Football Season Kicks Off Sept. 2

In recent years, Venice High head football coach Angelo Gasca has loaded his team's nonleague schedule with top-notch competition in order to prepare it for postseason play.

That strategy has led to nine straight Western League championships and several deep runs in the City's upper division playoffs, but thus far no section titles. 

The 12th season of Gasca's tenure will be more of the same, as the Gondoliers' five nonleague opponents this fall went a combined 39-18-1 last year. Venice started the 2010 season 1-4 before rebounding to finish undefeated in league and advance to the semifinals of the City Division I playoffs, where it lost to eventual-champion Crenshaw.

Four of Venice's five nonleague games this coming season are against Southern Section schools and the fifth is against a team from the San Diego Section.

The Gondoliers will open on the road September 2 at Harvard-Westlake, a private school in North Hollywood. The teams met in the season opener last year at Venice and the Gondoliers won 47-16.

It gets more difficult from there. Venice travels to West Hills to take on Chaminade Sept. 9 and, after a bye week, returns home to meet St. Francis of La Canada on Sept. 23, and La Mesa Helix (piloted by former Woodland Hills Taft coach Troy Starr) on Sept. 30.

The Gondoliers wrap up the nonleague portion of their schedule at home against La Puente Bishop Amat. Chaminade, St. Francis and Bishop Amat all beat Venice last season while Helix went 11-2, won the Grossmont-Hills League and lost to eventual-champion Oceanside in the semifinals of the San Diego Section Division II playoffs.

Venice then begins defense of its title in the ever-improving Western League, which has produced the last two City Division II champions (Hamilton and Fairfax). Five out of the six schools are in the Division I playoff bracket this season (only University is in Division II). 

The Gondoliers open league October 13 at Fairfax and travel to much-improved Palisades for their regular season finale November 10, a game that will be played Thursday night because Friday, Nov. 11, is Veterans Day.

Venice outscored its five league opponents 162-60 last year and allowed 13 points or fewer in four of the five games. The last time the Gondoliers failed to win the league title was in 2001 (Gasca's second season) when they were second behind Westchester. 

Full pad practice will be allowed starting next week for teams (like Venice) that have zero week games. For most teams, the season will begin the week of Sept. 9 and full pad practice will start August 15. 

2011 VENICE VARSITY FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

Sept. 2 -- at Harvard-Westlake, 7 p.m.

Sept. 9 -- at Chaminade, 7:30 p.m.

Sept. 23 -- vs. St. Francis, 7 p.m.

Sept. 30 -- vs. Helix, 7 p.m.

Oct. 6 -- vs. Bishop Amat, 7 p.m.

Oct. 13 -- at Fairfax, 7 p.m.*

Oct. 21 -- vs. Westchester, 7 p.m.*

Oct. 28 -- vs. L.A. Hamilton, 7 p.m.*

Nov. 4 -- vs. L.A. University, 7 p.m.*

Nov. 10 -- at Palisades, 7 p.m.*

* Western League game