He may go to a ‘little’ school, but Tommy Marrone is making it ‘big’ on campus. One of about 600 students at St. Monica High, the Palisades native is a standout athlete in both football and volleyball. In fact, choosing between the two is as hard for him as scoring a touchdown or setting a teammate for a spike. “Football is always fun because of the physical contact and the guys you play with,” Marrone said. “And I like volleyball when it gets really intense if the match is close.” Marrone was voted most valuable player of the Mariners’ junior varsity football team after scoring 14 touchdowns as both a running back and wide receiver and making three interceptions as a free safety on defense. His coaches were so impressed that they moved him up to varsity for the playoffs and he saw action at tailback in St. Monica’s victory over Big Bear in the first round of the CIF Southern Section Division XI playoffs. The highlight of his season was a 90-yard touchdown run in a game against Mary Star of the Sea. “One thing I noticed immediately playing varsity is that the players are much stronger and faster and the game is much more physical,” Marrone said. “I was clocked running 4.6 seconds in the 40-yard dash in spring practice, but I’m not sure that’s accurate.” When he’s not breaking tackles on the gridiron, the 16-year-old Marrone is dishing out assists on the volleyball court as the starting setter for St. Monica’s varsity team. He was named first-team All-League as a sophomore and looks forward to a run at the CIF title next year. “I play middle blocker on my club team but my high school needs me to set so that’s what I do,” Marrone said. “I’m considered small for a volleyball player (5-9 and 150 pounds), but I can jump pretty high.” In the off-season, Marrone plays for the Pacific Palisades Volleyball Club’s 16-2s team, which accumulated enough points in a series of tournaments to qualify for the Junior Olympics later this month in Austin, Texas, where it will compete against 100 of the best teams in the United States. Growing up, Marrone’s first love was baseball. He played for the Red Sox in the Palisades Pony Baseball Association from Pinto through Pony and was selected to the West Los Angeles All-Star team as a catcher. He also played AYSO soccer and flag football at the Pali Rec Center. But sports is far from the only meaningful activity for Marrone. He became an Eagle Scout with Troop 223 in February after fulfilling a community service project that involved furnishing benches, uprooting dead trees and cleaning out supply sheds at Palisades Elementary School. “I started as a Cub Scout in third grade, became a Boy Scout in fifth grade and I worked towards becoming an Eagle since then,” said Marrone, who has aspirations of one day joining the military. “My ultimate goal is to be in the Army. I want to serve my country and defend freedom.”
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
