Kimoni Stanley's assault on the Sierra High record book resumes Friday when the Timberwolves host Weston Ranch for their first of five scheduled contests in this pandemic-shortened season. 

The third-year senior running back is among the holdovers from the 2019 Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV championship team. Arizona Christian-bound pass rusher Christian

“It's nice to have those guys back,” fourth-year Sierra coach Chris Johnson said. 

Sierra went 11-4 last year and stunned Valley Oak League rival Oakdale in the SJS Division IV final, 22-19. The T-wolves then lost to Rancho Cotate 10-0 in the California Interscholastic Federation Division III-A NorCal Regional Bowl Game. 

There are no titles and postseason runs to play for this year — April 17 is the final possible date for football games, per CIF Sports Medicine Advisory Committee recommendation. 

“Honestly, it doesn't change anything for us,” Johnson said. “We play each game like it's a one-game season anyway. I've never felt as a coach like I'm in a position to look far ahead past anything that is right in front of us. For us it's, are we the best version of ourselves week in and week out? 

“We'll see what happens. In the end, every game is a season in itself, and it has never been more true than in 2021.”

A two-time All-VOL first-team selection, Stanley brings plenty of experience and production to an otherwise unproven backfield. Gone are versatile slot backs Matt Dunham and Nyco Mendoza along with quarterback Shane Johnson.

Stanley set the single-season program rushing record in 2019 with 2,112 yards and is closing in on the career mark — ahead of him are Mark Paule (2014-15) with 3,546 yards and Anthony Cota (2010-13) with 3,543. Stanley has 3,487 career yards to go with 48 rushing touchdowns. Paule's single-season record of 43 rushing TDs is likely unreachable for Stanley with only five games to play, but he's 14 off Cota's career-record 62.

Stanley should take some pressure off of quarterback Ryan Borgeson, a four-year varsity basketball player who is debuting for the football program. 

“He's an athletic kid with good upside,” Johnson said. “If he played (football) all four years he'd be one of those guys in the area you're watching out for. He's that kind of athlete but super green football-wise.”

Johnson believes Borgeson can thrive in the Timberwolves' flexbone offense.

“He doesn't have to be a player we build the offense around, just manage things and keep it going,” Johnson said. “Hand the ball off to No. 5 (Stanley).”

Borgeson and Stanley will have some help with a battle-tested offensive line paving the way. The all-senior group includes David Cumberworth, Aydan Horn, Jacob Martinez, Adrian Ochoa and Lorenzo Reyes. 

“They didn't start last year but they all played a lot,” Johnson said. “And they're good-sized kids.”

Sierra is looking to juniors Marcelo Morales and Ryan Torres to fill in at the slots, and first-year senior Zion Bell, a baseball standout, is a promising receiver opposite the 6-foot-4 Threadgill.

There are also big shoes to fill defensively, where the team was anchored by all-league linebackers Holden Fishburn, Dunham and Mendoza and all-league safety Shane Johnson. 

Coach Johnson said Stanley will get more reps on defense at linebacker. And opposing teams won't be surprised by Threadgill after he amassed an SJS-leading 19 tackles during his breakout junior season. 

“That was the strength of our team last year with all those all-league guys who were seniors,” Johnson said. “Threadgill is back, but other than that it's a brand new group out there.”

Like other coaches in the area, Johnson wishes there was more time to get his team ready, but he welcomes the “unique challenge” that is the 2021 spring football season.

“Everybody is scrambling to get all this testing (for coronavirus) done every week and you just hold your breath because we don't know we're going to lose a player for the week or a game,” Johnson said. “It makes the game much more difficult to coach, but it is what it is when it's all said and done. We're just grateful to have some sense of normalcy.”