Coach Matt Cokley's bid to make the once-struggling Highlands Scots football program a focal point again in the North Highlands community is still on course.

A year after the team's 9-4 breakthrough season in which the Scots reached the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V championship game, Highlands is at it again.

The Scots are 9-2 and play at 10-0 Millennium of Tracy in Friday's Division V semifinals.

Cokley, 37, a former Scots quarterback, returned four years ago to assist then-head coach Nate Harris in reviving a program that hadn't had a winning season since 1991.

Despite changes that have affected the school since Cokley's playing days – lower enrollment (900 students), the closure of McClellan Air Force Base, changing demographics – he's got kids lining up again to be Scots.

Cokley has an especially close relationship with this year's seniors, who entered the program with Cokley, then the junior varsity coach, and won a title as freshmen.

Among them are two sets of twins, linemen Nick and Luke Carrasco and all-purpose standouts Malachiah and Jeremiah Parker, who make it even more fun for Cokley.

"The four years have gone by fast," said Cokley, a postal worker who toils on the grave-yard shift and averages four to five hours of sleep during football season.

Kurtis Stamm, an offensive lineman and middle linebacker as a freshman, has thrown for 2,188 yards and 18 touchdowns in his third season as a quarterback, his second at the varsity level.

Aaron Abalos needs 16 rushing yards to reach 1,000 for the season.

Defensive end-linebacker Ray Edwards is second in the state in sacks with 21 1/2, while Cokley calls middle linebacker Kenneth Miles "our Ray Lewis."

The future looks bright, too, with a strong youth feeder program under the direction of defensive coordinator Alex Hernandez and an underclass that includes varsity standouts Junior Jenkins, a 225-pound sophomore linebacker, and 6-3, 260-pound freshman two-way lineman David Alexander.

With a victory Friday, Highlands can match the 10 wins of the Scots' 1985 Delta League championship team. It also would put them back into the Division V title game and a chance for redemption.

The Scots were disappointed with their 61-7 loss to Le Grand in last season's championship at the Grape Bowl in Lodi. Le Grand, which hosts Rio Vista in Friday's other semifinal, is a heavy favorite to repeat.

"We had a great year last year, and it was special, but we feel we didn't finish," Cokley said. "That loss stung. So from that day to now, it's motivated us to try to get back to that game."

Sierra Delta takes a bow – Highlands is one of four Sierra Delta League teams still in the playoffs after the first round, the most for any league in the section.

The other SDL teams are Rio Vista in Division V and league champion Bradshaw Christian and Vacaville Christian in Division VI.

Rivalry renewed – Placer and Del Oro are in the same school district, just 10 miles apart, and both have rich playoff histories. But they last met in 2005, when the Hillmen were in the Sierra Foothill League.

Del Oro has won seven section titles, including last season's Division III crown. Placer has five section titles, the last in 1981 when coach Joey Montoya's grandfather Bill Miller was the coach.

"It'll be David vs. Goliath," Montoya said of Friday's quarterfinal in Loomis. "Del Oro is supposed to be one of the best teams in the state."

Del Oro is ranked No. 12 in the state by Cal-Hi Sports.

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