It hasn’t been an easy ride for Mary Star High football in recent years, but now the Stars are back to respectability. 

In his first year as coach, Jason Gelber brought in an all-new coaching staff, and molded the Stars in his likeness, and that ended up being a new ‘home of the hitters’. Now Mary Star, at 6-4 overall, will get a chance to do it in the CIF-Southern Section East Valley Division (XIII) playoffs, returning to postseason football for the first time since 2012 after a 2-8 season in 2014.
The Stars’ 55-20 loss to St. Anthony of Long Beach in a Santa Fe League second place battle with the guaranteed playoff spot on the line (only five teams in the SFL since Bell-Jeff of Burbank doesn’t have a football team) put playoff hopes in jeopardy, but Mary Star’s prayers were answered.
As a result, the Stars get the ultimate challenge to date as they will travel to face top-seeded Grace Brethren of Simi Valley this Friday at 7:30 pm.
Grace Brethren has rolled through their competition en route to a 10-0 record, winning every game by at least 21 points, scoring no less than 32 points in a game, and have won seven of their games by shutout, also gaining a forfeit victory over Santa Clara. So to say this is a huge mountain for Mary Star to climb is an extreme understatement.
However it wouldn’t be wise to count out the Stars, who have also put up their fair share of points in Gelber’s no-huddle, run based offense that has churned out an average of 310 yards rushing a game. Plus, the Stars have their ‘three-headed senior laden monster’ of running backs in William Davis, Vinny Lauro and Jarod Alves. The defense may take a few hits, but they are not afraid to dish out their own Star-studded punishment themselves.
Mary Star announced its arrival in their season opener on September 4 at Aquinas of San Bernadino, befuddling a team that scored 84 points in their opener a week before and winning 31-7 over the Falcons in convincing fashion.
If the Stars can somehow manage an upset, they automatically host the Desert-Santa Clarita Christian winner in the quarterfinals on November 20.

Here is the full bracket of games in the CIF-Southern Section East Valley Division playoffs.
UPPER BRACKET SIDE
MARY STAR (Santa Fe At-Large) at No.1 Grace Brethren (Frontier No.1)
Santa Clarita Christian (San Joaquin No.2) at Desert (Desert/Mountain No.1)
Rancho Christian (South Valley No.2) at St. Monica (Santa Fe No.1)
Sherman Indian (Arrowhead No.2) at No.4 Brethren Christian (Academy No.1)

LOWER BRACKET SIDE
Vasquez (Desert/Mountain No.2) No.3 Calvary Murrieta (South Valley No.1)
St. Anthony (Santa Fe No.2) at Crean Lutheran (Academy No.2)
St. Margaret’s (Academy At-Large) at Hamilton (Arrowhead No.1)
Santa Paula (Frontier No.2) at No.2 Saddleback Valley Christian (San Joaquin No.1)

QUARTERFINALS: Friday, November 20

SEMIFINALS: Friday, November 27

CHAMPIONSHIP: Saturday, December 5

(Note: Photo by Dan Pronovost)