Consider the dreadful 0-10 season of 2011 for Mary Star High football is now officially in the 'past tense'.

The Stars are slowly, but surely, back on track.

With their 28-21 nonleague season finale at Xavier Prep of Palm Springs, Mary Star is officially bound for the CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division playoffs.

When the 2012 season began, Mary Star lost their first four games which made their long-suffering losing streak at 15 games, but the Stars (4-5) would finally end that skid on September 28 with a come-from-behind 20-19 win at Verbum Dei of Los Angeles, and would never look back.

Senior running back Shane Nunez would get the wheels turning in the right direction with a 66-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, then a short one-yard sneak by senior quarterback Jeremy Atencio and a 12-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Tyler Sestich to senior RB/LB Jake Tedesco would pace the Stars to a 20-0 halftime lead.

Xavier Prep (1-9) would mount a charge late, but Sestich's one-yard touchdown sneak in the fourth quarter was enough to seal the deal for Mary Star, who placed third in the Del Rey League behind champion La Salle of Pasadena and runner-up Bishop Montgomery of Torrance.

Mary Star would pile up over 400 yards rushing against Xavier Prep. Not a bad feat considering the Stars were coming off a bye week. The Stars also posted Del Rey League wins over Cantwell Sacred Heart of Montebello and Bosco Tech of Rosemead to close out the 2012 season with four wins in their last five games.

CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division playoff pairings will be announced on Sunday.