Marina football

 I think if you are Marina, you have to at least look into the possibility of moving out of the Mission Trail Athletic League, much like St. Francis Catholic did three years ago in leaving the SCCAL.
 For St. Francis, it saved the program.
 You can't compete with 17 players on a roster. Granted injuries crippled Marina this year. Still, this is a program that has never posted a winning season or has had a lot of depth.
 This fall Marina gave up a record 476 points. It got worse in league play as opponents averaged 54.2 points a game.
 One team tagged them for 78 points. Another 65. The average margin of defeat in the MTAL was 40 points.
 St. Francis Catholic moved into the Bay Football League this year, a small league in the North Coast Section that currently has five teams.
 Most teams are small programs either struggling to re-establish themselves or get established. It's a first year league, where the league champion gets a spot in the NCS playoffs.
 Clearly the safety of the kids is an issue. Marina lost 11 players to season ending injuries, depleting what was already a small roster.
 Providing hope means a new direction. Competing against teams of its caliber can build a program up, recreating interest, establishing a foundation for the future.