Photos: St. Monica football
St. Monica HIgh football Coach Larry Muno directs practice at the soccer field at a city park beside Santa Monica Airport. After a stretch during which they lost 37 games, the Mariners have been resurrected under Muno’s tutelage, capturing the Santa Fe League title this season. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The St. Monica Mariners avoid soccer nets on the field where they practice amid the roar of approaching planes. When Muno arrived as coach, only 21 students showed up for the first practice. But more players volunteered as the team showed improvement and a quicker offense in Muno’s debut, a 53-46 loss. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Orange cones serve as yard markers at Airport Park, where St. Monica practices. The Mariners won five of their last six games in earning a playoff berth. That contrasts with the period of heavy losses from 2005-08, when some of the school’s best athletes shied away from football. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
A trainer checks out Mariners player Christian Rozzo at the practice field. The Mariners face Chadwick on Friday in the playofffs, and insist they are not safisfied with an 8-2 record. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Coach Larry Muno, wearing the uniform of his full-time occupation -- firefighter -- talks to his team at practice. Muno was a star linebacker at Bishop Montgomery in Torrance in the 1980s and received a scholarship to Rutgers University. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
St. Monica players gather around Coach Muno, who took over in 2009, before beginning a running drill. The high school has fewer than 600 students. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
A player leaves the field after practice. The Mariners knew defeat all too well for many years, but last week they concluded the regular season with a 38-0 victory over St. Anthony of Long Beach. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
