Mikey Ferreira

Messenger Staff Writer

Earl Crabbe gym one of the oldest gym in all of Placer county. This gym has been loved and celebrated in every year by Placer students. This gym is probably the heart and soul of this school. When people walk into this gym there is a different attitude. You can see rows and rows of PVL, SFL and section title banners everywhere along the walls, some even date back to the 1920’s, 30’s.

Many say that the home court advantage the Placer boys and girls basketball teams enjoy in the Earl Crabbe can’t be measured in points alone. I think it’s more than the 10 points a game that home teams usually have, said former Placer High basketball standout Jim Hardey, who in the 1970s played on the Tom Barry-coached Placer boys.

Having this advantage has given placer many wins. As Auburn lore is told, Hardey is said to have had his own set of keys to the Crabbe where he worked tireless hours in the off season to hone his game, which eventually earned him a scholarship to the University of Pacific. Actually, ‘’we used to pick up towels in the locker room for the old janitor we had and he would let us in the Crabbe to play”, said Hardey,.

This gym is a scary site for other teams most of them dread going to placer and playing the basketball team boys or girls in this gym because of its well known reputation. The girls volleyball team are undefeated they say its because playing in this gym gives them extra energy to win the game no matter what. There is a electrifying feel in this gym when there a home game for any sport like boys basketball gets crazy loud. An girls basketball gets even louder. When volleyball game go on in the gym there is non stop chanting the other team sucks or chanting on the hillmen to win. Though this gym is over 150 years old it is well respected and used to this day the hillmen will always have a electrifying energy here they will always win in this gym and they will always honor the great men and women who have passed through its doors to witness the power of the gym