The juniors and seniors on Millennium High’s football team already have a rich experience going into their third year.

They were part of the start-up team that endured a tough first year and returned the next year to prove that it was just a rough start. For their second year, the Falcons made their point with a winning season and a trip to the second round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI playoffs.

Now, they have to prove they can sustain a winning record.

“Our first year was a huge learning experience,” senior safety and wide receiver Richie Raya said. “More than half of the guys never played before. Last year, we had a good group of returning guys, so we made something happen and went to the playoffs. This year, right now, with the graduating seniors who left, we’re trying to find a new group of guys to pick up the slack. Now we have to find out how to be a family again and get back to playoffs.”

The Falcons went 7-5 last year, including a 6-4 regular season and a second-place finish at 4-1 in the Harvest Christian League. That followed a 3-6 season in their first year.

This year, Millennium is in the Central California Athletic Alliance, but it’s all the same teams that were in the HCL, including Big Valley Christian of Modesto and Brookside Christian of Stockton.

The Falcons earned a hard-fought win a season ago against Big Valley, and Brookside Christian is the only league rival Millennium hasn’t beaten.

“We had such a successful season last year, it’s hard not to hold that bar so high, but we have to keep that expectation up,” head coach Jayson Dias said. “We could duplicate what happened last year, as long as we maintain focus and do what we’ve got to do in the classroom, so everyone can stay eligible and stay out here the whole time.”

The Falcons’ first two games, including Saturday night’s game against Highlands at West High’s Steve Lopez Stadium and next week’s home game against West Campus, are grudge matches against teams that beat Millennium last year.

Highlands went on to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V semifinals. The Scots started their season with an Aug. 27 game in which they beat West Campus, 56-7.

Millennium’s pre-league schedule also includes St. Elizabeth of Oakland, last year’s North Coast Section Division V champion, and Valley Christian of Dublin, which made the NCS Division IV semifinals.

The CCAA season begins Oct. 9 against Brookside Christian.

“My goal with the schedule is to get us ready for league,” Dias said. “There are only a few teams that didn’t go to playoffs last year. We’re hoping we can get through those guys and really learn and grow from it.”

Dias figures the knowledge of his veteran players will be the deciding factor once the Falcons get into league play.

“The returning players know our program; they’re comfortable with our program. You can definitely see it this year with our returners who have been here two years,” he said. “It helps from a coach’s standpoint, because they can help each other out and police each other, so we do what we need to get done in practice.”

Senior running back and outside linebacker Pedro DeRobles said he and others had already been on a steep learning curve, only to find that now, more than ever, many aspects of the game are still new to them.

“Every year we’re progressing. This year, we’re learning a lot more and learning a lot quicker,” DeRobles said. “Every day I learn something new that I know could help me out in game situations.”

MHS 2010 football

Saturday, Sept. 4: vs. Highlands (North Highlands), Steve Lopez Stadium at West High, 7 p.m.

Sept. 11: vs. West Campus (Sacramento), Steve Lopez Stadium at West High, 7 p.m.

Sept. 17: at Rio Vista High, Rio Vista, 7 p.m.

Sept. 25: at Valley Christian (Dublin), Chabot College in Hayward, 7 p.m.

Oct. 2: vs. St. Elizabeth (Oakland) Steve Lopez Stadium at West High, 7 p.m.

Oct. 9: vs. Brookside Christian (Stockton)*, Steve Lopez Stadium at West High, 7 p.m.

Oct. 16: vs. Stone Ridge Christian (Merced)* **, Steve Lopez Stadium at West High, 7 p.m.

Oct. 23: vs. Big Valley Christian (Modesto)*, Steve Lopez Stadium at West High, 7 p.m.

Oct. 29: at Elliot Christian (Lodi)*, place TBA, 7 p.m.

Nov. 6: at Sierra Ridge/Rite of Passage*, San Andreas, 1 p.m.

* Central California Athletic Alliance game / ** Homecoming game