Sierra Timberwolves

Coach: Jeff Harbison

Career record: 45-31

Record at school: 45-31

Last year: Sierra (5-5, 4-3) saw its season turn upside down when RB Anthony Cota went down with an arm injury in the first quarter of its VOL opener at Oakdale. Cota had 500 yards in his first three games and more than 100 in the first quarter vs. Oakdale before his injury, and he didn’t return until Week 10 (163 yards vs. Weston Ranch).

Last league title: 2009

Last playoff berth: 2010

Coaching staff: Dan Cunial (DBs), Andrew Panigada (DL), Jeff Abrew (QB/offensive coordinator), Les Wheeler (OL), Ryan Teicheira (RBs), Mark Rangel (WRs).

Top returners: RB Anthony Cota, QB/P Guillermo Nunez, OL Adam Bettencourt, HB Jayson Manuta, WR Jordan Lewis, DL Mason Merilles, DL Devin Manaois, LB Garrett Villanueva, DB Justin DeHart, Randy Dao, Nchekube Uwakwe, Tyler-Ray Hewitt. Top newcomers: WR Dakota Conners, QB Jake Pruitt, LB Hunter Peterson, DB Jonathan Montoya, LB Reid Maestas, OL Austin Brice, OL/LB Chuck Good, OL/DL Aaron Thiel, WR Bryson Sanders.

Outlook: Timberwolves always benefit from a schedule that features three Division 1 schools (Tracy, Davis, Laguna Creek) before opening league play with Oakdale. The healthy return of RB Anthony Cota (774 yards, 7.2-yard avg., 12 TDs in four-plus games) makes Sierra a threat to unseat five-time defending league champ Oakdale – he was unstoppable against Oakdale last year (9 carries, 109 yards in one quarter) before arm injury knocked him out for five weeks. … Nunez was the star point guard on last year’s section finalist basketball team, so you know he’s elusive in the open field, and he’s athletic enough to handle the short passing game. Lewis (40 catches, 16.4-yard avg., 4 TDs) will get everyone’s best DB, which should help newcomers Conners and Sanders get involved in the offense. … The return of Merilles and Manaois is crucial to any title shot, because Sierra must stop Oakdale’s grinding Wing-T if it’s going to bring home the school’s first outright crown. … The JV team was 7-0 in the VOL, giving creative coordinator Abrew plenty of options in his no-huddle attack.

Key game: Week 4 (Sept. 21) vs. Oakdale. Sierra has seen an elite RB go down to injury in each of its last three games with Oakdale, and a healthy Cota is crucial if the Timberwolves hope to beat Oakdale for only the second time in their history. A lot is on the line in this VOL opener.