With the 2013-2014 prep sports season now officially over, it's time to once again start talking about football.

The San Pedro High football team went 8-4 during the 2013 season, placing third in the ultra-competitive Marine League and reached the CIF-Los Angeles City Section Division I quarterfinals, where it fell short to Venice for the second straight season. An experienced team eager to get things rolling for 2014 sounds like it may be another promising year for the Pirates and head coach Mike Walsh, who enters his 24th season at the helm.

San Pedro's 2014 schedule returns to normalcy for Pirate football followers, as they will have the usual six home games, and only four away from the friendly confines of Pirate Stadium. The 'Battle Of The Pirates' Week Zero season-opening rematch with Morro Bay kicks it all off on August 29 where San Pedro won't have to take the four-hour, 33-minute trip towards the San Luis Obispo area.

San Pedro defeated Morro Bay, 21-0 last season.

Another notable home game on the schedule is their first Marine League home game on October 17 against Harbor Area neighbor Banning of Wilmington.

Not only is the 78th all-time meeting with the Pilots for the overall lead in the all-time series (37-37-1), it is also the very first time in the 14-year history of Pirate Stadium where Banning is San Pedro's Homecoming opponent. San Pedro has won five straight and ten out of the last 11 meetings with Banning.

Culver City, who won the Ocean League last year with a 6-5 record, is the only newcomer to San Pedro's nonleague slate. The Centaurs will host San Pedro on September 19, a week after San Pedro has a bye on September 12.

The Fairfax showdown on October 2 at Fairfax High is another notable game considering the Pirates have defeated the Lions four times in two years, including back-to-back first round victories in the CIF-LACS Division I playoffs. That nonleague finale is also on a Thursday, the Pirates' first Thursday football game in three years.

San Pedro's top returning players for the 2014 season includes returning Marine League Co-Offensive Player Of The Year in senior running back Chris Alvidrez, and junior WR/DB Antonio Frazier, who last year made the Cal-Hi Sports All-State Underclass First Team Defense. Other players to look out for is junior quarterback Jacob Miller, senior offensive linemen Dominic O'Brien and Tyler Castaneda, and senior defensive tackle Luis Lona.

SAN PEDRO HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL 2014 SCHEDULE (* - Denotes Marine League Game)

Friday 8/22 vs. Dorsey at Pirate Stadium (Scrimmage)

Friday 8/29 vs. Morro Bay (7 pm)

Friday 9/5 vs. Locke (7 pm)

Friday 9/19 at Culver City (7 pm)

Friday 9/26 vs. University (7 pm)

Thursday 10/2 at Fairfax (7 pm)

Friday 10/10 at Narbonne (7 pm)*

Friday 10/17 vs. Banning (7 pm - HOMECOMING)*

Friday 10/24 vs. Washington Prep (7 pm)*

Friday 10/31 at Gardena (7 pm)*

Friday 11/7 vs. Carson (7 pm)*