The St. Monica Mariners are one of the city’s most recognizable private-school athletic programs. While smaller in size than other Westside schools, St. Monica’s athletic identity is built on continuity, community, and program pride. The school competes in the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section and traditionally fields teams in 13 interscholastic offerings (operating under the official school name Saint Monica Preparatory), including:
- Baseball (Boys)
- Basketball (Boys/Girls)
- Cheer (Co-ed)
- Cross Country (Co-ed)
- Dance (Co-ed)
- Football (Boys)
- Golf (Boys/Girls)
- Soccer (Boys/Girls)
- Softball (Girls)
- Tennis (Boys/Girls)
- Track & Field (Boys/Girls)
- Volleyball (Boys/Girls)
- Weightlifting (Boys)
Camino Real League
The Mariners compete in the Camino Real League across almost all major Upper School sports. The league operates under the broader Camino Del Rey Association — which groups smaller, private Catholic schools across Los Angeles County for fair athletic competition. This means whether it is autumn football, winter basketball, or spring baseball, the baseline schedule of opponents remains generally consistent. Their familiar core private school rotation includes: Bishop Montgomery (Torrance), St. Bernard (Playa del Rey), Mary Star of the Sea (San Pedro), and St. Genevieve (Panorama City).
Where the Mariners play
The Mariners do not have a full stadium on their primary campus. Instead, they play their home football games and high-profile soccer matches just over a mile away at Corsair Stadium. The massive, 10,000-seat facility is located on the campus of Santa Monica College.
The St. Monica Mariners host volleyball and basketball games on campus at the St. Monica Gymnasium.
St. Monica Mariners Football
Boasting an incredible 28–9 record over the past three seasons, head coach Thomas Barnes has engineered a major turnaround for the Mariners, capped by a historic 2023 CIF-SS Division 13 Championship. The Mariners are locked and loaded for the 2026 season, highlighted by the return of star 6’4″ senior quarterback Bradley Cassier, who recently committed to University of New Mexico. Cassier will command an offense that remains largely intact despite losing a few key senior anchors to graduation. Barnes’ squad will get an early test when they kick off the season at home against local rival Venice High on August 21, 2026.
Team Identity & The Legend of Joe Mariner
The St. Monica Mariners adopted their nautical nickname to fit the school’s coastal identity and Southern California roots.
The official mascot of the Mariner athletic teams is a sailor known as Joe Mariner. The school heavily relies on nautical terminology, with an anchor symbol being a staple of campus traditions, including class pin ceremonies and the annual “Mariner March” for 8th graders graduating from the connected middle school.
The official colors of the St. Monica Mariners are green and gold.
Championships and milestones
St. Monica’s athletics history includes multiple league and CIF-level achievements.
- 1998: Mariners football wins first-ever CIF-SS Division XI championship.
- 2015: Football finishes 9-2, captures league championship.
- 2024: Girls basketball wins 20 games in a row, reaching CIF-SS Division 7 semi-finals.
- 2025: Boys golf sets program records by winning the league championship (14-1 record) and making the CIF Team Championship behind junior Joe Bohan.
- 2025: Boys soccer wins CIF-SS Division 8 Championship.
- 2026: Girls soccer completes an undefeated season and wins the Camino Real League title.
- 2026: Boys soccer wins the Camino Real League title.
Notable alumni
Many former Mariners have gone on to have successful careers in professional sports. Here are a few:
- Kyle Williams (Football) — Led Mariners to a 7-2 season in 2019 before going on to UNLV and Washington State. Competed in Super Bowl LX with New England Patriots.
- Leon Wood (Basketball) — First round NBA draft pick (Philadelphia 76ers), Olympic gold medalist, current NBA referee.
- Adrian Klemm (Football) — Played six NFL seasons with Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots. Member of three Super Bowl championship teams.
- Bob Klein (Football) — Played 11 seasons in NFL with Los Angeles Rams and San Diego Chargers.
- Terry Schofield (Basketball) — Member of 3 UCLA national championship teams under coach John Wooden.
- Frank Cruz (Baseball) — 1977 graduate, member of school’s athletic Hall of Fame. Appointed athletic director in 2015.
See also:
Samohi Vikings
Brentwood School Eagles
Crossroads Roadrunners
This page is maintained by the Santa Monica Sun Editorial Desk. Last updated: July 5, 2026. Have an update, correction or missing information to add? Contact us at corrections@santamonicasun.com