The crisp, inviting September air, spirit-filled rallies and Friday night lights have resurfaced yet again.

You know what that means! Football season is back and better than ever for the Grizzlies, who are off to a 4-1 start while playing tremendously well in all facets of the game.

Last Friday, the Grizzlies suffered one of their most devastating losses in recent years and their only one of the season when they were defeated by visiting Monte Vista, 27-24.

Cal battled back from a 14-0 first quarter deficit and managed to take the lead for the first time with under seven minutes left in the game. Unfortunately, Monte Vista scored the final 10 points of the game, including a game-winning field goal with one second remaining to stay undefeated.

The Grizzlies had defeated their cross-district rival Monte Vista four straight seasons before last week’s loss.

Despite the loss, the Grizzlies received some good news on  Monday when senior Cameron Norfleet was recognized by the San Francisco 49ers as the high school player of the week for his performance against Amador on Sept. 16.

Norfleet scored three touchdowns in the span of 10 minutes and racked up a toal of 221 total yards in Cal’s 48-21 win.

The 6-foot, 185-pound all-purpose player and two-way starter will be honored on the field at a future 49ers game this season and will also have the chance to meet new head coach Chip Kelly.

Heading into the Monte Vista game, Cal had dominated the competition through the first four weeks of the season, winning by an average margin of more than 31 points.

The season opener was a 43-6 blowout victory over visiting James Logan on Aug. 26. In the EBAL opener the following week at  Foothill, the Grizzlies overcame anther slow start and  pulled off a 28-15 comeback win.

Cal enjoyed a 56-7 blowout win at home against Livermore on Sept 9, as well as a 27-point win over Amador.

After practicing and preparing all summer long, the team has already shown incredible strength and teamwork early in the season.

Head coach Eric Billeci, in his eighth season at the helm, has lead the Grizzlies to a 65-28 overall record and a NCS playoff appearance in every season since he took over in 2009.

“Our only fear is the fear of failure,” Billeci said bluntly.

In this sense, the team isn’t too worried about outside competition, as much as internal concerns and battles such as not playing to the best of their ability.

“We’re our own worst enemies,” said Billeci.

Key players for this season include senior Trevor Leathley, star tight end and defensive end, Norfleet, a dynamic playmaker at wide receiver, running back and cornerback, and senior Carlos Gomez, a running back with explosive speed.

“This season we’re really working the ball well,” said Norfleet.

Regarding the team’s goals and expectations for the season, the players really want to win another league title and have a chance to compete for the state championship.

“Each game ahead of us is most important,” said senior Blaine Nye, an offensive and defensive lineman. “We try to put previous games behind us and move forward throughout the season.”

Cal is in second place in the EBAL behind Monte Vista and is ranked fifth among NCS Division 1 schools. There’s no doubt that the Grizzlies will be a force to be reckoned with come playoff time.

The Grizzlies have a bye on Friday and will look to take advantage of a favorable schedule the rest of the season, with the exception of a difficult match-up against perrenial power De La Salle on Oct 21.

“We’ve been improving each week,” Leathley said, “but still have a lot to learn and more things to fix in order to play our best this season.”