It’s becoming quite clear that after eight games into the 2015 high school football season, there is a new thing going on at Mary Star Of The Sea High School.

Their beloved football team of Stars are on the rise again.

By virtue of their dominant 48-14 nonleague win over Trinity Classical Academy of Valencia at Daniels Field this past Friday, Mary Star is now 5-3 overall with a chance to triple last year’s win total with a winnable Santa Fe League encounter against host Don Bosco Tech of Rosemead, one of only two teams the Stars defeated during a disheartening 2-8 campaign in 2014.

Trinity Classical Academy (4-3) was coming off a 54-0 win over Sherman Indian, but the Stars took them out of the game in emphatic fashion to the tune of a 48-8 number in the first half, and would play the second half with a running clock.

This victory capped off a four-game home stand in October that the Stars took full advantage of when they went 3-1 with victories over Trinity Classical Academy, St. Bernard of Playa Del Rey (nonleague) and St. Genevieve of Panorama City (Santa Fe League), with a disheartening 49-48 overtime loss to St. Monica of Santa Monica in a league opener on October 9 being the only set back.

First-year coach Jason Gelber’s no-huddle run-based offense has produced staggering results as the Stars scored 182 points during that span, and if you add their 43-6 victory over Cantwell Sacred Heart of Montebello on September 18 in their only other home game, that’s 225 points in five home games at the venerable Daniels Field.

Mary Star’s version of a ‘three-headed’ monster in the senior running back trifecta of mainstays Vinny Lauro and Jarod Alves, along with Narbonne of Harbor City transfer William Davis, have churned out yardage in bunches thanks to a youthful line that is gaining tons of experience, and the two-quarterback system of junior Robert Enciso and sophomore Matt Marquez keeps opposing defenses guessing.

The defense is a bend-but-don’t break bunch, as junior safety Zavier Martinez has been a great surprise, returning an interception for a touchdown against St. Genevieve on October 16. Senior defensive end Matt Sestich, junior defensive end Nathan Linayao, junior defensive lineman Daichi Kusunoki, senior  senior lineman Nicco Castania and junior defensive lineman Izzy Amalfitano causes their own brand of havoc.

Of course, Lauro and Alves, an accomplished kicker and punter, pitch in on defense as well.

All Mary Star needs to do to at least insert themselves into playoff talk in the CIF-Southern Section East Valley (XIII) Division is win at least one more Santa Fe League game in their final two, and Don Bosco Tech, who lost 66-0 to defending league champion St. Anthony of Long Beach (whom Mary Star visits on November 6 at Clark Field in the season finale), is a golden opportunity for the Stars to add to their lofty offensive totals.

In fact, last Halloween night in 2014, the Stars won 69-20 over the Tigers.

Can the Stars keep their eyes focused on the task at hand in returning to the playoffs for the first time since 2012?

Many think they can… but these Stars and their followers believe they will.