West Torrance held its first home game of the football season Friday night, but it was the seniors on Redondo’s team that celebrated the most.
It had been three season since Redondo had last defeated West but a tenacious Sea Hawk defense and two fourth-quarter touchdowns allowed Matt Ballard’s squad to snap the losing streak with a 14-3 victory.
“It’s always nice to beat West,” senior receiver/linebacker Preston Faecher said. “I hadn’t done it yet, so this is exciting for us. That game was a grinder. Our defensive line is so strong this year that it really helps our entire defense. Hopefully we meet them again (in the playoffs). It’s always fun playing West.”
As expected, it was a physical game between the two former Bay League rivals. Redondo (4-0) entered the game ranked No. 2 in the CIF-SS Western Division, one spot ahead of West (2-1).
“After a win, coaches are known for saying the other team is well coached with a great staff, but for (West head coach) Greg Holt I really mean it,” Ballard said. “We work together a lot during the summer because we have like-minded philosophies. They beat us the last two years so it’s nice to get one back. Our ‘D’ held strong and did it for us.”
Redondo’s defense was relentless all night, chasing West quarterback Drake Peabody out of the pocket and forcing hurried throws. Cedric Muzik recorded two sacks and Cole LeBlanc had one for the Sea Hawks who limited the Warriors to a 31-yard field goal with less than one minute remaining in the first half.
Jerone Jackson thwarted a first-quarter drive when he intercepted a lame-duck pass with West facing a third-and 7 at Redondo’s 15-yard line.
In the second half, Redondo used the strategy that was so effective in the Sea Hawk’s 25-14 win against San Pedro the previous week. The combination between quarterback Jacob Silvera and 6-foot-5 receiver Warren Jackson once again became the deciding factor for a win.
Jackson had three vital catches during a third-quarter drive that was capped off by a 3-yard touchdown run by Dallas Branch on the first play of the fourth quarter.
After a mishandled punt gave Redondo a first down at the West 28-yard line, Jackson hauled in Silvera’s fade pass in the corner of the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown.
“Our coach said we were going to come out and throw the ball more in the second half and that’s what we did,” said Jackson, who finished with eight receptions for 70 yards and one touchdown. “This was a big moral victory for us. We hadn’t beaten them so it was a nice win, especially for our seniors.”
Silvera credited his defense for allowing the Sea Hawks to pull out the victory.
“It was a great win for us. Our defense carried throughout the night,” Silvera said. “Warren’s a great play maker. He runs great routes and comes up with the big catches when we need them.”
Silvera was already looking forward to Redondo’s next test when Mission Viejo invades Sea Hawk Bowl Friday at 7 p.m.
“Mission Viejo will be a big challenge for but we have a solid team and after a good week of practice and going with our coaches’ game plan, we’ll be ready,” Silvera said.
Mission Viejo (5-0) is ranked No. 1 in the CIF-SS West Valley Division and No. 9 in the state in the MaxPreps poll.
“This win (against West) will be short lived,” Ballard added. ”Mission Viejo will be our toughest game going into league play.”
