Due to adjustments made on the fly thanks to the coronavirus pandemic... San Pedro Prep Football fans got just an appetizer of what to expect this past Spring.

Now it's time to unleash the main course.

Thursday, August 19 marks the start of the traditional high school season when San Pedro High football battles St. Anthony of Long Beach at St. Pius X/St. Matthias High in Downey at 7 pm, then at 3 pm on Friday, August 20, Mary Star Of The Sea High hosts Marshall of Los Angeles in a pair of intersectional openers.

Both teams are planning on spreading the love offensively.

The Pirates showed their high capability of making plays in their two-game spring season in mid-to-late April, piling up 119 points. In Mary Star's final of three spring games against Harvard-Westlake, the Stars scored the final touchdown of the game in a 35-7 loss with a short touchdown run, running a variation of the spread offense on the final drive.

Plenty of excitement despite the looming uncertainty of things still abounding in the pandemic era to be had, and here's a preview of both schools as they pursue league titles... and beyond.

Are you ready for some football again?

SAN PEDRO

COACH: Corey Miller (6th Season)

LEAGUE: Marine

CIF SECTION: Los Angeles City

Miller has a bevy of playmakers returning for the Fall, as San Pedro has most of the top talent returning as one of the teams to be on the lookout for in the CIF-LACS Open Division title chase.

Senior quarterback Aidan Jackson was bullseye with his pinpoint accuracy once he got the protection he needed from an athletic offensive line, and he has three reliable targets to choose from in a trio of senior wideouts: the explosive Robert Sarmiento, physical Kejuan Bullard, and the steady Chris Nixon, all of whom are a serious threat to make regular house calls to the end zone.

And then there's an even larger target in the form of 6'4'', 275-pound junior TE/DE Nicholas Fernandez.

Sarmiento also handles the PAT and field goal kicking duties and hits hard in the secondary for the Pirates.

San Pedro runs a variation of the pistol offense now, which still makes the running game a problem for opposing defenses with the shifty senior running back Christian Phillips and bruising junior Roman Sanchez, who will both get their fair share of handoffs from Jackson.

Defensively, the Pirates have even more talent to be wary of with Fernandez, Bullard, Nixon, junior linebacker Makani Konopka and senior WR/LB Elijah Thorp.

San Pedro's nonleague slate will feature two CIF-Southern Section battles with St. Anthony and Lakewood, a reunion of an old Southern Pacific Conference rivalry with Dorsey of Los Angeles, and the September 2 showdown at Venice which will be an early barometer of how the Pirates' stack up against another City Section Open Division title hopeful.

The most important game on schedule is the Marine League opener on October 1 at home against Harbor Area neighbor Banning of Wilmington, as that could potentially determine the Marine League championship. However, the Marine is still one of the most dangerous leagues in the City Section, so the Pirates know they must bring it every night.

SAN PEDRO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL 2021 FALL SCHEDULE

THUR. 8/19 St. Anthony @ St. Pius X/St. Matthias 7 pm

FRI. 8/27 @ Eagle Rock 7 pm

THU. 9/2 @ Venice 7 pm

FRI. 9/10 BELL 7 pm

FRI. 9/17 DORSEY 7 pm

FRI. 10/1 BANNING 7 pm*

FRI. 10/8 Lakewood @ Veterans Stadium 7 pm

FRI 10/15 @ Gardena 7 pm*

FRI 10/22 CARSON 7 pm*

FRI 10/29 @ Narbonne 7 pm*

* - Denotes Marine League Game (Home games are in CAPITOL & BOLD covering)

MARY STAR OF THE SEA

COACH: Jason Gelber (7th Season)

LEAGUE: Del Rey

CIF SECTION: Southern

The Stars will be competing in the Del Rey League for the first time in a Fall season, as they will be looking to make their first year of playing home games on campus worth it.

Senior RB/LB Giovanni Boccanfuso is the top returning player for Mary Star, but plenty of shine is being increased on these Stars.

With the spread offense now becoming a thing in this town, Mary Star will rely on sophomore quarterback Santiago Martinez to be the ringleader as fellow sophomore Luka Fiamengo chose to focus on basketball. Martinez will have options when the Stars do decide to take to the air.

Senior Steven Ceniceros only played one game during the spring after transferring from perennial power St. John Bosco of Bellflower but has the speed and vision downfield after the catch which will make him difficult to deal with. Another St. John Bosco transfer in senior tight end Matthew Oakes, and junior Vincent Guerrero is another reliable target.

Senior running back Nathan Chavez returns for Mary Star after missing all of the spring season due to a concussion. Chavez ran for 18 touchdowns on the junior varsity level in 2019 during his sophomore year in the program. Senior Joe Spaleta will be an anchor up front on both lines, and all the PAT and field goal duties will be handled by a true athlete in senior Maddie Purves, who helped the girls soccer team reach the CIF-Southern Section Division 7 semifinals this past May, garnering an All-CIF Division 7 selection.

The Stars' nonleague slate has two South Bay battles with Torrance (away on September 10) and El Segundo (home on September 24), while they will be battle tested in the Del Rey League battling the likes of Harvard-Westlake, St. Anthony, La Salle of Pasadena and Salesian of Los Angeles in order all in the month of October.

MARY STAR HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL 2021 FALL SCHEDULE

FRI 8/20 MARSHALL (LOS ANGELES) 3 pm

FRI. 8/27 @ Alhambra 7 pm

FRI. 9/10 @ Torrance 7 pm

FRI. 9/17 VIEWPOINT 3 pm

FRI. 9/24 EL SEGUNDO 3 pm

SAT. 10/2 @ Harvard-Westlake 7:30 pm*

FRI. 10/8 ST. ANTHONY 3 pm*

FRI 10/15 @ La Salle 7 pm*

FRI 10/22 SALESIAN 3 pm*

FRI 10/29 FILLMORE 3 pm

* - Denotes Del Rey League Game (Home games are in CAPITOL & BOLD covering; home game schedule and times are subject to change during the course of the year)

(Note: Aidan Jackson & Giovanni Boccanfuso photos courtesy of Miguel Elliot)