The Mary Star High football team suffered mightily through a dreadful 0-10 season in 2011, but thanks to winning four out of their last five games to close out 2012, the Stars can now reap the rewards of a CIF-Southern Section playoff spot.

Placing third in the Del Rey League, Mary Star will open off the 2012 CIF-Southern Section Northwest (X) Division playoffs on the road against Gladstone of Covina, the Montview League champion on Thursday at 7:30pm.

The Gladiators (9-1) will prove to be a tough test for the Stars, piling up an offense that produces a staggering 37 points a game. However, Mary Star (4-5) won't back down so easily, as they won two games by seven points, and two more by one point.

Senior running backs Jake Tedesco, Shane Nunez (junior) and Jacob Lechuga power the running game for the Stars that alternate two quarterbacks in senior Jeremy Atencio and junior Tyler Sestich. Senior TE/K/DB Joseph Alves, also the 2012 Homecoming King, is a steady all-around player for Mary Star, who last made the CIF-Southern Section playoffs in 2010.

Can these Stars continue to shine all the way to an unlikely CIF championship?

Here is the full CIF-Southern Section Northwest Division football playoff bracket.

South Torrance (Pioneer at-large) at No.1 Bishop Diego (Tri-Valley No.1); Village Christian (Olympic No.2) at Bishop Montgomery (Del Rey No.2); Mary Star (Del Rey No.3) at Gladstone (Montview No.1); Oak Park (Tri-Valley at-large) at No.4 North Torrance (Pioneer No.1); Centennial/Compton (Pioneer at-large) at No.3 La Salle (Del Rey No.1); El Segundo (Pioneer No.2) at La Puente (Montview No.2); Torrance (Pioneer No.3) at Whittier Christian (Olympic No.1); Sierra Vista (Montview No.3) at No.2 Nordhoff (Tri-Valley No.2).

(Note: Photo courtesy of Ron Nunez)