Northern California at the Coast Classic in Santa Cruz last week and finished in the top half of the standings.

Stiff said the early season tournaments are all about learning and preparing for the long-term.

“It’s all about peaking at the end of the year and having these guys ready to go for the postseason,” Stiff said. “I just want them to have never-say-die attitudes and see some of the best kids in the state so they can know what they have to do to get better.”

Cox said the team has already shown great improvement and is excited to go after another league championship.

“Last year gave us the confidence, but it also gave us a goal,” Cox said. “Last year the seniors stepped it up and it’s our job to maintain that goal and keep the tradition going.”

Former Colfax standout Mike Fucci is assisting Stiff after two all-American seasons at Sierra College. Stiff said he hopes to teach more than just winning through his coaching.

“More than anything, wrestling teaches them to be responsible for their actions,” Stiff said. “You have no one else to take refuge behind. Only you know what you’ve been doing —- whether it’s been the right thing or the wrong thing.”