There were seasons when the Monterey Trail High School varsity football team struggled to end them with just a few victories.

The five-year-old football program is now entering this year’s Delta River League schedule with a 4-1 record and maybe one of the favorites for the league title. That scenario has never been associated with Monterey Trail prior to this season, but then again Monterey Trail has never gotten off to this kind of start.

Buoyed by a third preseason shutout and off to its best in school history, Monterey Trail enters league play on a four-game winning streak after a 39-0 blanking of Bethel.

It was the same Bethel team that scored 40 points to beat Monterey Trail last season.

Times have changed.

“The kids know the system and it just works,” Monterey Trail head coach T.J. Ewing said about his team’s defense. “The kids know it with their eyes closed, they’re very comfortable with everything.”

Defensive back Rozale Byrd blocked a punt at the Jaguars’ 40-yard line, causing the ball to bounce back and fall into the hands of defender Ethan Clark, who then made a short dash for a touchdown.

It was the latest string of memorable plays for Monterey Trail, which has allowed just 53 points combined in five games this season.

Offensively, they have scored 27 or more points in every game.

Monterey Trail equaled that total in the first quarter alone.

Running back Drake Tofi scored on a 51-yard touchdown right before the first quarter ended and he also added a 10-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

Only penalties seemed to stop Monterey Trail’s offense.

Receiver Jay Flury had an unlucky night when two of his touchdowns were invalidated by penalties against his team.

Nonetheless, the Mustangs were still 27 points ahead of a scoreless Bethel after an illegal blocking penalty denied his second touchdown.

Bethel came close to finally scoring a touchdown during the second quarter, when they made it to the Mustangs’ 10-yard line. That drive was halted on Clark’s interception.

Ahead 33-0 in the fourth, Monterey Trail tacked on one more touchdown behind quarterback Michael Calvan’s 42-yard completion to Michael Worthen.

Monterey Trail amassed 408 yards of total offense, with 279 on the ground.

Tofi (131 yards) was the lone 100-yard rusher, but Calvan rushed for 82 yards and Sedale Hunter had 44.

Defensively, Rozale Byrd had a team-high 14 tackles and Kalamani Fili and Lamin Wilson each had 11.