Untested in its first three games, East Union got the challenge it needed Friday when Placer returned to Dino Cunial Field for a second straight year.

The 47-28 loss served as a reminder to the youthful Lancers that they have a ways to go.

It also reminded coach Jason Stock that the talent is there for his staff to build on, and he learned that his squad can battle through some adversity.

East Union (3-1) climbed out of a 21-0 hole and managed to make a game of it. Bryson Ybarra scored on a 2-yard quarterback keeper to close the gap to 34-28 with 14 seconds left in the third quarter.

In the end, the Hillmen’s hot start and run-based Wing-T attack were too much to overcome. Placer (5-0) piled up 423 yards on the ground despite losing two key rushers to injuries. Jesiah Aday led the way with 187 yards and three touchdowns on 25 carries.

“We’ve been able to get away with things,” Stock said, referencing EU’s three lopsided wins coming into this battle of unbeatens. “We’ve been trying to convey that we gotta clean this stuff up. We made a few more mistakes than they did tonight, and it cost us the game.

“I am proud about how hard the kids played. I always preach to them that there are ebb and flows in a game, you’re gonna have ups and downs, it’s how you respond. I think we’re headed in the right direction.”

Last year, a senior-heavy East Union squad rolled past Placer in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs and made its first final-round appearance since 1989.

“That was a phenomenal team,” Placer coach Joey Montoya said of the 2025 Lancers. “Honestly, they’re a very, very good football team this year. We knew we had our hands full. We knew how explosive this team is, despite their youth at the kill positions.

“I’m just proud of how our kids showed up and executed their jobs.”

With UCLA-committed Gage Esty and the rest of Placer’s offensive line paving the way, the Hillmen of Auburn got to show off their depth at the skill positions with multiple players capitalizing on their chances.

Hudson Swain had 12 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown. Joe White had six carries for 85 yards and a touchdown before going down with an injury. Tony Ambriz (seven rushes, 53 yards) punctuated scoring with an 11-yard run with 30 seconds to go.

“This team is just hungry,” Montoya said. “We’ve had three games where we played opponents that MaxPreps ranked ahead of us, and we knew we were better than our ranking. This team has such a huge upside. This was the first night we had all of our starting offensive linemen, and our backup quarterback has done nothing but win for us.”

Cole Atwood, who is backing up injured starter Chase Rodarte at quarterback, also got in on the action. He completed a 37-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Enzo Shiavone on third-and-long during the Hillmen’s first-quarter flurry.

That gave them a 14-0 lead, and with a penalty assessed on the kickoff, Placer opted to go for an onside kick. The gamble paid off, as Mo Brownell recovered the kick from Diego Rossell. The Hillmen took advantage of the turnover, as Aday scored on a 2-yard run with 1 second left in the opening period. The senior earlier rambled 66 yards to paydirt on the first drive of the game.

“We got the big penalty and it put us in favorable field position,” Montoya said. “What’s the worst-case scenario? They get the ball back. It’s like a pooch kick, you know? We liked the odds, we went with it and the kids executed.”

East Union finally got the offensive spark it needed from running back Albie Menchaca, who has been an early-season revelation.

After the defense came up with a big stop, Menchaca dashed 80 yards on a one-play drive for East Union’s first points of the game late in the first half. He ended with 148 yards on 14 carries, while adding a 37-yard catch-and-run.

“Albie has been great,” Stock said. “He didn’t play last year, for whatever reason, but I remember him as a JV player when I was (coaching) over at Oakdale. I knew he was a player, and I’m glad he came back out, because he’s better than I thought he was. He’s deceptively strong, and he’s just a good football player. He’s been a captain the last few weeks because that guy goes 1,000 miles per hour on offense and defense, and he’s given us a little bit of leadership.”

East Union made use of all of its quarterbacks. Ybarra completed a 14-yard touchdown pass to Gunnar Fay (three receptions, 87 yards) to jump start the Lancers’ 21-point burst in the third quarter. Ybarra almost had a second touchdown run, but his 52-yard sprint in the fourth quarter was called back by a holding penalty. East Union, trailing 40-28, wound up turning it over on downs with 7:41 remaining.

Ybarra completed five of 10 passes for 101 yards and an interception, while rushing 11 times for 45 yards. Sophomore Dante Tafoya connected on all four of his attempts for 126 yards, almost half of it coming from a 67-yard touchdown to Ricky Soria.

East Union starts the Valley Oak League gauntlet next week at Central Catholic.