As Lake Highlands heads into today's bidistrict playoff game against South Garland, coach Scott Smith is hoping for a repeat of what took place in 1997.

Last Friday, Lake Highlands clinched its first outright district championship in 11 years. The 1997 team, like this year's team, opened the season 1-2 but finished undefeated in district play.

The 1997 team also opened the playoffs against South Garland. Lake Highlands won that game, 48-7.

Perhaps a sign?

"Let's just put it this way," Smith said. "I'm probably going to wear the same socks, hat, shirt and pants that I've had for the last eight weeks."

If Lake Highlands continues to produce solid offensive numbers, it won't need happenstance in its favor. Lake Highlands averaged 42.1 points per game this season – 45.3 points in district play – on the way to its first playoff appearance since 2005.

Quarterback Ricky Zorn has thrown 22 touchdown passes and leads the team with 14 rushing touchdowns. Zorn threw for 201 yards and five touchdowns and also rushed for a score in the team's regular-season finale against Molina.

"I've been really proud of how he's conducted himself and how he's taken everything and run with it," Smith said. "He's the leader of the offense."

Said Zorn: "The coaches have done a great job of putting more stuff in the playbook, and we've done a great job of responding to them."

Smith said Lake Highlands players didn't panic after the 1-2 start. The team's last loss was 40-38 to Garland on Sept. 12. Lake Highlands' confidence skyrocketed after it beat Skyline, 24-20, in the teams' 9-5A opener.

"We all met Saturday after the Garland game, and the kids said, 'Coach, we're going to win out and win district,'" Smith said. "They felt like they should have beat Garland, and Garland's a tremendous team."

Zorn was 6 when Lake Highlands last won district outright. In 1997, Lake Highlands advanced four rounds deep in the playoffs, beating South Garland, Tyler Lee and Houston Langham Creek before falling to Tyler John Tyler in the Region II final.

Zorn said he doesn't remember much about that 1997 team, but the excitement of winning a district title has been enough to motivate him and the rest of the team.

"We know we have a great opportunity to do something special," Zorn said.

Said Smith: "It's been a while since the intensity's been up like this. These kids have never tasted a playoff-type atmosphere, so they're geeked about it all. They're focused and ready to go."

A comparison of the 1997 and 2008 Lake Highlands football teams:

5A-II Region II bi-district playoff: Lake Highlands (8-2) vs. South Garland (5-5), 7:30 p.m. Friday, Plano's Clark Field