The 2016 high school football season will be one that shows a lot of promise and even more potential for Mary Star High football.

Last year was a first for current second-year coach Jason Gelber who along with a brand-new staff behind them and a senior-laden team eager to bring respect back to a flooding program, the Stars responded with a 6-5 record and a return trip to the CIF-Southern Section East Valley Division (XIII) playoffs, also avenging three embarrassing defeats from their dismal 2014 season along the way.

Mary Star lost in the opening round to powerhouse Grace Brethren of Simi Valley, who two weeks after forfeited their chance at a championship after a semifinal victory due to admitted use of an ineligible player, putting an unfortunate damper on the Stars’ encouraging 2015 season.

Now the Stars will try to build off that in Gelber's second season after rushing for 3,586 yards and 45 touchdowns on 504 carries as a team in Gelber's run-based no-huddle attack, gaining 4,040 yards of total offense and 49 total touchdowns in 2015.

A notable in the 2016 schedule is a challenging nonleague game against Linfield Christian on September 9, where the Stars will trek to Temecula and battle a team that went 12-2 and was the CIF-Southern Section Northwest (XI) Division runner-up to Notre Dame of Riverside, who handed the Lions both their defeats last season.

A three-game home swing against Pasadena Poly, Bishop Montgomery of Torrance and Morningside of Inglewood closes out September heading into a bye week for Mary Star, who will once again compete in the Santa Fe League where St. Monica of Santa Monica emerged as the champion. The Stars lost 49-48 in overtime in last year's meeting with the Mariners at Daniels Field.

Mary Star will return three All-Santa Fe League selections, who all starred (no pun intended) on defense.

Senior defensive back Jaime Casiano Jr. and senior defensive linemen Daichi Kusunoki and Izzy Amalfitano will be warriors on that end for Mary Star, who also returns senior quarterback Robert Enciso for a third year. A new set of running backs will look to emerge out of the shadows in sophomore Luke Sabra and the senior trio of Chance Liu, Adrian Rodriguez and Jasen Watanabe.

Senior TE/DL Matt Sestich and senior WR/DB Hunter Bjazevich also returns for Mary Star, who will open the season on Friday, August 26 at Daniels Field against Don Bosco Tech of Rosemead.

MARY STAR OF THE SEA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL 2016 SCHEDULE

(Note #1: All home games in bold covering are at Daniels Field)
(Note #2: * - Denotes Santa Fe League Game)

Friday 8/26 vs. Bosco Tech (7 pm)

Friday 9/2 @ St. Bernard (7 pm)
Friday 9/9 @ Linfield Christian (7 pm)
Friday 9/16 vs. Pasadena Poly (7 pm)
Friday 9/23 vs. Bishop Montgomery (7 pm)
Friday 9/30 vs. Morningside (7 pm)

Friday 10/7 - BYE WEEK

Friday 10/14 vs. Verbum Dei @ Los Angeles Southwest College (7:30 pm)
Friday 10/21 @ St. Monica (TBA)*
Friday 10/28 vs. St. Anthony (7 pm)*

Friday 11/4 @ St. Genevieve (7 pm)*