League: Delta River

Head coach: T.J. Ewing

2008 Record: 3-7 overall, 2-3 league

Returning starters: 8 (4 offense, 4 defense)

Mascot: Mustangs

Stadium: Mark Macres Memorial Stadium (Monterey Trail High School)

It’s easy to blame Monterey Trail High School for the change in the Sac-Joaquin Section football playoff requirements. Despite a 3-7 record, Monterey Trail qualified for the Division I playoffs for the first time in school history last season.

The new playoff plan is devised to keep teams without winning records from qualifying.

But Monterey Trail doesn’t need to apologize. They won the games late in the season that were necessary and qualified by taking care of their own business.

Jesuit and Sheldon had their chances, but neither capitalized and Monterey Trail stepped through the open door.

Head coach T.J. Ewing never agreed that his team needed to prove it was worthy of a playoff berth. And the same sentiment is echoed this season.

Monterey Trail, with eight returning starters, is capable of back-to-back postseason appearances.

Offense

Star power: Sedale Hunter, RB/LB, Sr.

Selected to the All-Delta River League first team last season, Hunter was second on Monterey Trail with 720 rushing yards and scored a team-high 11 touchdowns.

He rushed for 100 or more yards twice, doing so in back-to-back league games against Folsom and Pleasant Grove.

Breakout season: Jay Flury, WR/DB, Sr.

Sharing snaps at quarterback, Flury was rotated between behind center and receiver last season. Completing just 5 of 15 passes for 81 yards and an interception, Flury is the primary receiving target after catching a team-high 11 passes (196 yards, 2 touchdowns).

No other receiver had more than five receptions.

Newcomer: Sam Williams, OL, Sr.

Proof that Monterey Trail is no longer a youthful and inexperienced program is that Ewing listed two seniors, one on defense as well, as “newcomers” for this year’s team.

Williams will be part of an offensive line that paved the way for 3,000 rushing yards last season, including four running backs with 300 or more yards.

Defense

Star power: Fili Kalamani, LB, Sr.

Kalamani is the leading returning tackler. He led Monterey Trail with 66 tackles and also had a sack and two fumble recoveries.

Kalamani, who also blocked a field goal, returned one of those fumbles 20 yards for a touchdown against Jesuit.

Breakout season: Sione Sina, DL/OL, Sr.

The 6-foot-2, 230-pound two-way starter had 33 tackles and a ½ sack as a junior last season. Pressuring the quarterback is what he does best.

He had three pass deflections and a forced fumble.

Sina also blocked a field goal.

Newcomer: Jim Meadows, DL, Sr.

Ewing is hoping Meadows can contribute to a defensive unit that managed just nine sacks all of last season. Last season, Meadows did all of his damage on the offensive side.

He caught both of his passes against Elk Grove, including a seven-yard touchdown from Mannie Acierto in the fourth quarter of a 38-21 loss.

Coaching

His positive and caring nature is perfectly suited for Monterey Trail. After all, Ewing had to be the ideal motivator to keep his players interested even throughout a winless season (2006) and narrowly missing the playoffs (2007).

But his best job came last season.

Although maybe only Ewing, his staff and players believed they deserved a playoff berth, Monterey Trail earned a spot by beating Jesuit and Florin in the final two weeks of the season, accounting for more wins in that stretch than the previous eight weeks combined.

Key game

Nov. 7, at Jesuit (Sat.)

Monterey Trail notched the program’s first true signature win with a 20-7 triumph over Jesuit in Week 9. It was not only the first-ever win against Jesuit, but it also propelled Monterey Trail into the playoffs.

A road trip to Jesuit this season is a daunting task. Jesuit is also expected to be in the playoff chase at that point in the season and, by playing Saturday afternoon, it decreases Monterey Trail’s preparation for the season finale against Florin by one day.

Players and coaches crave extra rest, especially late in the season.

Prediction

Monterey Trail has won only eight games combined the last three seasons. But that span also includes the program’s first-ever playoff berth.

Still, in what is expected to be a wide open and balanced Delta River League this season, Monterey Trail figures to finish anywhere from second to sixth. The magic number is three.

If they can get that many league wins, they will most likely be assured of a playoff spot.