TOUCHET -- Most of the Touchet football players are too young to remember when the tiny town routinely pumped out state championship caliber teams.

It has been a decade since the Indians last made a Class 1B title game and four years since they were in the playoffs, but that hasn't stopped Touchet from dreaming about a run this season.

"These kids have never really experienced anything like that," Touchet coach Gary Dorman said. "This is a whole new ballgame. The excitement and the nerves, all those emotions wrapped up, they are really having a lot of fun right now."

Touchet (8-2) faces Almira/Coulee-Hartline (11-0) at 7 p.m. Friday at Lions Field in Moses Lake in a quarterfinal game. The two teams met in 2007 -- the last time Touchet was in the playoffs -- with the Warriors winning 38-36.

"We were not expected to go this far or do this well by any stretch of the imagination," Dorman said. "Anything else from here is just gravy."

Dorman has been at the school since 1982 and has been the head coach for the past three seasons. He was a part of five of Touchet's state championship game runs, including state titles in 1994, 1998 and 1999.

For the Indians to reach that point, though, they will need a little luck and a continued balanced approach on offense.

"Our kids have matched up a little bit better with other teams this season," Dorman said. "In years past we couldn't run because we were quite a bit smaller than everyone else. We run a specialized offense, and we have some kids that really fill the positions extremely well."

When Dorman took over the program, he instituted a motion-based offense that has taken some time for his players to get used to.

"We've got some kids in those positions over the last two years who have really matured and gained some speed and some size," he said. "We've been able to really fit our personnel to our offense, rather than the other way around where you try to fit your offense to the kids.

"What we've been preaching the last two years is starting to pay off."

So far, it has earned Touchet a state playoffs berth. Perhaps a championship berth is around the corner.

Touchet Indians vs. Almira/Coulee-Hartline Warriors

Class 1B quarterfinals

Time, date, place: 7 p.m. Friday, Lions Field, Moses Lake.

Head coaches: Touchet, Gary Dorman; Almira/Coulee-Hartline, Brandon Walsh.

Leagues: Touchet, Southeast; Almira/Coulee-Hartline, Northeast.

Records: Touchet 8-2; Almira/Coulee-Hartline 11-0.

Next opponent: Wellpinit vs. Pomeroy winner.

Last week: Touchet 28, Cusick 20; Almira/Coulee-Hartline 64, Wilbur-Creston 24.

Playoff appearances: Touchet 15, Almira/Coulee-Hartline 12.

Last playoff appearance: Touchet 2007 (lost first round); Almira/Coulee-Hartline 2010 (lost semifinals).

Deepest advancement: Touchet, title game (1978, L, Oakville 32-26; 1979, W, Joyce 56-42; 1980, L, Clallam Bay 40-16; 1994, W, Pateros 38-24; 1995, L, Pateros 76-20; 1998, W, Clallam Bay 71-48; 1999, W, Neah Bay 42-36; 2002, L, LaCrosse/Washtucna 38-6); Almira/Coulee-Hartline, title game (1990, W, Colton 48-36; 2007, W, Odessa, 38-14), Coulee City, title game (1974, W, Brewster 26-12), Coulee-Hartline, title game (L, Willapa Valley 19-6).

Previous playoff meetings: 2007, Almira/Coulee-Hartline 38, Touchet 36.

Touchet leaders: RB Vicente Flores, junior; OL Matt Shute, senior; DB Eric Hines, senior; LB Ty Garbe senior; DL Dan Can, senior.

Almira/Coulee-Hartline leaders: QB Derek Isaak; RB Colin Deyarmin.

Notes: The Indians are in unfamiliar territory for this group of kids, so expect some nerves in the early going Friday. ... The teams have a few common opponents as ACH defeated Cusick 44-18, Liberty Christian 46-44 and Garfield-Palouse 48-24. ... For the Indians to win they will have to find a way to stop the do-everything Isaak, who has 24 rushing touchdowns, 12 passing touchdowns, three punt return touchdowns, a kick return touchdown and an interception return for a touchdown this season. ... The Warriors only passed for 14 yards in the regional playoff victory, so look for a lot of running the ball from Isaak and Deyarmin, who has 17 rushing touchdowns this season.

* Craig Craker: 509-582-1509; ccraker@tricityherald.com; Twitter.com/craig_craker