by Paul Teetor
It started with a record-setting run by Bo Ausmus — one of the greatest tailbacks in Redondo Union High School history.
It ended with a crushing loss.
It was the most highly anticipated Sea Hawk football game in decades, but Redondo finally lost its mighty mojo after a late season run that had carried it all the way to the CIF Division 5 Final.
In the end, after they had turned their season completely around and won nine of their last 10 games, following an 0-3 start, the Sea Hawks couldn’t stop Rio Hondo Prep’s relentless running game in a 29-7 loss Saturday night.
The Kares won their third straight CIF title – Division 9 two years ago and Division 7 last year — in front of a full house. More than 5,000 screaming fans packed into a cold but dry Sea Hawk Stadium.
The loss was bitterly disappointing to the first Redondo football team to make a CIF Final game since 1944.
It’s a loss the Sea Hawks fans may want to forget, but they’ll never forget the electric beginning of the game.
Sea Hawks star running back Bo Ausmus bolted 99 yards on the Sea Hawks second play from scrimmage, not stopping until he was in the end zone.
It was the kind of inspirational play he had made throughout their late season run after missing several games at the start of the season. Indeed, it was his 15th touchdown in his last eight games.
With the Sea Hawks pinned back at their own 1-yard-line, Ausmus made one lunging Kares defender miss before racing all the way to the end zone to put Redondo ahead 7-0 with 6:31 to play in the first quarter.
That Ausmus should be the one who gave Sea Hawks fans hope for their first CIF title in 81 years was entirely fitting as it was his return from an early season foot injury that coincided with them winning nine of their last ten games.
“Bo is just a really good player,” Redondo Coach Keith Ellison said. “He made a guy miss right at the line of scrimmage and he’s been doing that all season. It was a tremendous play by him.”
Rio Hondo lost its best player – running back Noah Penunuri, who was out with two sprained ankles after just two plays – but they still had plenty of firepower. Six different players carried the football 47 times for 220 yards for Rio Hondo Prep.
“Rio Hondo Prep is a tough team. They’ve won 40 games in the last three years,” Ellison said. “I have a lot of respect for what they’ve done.”
The game started out like it was going to be a classic back-and-forth championship match.
After Redondo’s defense forced Rio Hondo Prep to punt on the game’s opening drive, Ausmus showed the athleticism he’s put on display all season with his best run of the year for a quick 7-0 Sea Hawk lead.
But Rio Hondo (14-0) had a ready response. Its second drive of the game went 78 yards on 10 plays, capped by Elias Har’s 15-yard touchdown run on a reverse sweep to make it a 7-7 game with 1:45 left in the first quarter.
“I feel like we stuffed the run but they still went for five yards, and those plays just add up and kept those long drives going,” said Ausmus, who also finished with four tackles on defense. “It tires out the defense and they’re just able to hit one behind your head.”
After the score was tied, Redondo tried to respond. Quarterback Cole Leinart connected with Adrian Ortiz on a pair of 12-yard pickups to put the ball at midfield before Ausmus’ 29-yard gain got Redondo to the Rio Hondo 18.
After a penalty pushed Redondo back 10 yards, the Sea Hawks were able to get as close as the 11 before Leinart’s fourth-down pass was deflected.
“We had some momentum on our second drive and got stopped on fourth down, that really changed things for us,” Ellison said. “If we could have put that score in, we would have been able to keep it going.”
Rio Hondo kept up its steady running attack and then changed up the formula with a long pass. The Kares drove 89 yards, with help from a pair of Sea Hawk offside penalties, before Yanick Diaz and Calogero Chico connected for a 59-yard pickup that brought the ball to the Sea Hawk 1.
Nathaniel Shine’s 1-yard touchdown run put Rio Hondo up 14-7 with 5:44 to play in the first half.
Penalties were a problem for Redondo all game. They were hit with five flags for 35 yards in the first half. For the entire game, Redondo was penalized nine times.
“We killed ourselves. A lot of penalties, a lot of mistakes, and that comes back to coaching. That’s my fault,” Ellison said. “I didn’t do a good enough job for us this week.”
After leading 14-7 at halftime, Rio Hondo slowly but surely pulled away. Looking to go to Ausmus early in the second half, Leinart’s pass was tipped before Aiden Delgadillo intercepted it, returning it 21 yards for a Kares touchdown to make it a 20-7 lead. Ausmus totaled 144 yards on seven carries, but was held to just 16 yards in the second half and no receptions.
Redondo failed to convert on fourth down on its next drive, as Ausmus was stopped short of the first down. Rio Hondo took over on its own 45 after a personal foul penalty on the Sea Hawks. They needed only four plays to make it a 26-7 game on Christian Lee’s 13-yard scoring run.
On the second play of the ensuing drive, Leinart was intercepted again. Looking for Ausmus, Leinart’s pass was tipped before Troy Seto came up with the interception. Leinart finished with only 58 yards while connecting on 9 of 20 passing attempts.
Redondo began the season with three consecutive losses – they were outscored 81-23 in the three games — but the team that Ellison led this season will be remembered as a team that leaves a proud legacy of persistence and resilience because of the way they turned their season around when they could have become discouraged.
“I feel like this group found success this year. We did a great job of being resilient, a great job of coming together especially in the second half of the season and making a real push in the playoffs,” Ellison said. “At the end of it, we did something that this school hasn’t done in 80 years. I wish we could have finished the job tonight, but there’s a lot for this group to be proud of.”
Contact: teetor.paul@gmail.com. ER
