Lincoln High’s varsity football team is 6-0 and senior running back Moses Stanley is a big part of that.

Stanley, 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, leads the team with 10 total touchdowns this season.

He has run 52 times for 501 yards and six scores, averaging an impressive 9.64 yards-per-rush. He also leads the Zebras in catches (15), receiving yards (280) and receiving touchdowns (four).

He is in a much different place then he was a year ago.

“I went to Phoenix High and got expelled (for fighting),” said Stanley about attending the continuation school in Lincoln.

Stanley was then home schooled for the rest of his junior year, “making up as much (school) credit as I could.” Now he is one of the big men on campus at Lincoln High as a senior.

“It’s like, I feel kind of relieved and (I feel) that I belong on this team,” said Stanley of attending Lincoln High and playing football this year.

Stanley was a running back for San Juan High’s junior varsity team as a freshman and started his sophomore year at Roseville High but didn’t play football. He also was at Lincoln High for part of his sophomore year and was enrolled in an independent study program for part of that year as well.

Stanley says he was considering enrolling at Grant High as a senior, but that Lincoln senior running back/ linebacker Alex Cowden convinced him to play for the Zebras.

Cowden and Stanley grew up together in Roseville but had never been football teammates prior to this year.

“I grew up with him – I’ve known him so well. We used to get in trouble together when we were younger,” Cowden said. “I did convince him (to attend Lincoln) but it wasn’t that hard.

“I just told him that he wouldn’t be my brother no more if he didn’t come . . . He has a lot of touchdowns and is a big part of the team. And he is doing good this year (in terms of staying out of trouble).”

Lincoln has blown out three teams (Brookside Christian of Stockton, Mesa Verde and El Dorado) and beaten three other teams in competitive games (Woodland, Wheatland and Whitney).

The Zebras went 1-9 last year but Stanley had a feeling they would be good this year.

“I went to the Whitney game last year and I went to the game when they played Bear River – and (Lincoln) didn’t do so good,” Stanley said.

“But during the summer everyone was in there working out and giving their best and everyone had heart. And they still have it.

“We get better and better every week and we practice hard. And every week we improve on something.”

Stanley would like to play football in college and he says he will probably start at a junior college.