Marina football

Marina (1-9, 0-7)
 Before you can talk playoffs, you need a winning season, a winning streak.
 Little has worked for the Mariners in seven seasons.
 Oh, there have been moments, such as 2013 when Marina won a school record four games, halting a 27-game losing streak in the process.
 And two years ago the Mariners showed flashes with three wins.
 But last year Marina took a step backwards in going 1-9, failing to win a league game for the fifth time in seven Mission Trail Athletic League seasons.
 So why will it be different this year?
 Well, for starters the adoption of five teams from the old Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League has forced the MTAL into two divisions this fall.
 The Mariners are in a league they belong in, where they can compete against programs of similar size and enrollment.
 "We have some kids that could start for other schools,'' Marina coach Vernon Calhoun said. "My key guys are athletes. It's the supplemental parts we don't have.''
 That was evident during a recent practice when seven players were on the sidelines, already out with numerous injuries. Calhoun had four healthy linemen for one practice.
 To further frustrate Calhoun, he was forced to drop his junior varsity program because of numbers. As a result, seven freshmen elected not to continue.
 "I don't have an answer as to why we can't get kids to come out,'' said Calhoun, now in his sixth year at Marina. "I don't know if it's all the concussion talk. We lose kids to other schools.''
 All that being said, those that remain have reason for optimism. The Mariners are in a division where five of their eight wins over the last seven years have come against these same teams.
 "The kids that are out here understand that we can compete,'' Calhoun said. "We're as talented as any team in this division. Our issue is depth. We can't keep losing kids.''
 Assuming the four freshmen get a waiver to play varsity football, Calhoun expects to have roughly 30 players on his roster.
 "I like how our young guys are stepping up,'' lineman Kefu Leander said. "What we need to do is believe in ourselves.''
 One of those young guys is Leander, a 6-foot-1, 310-pound sophomore beast, who will dominate in the MTAL's lower division.
 "He could be a Division I player someday,'' Calhoun said.
 Look for Marina to run the ball behind Leander and tackle Izzy Guizar, as the pair will push the pile down field.
 It won't hurt having Will Leander healthy and back at quarterback this fall for Marina. Built like a tight end, the senior provides a presence with his arm and legs.
 While Calhoun has put an emphasis on establishing the run with tailback Fermin Gabot, the ability to throw the ball to the likes of Ernie Guevara will force teams from stacking the box.
 "We're going to switch things up a bit on offense,'' Calhoun said. "It will be multiple looks. But we will simplify things.''
 Marina was a mess defensively last year, giving up 40 or more points in all nine losses, allowing the most points in the county.
 Improvement will come with the return of linebacker Ronnie Patterson, who produced a defensive touchdown last year in the Mariners only win.
 Gabot, one of the walking wounded last week, will provide depth at the linebacker position while Kefu Leander will be a menace in the middle of that Marina defense.
 Getting off to a fast start could provide a moral boast for a program searching for confidence. Marina, who opens at Lynbrook, has never won a season opener.