Following a tough overtime loss in Mariposa on Oct. 10, Denair High School’s varsity football team had a bye week to rest up and get ready for the home stretch of the Southern League campaign.

The Coyotes made the most of the break, coming back strong with a 41-0 victory over Delhi on Friday and setting the stage for the final week of the regular season.

“We’re refreshed and refocused,” said head coach Anthony Aarmas. “We’re still dealing with a couple of injuries, but the bye came at a good time for us.”

With the victory, the Coyotes improve to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in league play – tied with Mariposa (8-1, 4-1) for second place in the SL, a half-game behind Stone Ridge Christian (8-1, 5-1).

Denair will host Waterford (5-4, 2-3) in Friday’s finale – kickoff is slated for 7:15 p.m. at Jack Lytton Stadium – and Mariposa will entertain a tough Le Grand squad (6-3, 3-2). Stone Ridge Christian is finished with its SL schedule and will face travel to face San Rafael.

Wins by the Coyotes and Grizzlies would give them a share of the conference title.

Denair is also trying to maintain or improve upon its No. 5 spot in MaxPreps’ Sac-Joaquin Section Division 7 rankings. Should the Coyotes nail down the fifth playoff seed, they would likely face No. 4 Summerville in the opening round on Nov. 14. The Bears defeated Denair 47-17 earlier this season and ended the Coyotes’ playoff hopes in 2024.

Against Delhi, Denair’s vaunted running game punished the Hawks, with Degan Butler amassing 146 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries and Bryson Salazar totaling 111 yards and two scores on eight attempts. Noah Chavez contributing 81 yards and a TD on seven carries.