DANVILLE -- With a rare win over an East Bay Athletic League opponent, Liberty High's football program continues to gain momentum.

The Lions beat Monte Vista 34-7 on Friday night to improve to 4-0 -- the team's best start to a season in nearly half a century.

Quarterback Joseph Tolentino was an efficient 12 of 14 passing for 207 yards and accounted for two touchdowns, and Willie Williams and Matavai Canady scored twice each for the Lions.

After posting seven straight losing seasons from 2006-2012, Liberty has made big strides recently. The team hasn't been 4-0 since 1967, though last year the Lions also got off to a strong start before forfeiting two wins for mistakenly using an ineligible player.

"For us to come over and just play an EBAL school and play relatively well, that's definitely something that I want to see our program doing on a regular basis," Liberty coach Jeff Walters said.

But even after a dominant win over the Mustangs, Liberty's coaching staff wasn't completely content with its team's effort. That's how much the Lions have raised their standards over the last two seasons.

Walters' message: Don't be happy with just being average.

Said Tolentino: "It feels good (to be 4-0), but we have to keep moving on and keep working hard because we have bigger goals ahead."

After a slow start, Liberty's offense got going in the second quarter, scoring 20 points to take control of the game.

The Lions' offensive outburst came -- not coincidentally -- when Williams entered the game. The senior missed the first quarter for unknown reasons but made an immediate impact, catching a 50-yard touchdown pass from Tolentino on the Lions' first offensive play of the second quarter.

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Liberty thumps Monte Vista