For Hoover Hopkins, coaching football is about giving meaning to the lives of young men.

The first-year Nathan Hale High School football coach feels the game is just as much, if not more, about winning in the game of life as it is winning games.

Hopkins, 44, understood firsthand the value of athletics as a youth and that's why he relishes building the area's struggling football programs. After turning the programs of Cleveland (1991-98) and Interlake (1999-2002) around, Hopkins is at the helm of another reclamation project at Hale (0-7 overall, 0-3 Metro League Sound Division).

Hopkins wants to win, but mainly he wants to make a difference in kids' lives. He's been on the other side.

"If it wasn't for football, I would've been a dropout and a nothing," said Hopkins. "I would've never gone to school and would've been a loser if not for football. I would've been a junkie, drunk, loser. I was headed for prison or death.

"Football kept me from the self-destruction. It kept me from falling off in life."

That's why Hopkins takes rebuilding seriously — one individual at a time.

"To me, football is a way to save lives and it saved my life," said Hopkins, who was an all-conference wide receiver at Olympic College in 1980 and 1981 before earning a spot on the 1983 University of Washington roster. "Taking over these struggling programs, it's a sick and twisted thing. But I owe it to the game to give it back. I'm not in it for the state championships, even though I want that, of course."

Nathan Hale has lost 23 consecutive games, and last won a league game on Nov. 2, 2002, beating Ingraham 17-14. The Raiders' last winning season was 6-3 in 2000.

Even in defeat, Hopkins sees positives.

"I feel horrible about losing, but I've been through it before. You've got to keep your expectations really high for players and keep the attitude good. I don't allow players to slide. ...

"It's easy to give up, but we never give up. Perseverance is my favorite word. I use it every day."

Hopkins helped end a 28-game losing streak at Cleveland. He coached the Eagles to back-to-back winning seasons at 5-4 in 1993 and 5-3 in 1994. He also ended an 11-game skid at Interlake in 2002.

His Raiders face an uphill battle against eighth-ranked Rainier Beach (6-0, 3-0) tomorrow. But Hopkins remains resilient.

"If you tell kids the truth, they listen," he said. "It's about teaching kids they can make it no matter what."

Sumner coach has full plate

Keith Ross has a lot on his mind this week.

His Sumner team is playing what he calls its biggest game in his eight years with the program against Auburn tomorrow night. And his wife, Tracie, is expecting their third child. Her due date is Oct. 28, but Ross said their first two children came early.

"The way this season is going, I know I'm going to get the call at 7 p.m. (Friday) saying the baby is coming," he said. "We've already talked about it. They (the players) are ready to roll without me."

The host Spartans (5-2, 5-2) can claim their first district-playoff berth since 1999 with a victory over Auburn.

Beach getting healthy

The rich get richer this week. Rainier Beach running back James Williams will return for tomorrow's homecoming game against Nathan Hale after missing two games with a sprained right ankle, according to Vikings coach Mark Haley.

The Vikings also got good news when leading receiver Attrail Snipes' bruised right knee felt good enough to allow him to participate in Monday's workout.

"He'll be ready to play Friday," Haley said of Snipes, who leads the team with eight touchdowns and 446 yards receiving on 20 catches.

The coach said Williams (249 yards rushing, six TDs) was "about 85 percent" and will play tomorrow.

Receiver Tremain Meneese is set to return after a one-game suspension.

O'Dea's Jones has setback

O'Dea senior running back Brandon Jones returned last week after missing the previous 3 ¾ games with a sprained left knee. Now, he must deal with another injury.

Jones, who has verbally committed to California, sprained his right ankle in the first quarter last week.

"He'll miss one week or maybe two," O'Dea coach Monte Kohler said of Jones, who has 398 yards rushing and four touchdowns. "It's difficult. He's missed a lot of games his senior year already and that's tough on anybody."

WesCo South race crowded

With two weeks left, the WesCo South playoff race is far from settled.

Three teams advance to the winner-to-state preliminary round of playoffs. This much is clear: South co-leader Shorecrest, a 3A school in the mostly 4A WesCo, will play the second-seeded 3A team from the Cascade Conference. Lynnwood, WesCo's only other 3A team, will play the Cascade Conference's top 3A team.

Edmonds-Woodway (6-1) can clinch a playoff berth as well as the top WesCo South's seed with one win in the next two weeks. The race for the other two spots is crowded. Everett, Jackson, Mariner and Meadowdale are tied at 4-3. Kamiak and Mountlake Terrace are 3-4. Including Edmonds-Woodway, that's seven teams battling for three spots.

Times staff reporters Sandy Ringer and John Boyle contributed to this report.