Redondo Union second-year head coach Matt Ballard was all smiles Friday after the Sea Hawks throttled visiting North Torrance 49-12 in the season opener for both teams.
Redondo overcame a slow start and first-game mental mistakes before physically dominating the defending Pioneer League champions, who reached the CIF Southern Section Northwest Division championship game last season and was ranked third in its division in the pre-season polls.
“Our main offense is the Pistol,” Ballard said. “We wanted a live pace and to score a lot of points. Harrison (Faecher) is a third-year starting quarterback and we wanted to add a few more weapons to throw the ball to and we have the backs. We sputtered at times, being the first game, but we did what we wanted to do. Get a lead, a one-two punch, slow the gears down, grind the clock and rely on our defense. You couldn’t chalk it up better than that. Scoring 49 points, you can’t complain.”
Redondo held a slim 7-6 lead early in the second quarter, but after a Jerome Jackson fumble recovery on North’s second-and-goal attempt on the Sea Hawk’s three-yard line, the Sea Hawks ran the ball 12 consecutive times to take control of the game.
The drive was culminated by Jamaal Perkins’ 3-yard touchdown run. The senior finished with 128 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.
“I’ve got to improve my stamina a little bit more,” Perkins admitted. “We came out at the half and turned it around. We played as a team and that’s all I can ask for. It was nice to get that first win.”
Midway in the second quarter, Perkins broke through the middle of the line and literally went head-to-head with a North defender. Although he was tackled, the collision put the Saxon on his back much to the delight of the Sea Hawk faithful.
The cheering was short lived, however, when Perkins drew a flag for a helmet-to-helmet personal foul.
“It was a mental mistake,” Perkins said after the game. “You get in the zone and you do stupid stuff.”
Ballard didn’t argue the call.
“Perkins is a physical runner,” Ballard said. “They (referees) talked about it before the game. It’s rough because these kids have been learning to run and tackle like this since they were little so there’s going to be a learning curve to run aggressively and make a cut here and there. It’s hard and frustrating for coaches but it’s also for a one reason, to cut down on concussions. It’s the change of the game, the natural evolution of football.”
Faecher was a dual threat for Redondo’s offense, completing 8 of 16 passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. He also ran for 61 yards on four carries.
The senior signal caller’s favorite target was tight end Colin Hindle who gained 88 yards.
“We got off to a bad start but we got our stuff together and got back in the game which doesn’t show on the scoreboard,” Hindle said. “Our offense was pushing and we had some big drives all day. We’ve been practicing. We all came out to play. We were ready to hit somebody.”
Redondo will face a tougher opponent Friday when two-time defending Ocean League champion Santa Monica comes to Sea Hawk Bowl for a 7 p.m. contest.
The game will be the season opener for the Vikings who reached the Western Division quarterfinals last season and have six players on its roster weighing more the 250 pounds.
Noah Anderson (6-4, 270) anchors the offensive line which will protect senior quarterback Jordan Detamore (6-2, 175) and pave the way for running backs Will Taylor (5-8, 170) and Trent Hill (5-11, 170).
“Santa Monica is a powerhouse team so we’ve got to step up,” Perkins said.
