Prior to Redondo’s game with visiting Mira Costa Friday night, proud parents looked on as the Sea Hawks honored seniors on the football and cheerleading teams, dance squad and band.
But the celebration didn’t end there as Redondo beat its cross-town rival 36-21 to secure second place in the Bay League.
The win was extra sweet for Redondo head coach Matt Ballard, who defeated Mira Costa for the first time since taking the position after coaching his alma mater at Half Moon Bay.
“The first thing someone told me when I moved here was ‘You gotta beat Costa’ so maybe I’ll keep my job for another year or two,” Ballard said.
Redondo (5-5, 4-1) will travel to Oxnard to face Pacific View runner-up Pacifica (9-1) in the first round Friday. All playoff games are scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m.
Mira Costa (3-7, 2-3) missed the playoffs for the first time since 2007.
Redondo jumped out early, marching 76 yards to the Mira Costa 6-yard line before settling for a Dominik Eberle field goal.
The Sea Hawk’s second possession was more productive. Quarterback Preston Faecher connected with Warren Jackson who out jumped the Mustang defender to haul in the pass for a 25-yard touchdown.
It only took Redondo 10 seconds to score again when Cedric Muzik blocked a pass that fell into his arms. Dragging a tackler, the junior defensive lineman rambled to the 1-yard line before fumbling into the end zone. Linebacker Guy Alford fell on ball to give the Sea Hawks a 17-0 lead with 1:30 left in the first quarter.
Mira Costa got on the board when quarterback Jacob Silvera found Ta’utino Sione open for a 7-yard touchdown.
Alford scored on a 6-yard run to increase Redondo’s lead to 23-7. Mira Costa closed the gap to 23-14 heading into halftime after Jamaal Williams scored on a 1-yard run.
Redondo’s passing attack in the first half, led by Jackson’s five receptions for 122 yards, opened up the running game for the Sea Hawks.
“Our offensive line blocked very well and our quarterback had great reads and we just connected,” Jackson said. “We felt we could pass against them. We stay humble and play hungry.”
Alford had rushing touchdowns of 22 and 4 yards in the third quarter and finished the game with 130 yards on 18 carries.
“All the credit goes to the offensive line and fullback who have been blocking great for me,” Alford said. “We went back to the basics during our bye week before league and it’s worked out for us.”
Mira Costa’s Ben Verbrugge caught a 2-yard pass for a touchdown with 3:04 remaining in the game but Redondo fell on the Mustang’s onside kick attempt and ran out the clock.
Silvera completed 9 of 28 passes for 130 yards and ran for 82 yards on eight carries, but was sacked seven times by Redondo’s defense.
Redondo’s coaching staff named Jackson as its Offensive Player of the Game while Navarro earned Defensive Player of the Game honors.
Senior DeAaron was selected Special teams Player of the Game and sophomore linebacker Milad Goodarzi was named Scout “Eager Beaver” Player of the Week.
While Redondo enters the playoffs on a high note, Mira Costa is at the mercy of the CIF in gaining an at-large berth.
Bay League champion Palos Verdes (7-3, 5-0) defeated Peninsula 42-14 and is the only Bay League team ranked in the top ten in the CIF Southern Section Western Division, holding the No. 6 spot.
In a rivalry battle between the Bay Leagues newest members, Inglewood (4-6, 3-2) defeated Morningside 22-14 to finished third but did not make the playoffs.
“My first two years here we limped into the playoffs after losing to Costa,” Ballard said. “It was an emotional dump and we got really high seeds. We’ve played three teams in the top ten this season, including (top-ranked) West and feel like we can compete with any team.”
Alford feels Redondo’s non-league schedule has prepared the Sea Hawks for a deep run in the playoffs.
“We had a hard preseason but didn’t let that discourage us,” Alford said. “It helped us get here and we feel there’s no one in the division we can’t beat.”
With the Pioneer and Ocean Leagues joining the Bay in the Western Division, there are plenty of South Bay teams in contention for a CIF title.
Top-seeded West (10-0, 5-0) capped off a perfect regular season with a 41-39 victory over Torrance (6-4, 3-2) who finished third in the league. West will host Santa Monica (5-5) in the first round while Torrance travels to take on Pacific View champion and fourth-seeded Oxnard (8-2) on Friday.
North (7-3, 4-1) defeated South (6-4, 2-3) 28-13 in the Pioneer League finale and travels to Canyon champion Simi Valley (6-4) on Friday. South plays at Channel champion Ventura (9-1) in the first round.
Ocean League champion and second-seeded El Segundo (10-0, 5-0) remained undefeated with a 17-13 win at Santa Monica. The Eagles host Rio Mesa (5-5) Friday.
Brackets and results are available at cifss.org.
