High school football is back in San Pedro.
With both the Pirates and the Stars coming off milestone seasons, the 2025 campaign promises more fireworks under the lights.
SAN PEDRO HIGH SCHOOL
San Pedro High football had a marvelous 2024 campaign, becoming the program’s 10th in history to reach a CIF-Los Angeles City Section championship game, finishing as Open Division runner-up after a spectacular 24-0 comeback to defeat Marine League foe Carson, 40-34 in an overtime thriller.
Last year also provided another program first: two victories in one season over Banning of Wilmington in the Battle of the Harbor, 34-33 in overtime at the Harbor Classic Marine League showdown at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and again, 37-36 in the CIF-LACS Open Division quarterfinals.
With several returning players coming back, including the 2024 Marine League and CIF-LACS Open Division Offensive Player of the Year in senior wide receiver Elias Redlew, the Pirates, who went 9-4 in 2024, are primed for another strong run for the upcoming 2025 season.
However, Redlew is just one of many from a solid senior class of returnees, which also features the likes of running backs Derrick Johnson, Dylan Ashford, and Darren Riingen, WR/DB Isaiyah Banks, and offensive linemen Quincy Couch and Nuriel Rodriguez.
The Marine League will be highly competitive as usual, with Carson and Banning both being among the top threats alongside San Pedro. Still, the Colts and Pilots, along with Gardena and Narbonne of Harbor City, will all enter 2025 with first-year head coaches, leaving the Pirates’ own Corey Walsh, who coached the 2022 San Pedro team to the league title, as the veteran coach of the league entering his fourth season.
“We’re excited about this group,” Walsh says. “Our program is built on trust, care, and a commitment to excellence, and this senior class has really embraced that. We return a strong core on offense, led by our star quarterback, who’s one of the best players in the city.”
That quarterback’s name is junior Seth Solorio.
Backing up three-year veteran Marcus Jeronymo a year ago after transferring from perennial power St. John Bosco, Solorio still saw quality time under center and flourished, going 13-for-19 for 187 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions, which also included throwing for a pair of touchdowns in the Open Division final against Narbonne (who later vacated the title months later).
Solorio will now be the main man behind an experienced and talented offensive line that also features juniors David Medina (All-City returner) and Joaquin Fernandez. Another talented junior will be on the flanks with Redlew and Banks in WR/DB Jaxon Brown, the speedster of the wideout core that also returned a kickoff for a touchdown last season.
San Pedro is in good hands in the special teams department with junior kicker Dylan Moreno, who really came into his own last year, garnering All-Marine League and All-City honors and now being rated as a four-star kicker.
Defensively, the Pirates will also be stingy, with senior linebackers K’Shawn Davis and Ty Contreras, along with Banks, Brown, Johnson, and junior WR/DB Braeden Villegas, another returning standout, manning the secondary.
In what will arguably be San Pedro’s most challenging nonleague schedule to date, the Pirates open against Torrance at Mike Walsh Pirate Stadium on Friday, August 22. That’s just the start of a slate that also features three long road trips against the CIF-Southern Section trio of Great Oak (Temecula), El Modena, and Laguna Beach, along with home games against Kennedy of Granada Hills and Bell, in battles against two defending league champions from the City Section.
“Our kids are tough, and they bring that grit to the field every day,” Walsh says. “We know the Marine League is always a battle, but we’re confident this group can compete for a championship.”
MARY STAR OF THE SEA
Mary Star High football brought it like none other before them in program history in 2024.
After several different offensive philosophies and coaches in the prior decade, the Stars’ air-raid attack shattered every single passing record the school had previously set, carrying the program to the brink of reaching its first CIF-Southern Section divisional championship game since its 1960 runner-up year.
Only one yard separated Mary Star, who went 10-3 in 2024, from battling for a section title when the Stars lost by a touchdown in overtime to eventual Division 12 champion Palmdale. Still, second-year head coach Tyler Sestich sees even more excitement to try to surpass last year as their 2025 season draws near.
“We’re much improved after last year’s run to the CIF semifinals,” Sestich says. “The team has worked extremely hard since December in the weight room and on the practice field. We have many key returners and some new faces that will be key to our success.”
And it all starts with their returning senior quarterback Tanner Rollins. The All-CIF returning slinging southpaw set new standards for passing last year, completing 161-of-251 passes (a 64.6% completion rate), 2,922 yards, 35 touchdowns, and six interceptions.
Not having Andrew Washington around will sting a little, but Rollins has junior WR/CB Dallas Christopher, and seniors Aden Sierra and Jeremy Coughlin around. Christopher went down with an injury in his first game and didn’t return. However, he still has the same level of talent and offensive productivity capability that Washington (54 catches, 1,336 yards, 19 TDs) leaves behind via graduation. Rollins even gained a third option to throw to in Amari Powell, a senior wideout who transferred from Carson.
Senior RB/LB Giuseppe Virzi and sophomore RB/LB Johnny Rivera will power the running game for Mary Star, while the defense will be anchored by the likes of junior LB/FB Daniel Lomeli. The Stars will also have two gifted two-way linemen in sophomore DE/T Lotu Taufa and junior C/DL Ethan Mejia. Sierra will also play a significant role defensively at linebacker.
Mary Star opens its 2025 season on Friday, August 29, at home against Eastside of Lancaster, while the rest of the nonleague slate also will include battles against Valley Christian of Cerritos and Lawndale on the road, and home games against CIF-Los Angeles City Section foes South Gate and Open Division hopeful Palisades Charter.
The Camino Real League will be tough with the likes of defending champion St. Genevieve of Panorama City, St. Monica of Santa Monica, and surging rival Bishop Montgomery of Torrance. Still, the Stars should be right in the mix again after going 4-2 in league play last season.
According to Sestich, this is the most talented and deepest Mary Star team that he can remember.
“We have a lot of size and athleticism on both lines with a big, punishing running back like Virzi. Our passing game should be dynamic again,” Sestich says. “We want to make a push at league and a CIF championship. If we play with the passion, energy, and teamwork that our culture is based on, the sky is the limit.” spt
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