Six weeks ago, Matt Ballard wasn’t sure what to expect as the Redondo football team prepared for its season opener. The first-year year coach of the Sea Hawks was still familiarizing himself with the area, not to mention a new group of players. The schedule listed high schools foreign to Ballard whose only knowledge of the upcoming opponents was that supplied by other coaches in the area.
But after a demanding non-league schedule that concluded with a 55-21 loss to visiting Orange Lutheran on Friday, the picture is much clearer for Ballard.
“A lot was learned, and revealed, in the past five games,” Ballard stated in his weekly newsletter. “It will be up to us to learn from it, and take a reenergized work ethic to head into the Bay League. It’s a new season now; time to turn it up.”
Redondo is 3-2 going into a bye week before the Sea Hawks open Bay League play with a 3 p.m. road game at Peninsula on Friday, Oct. 5.
Redondo’s non-league opponents had a combined record of 16-5 and the Sea Hawks had impressive wins over North Torrance, the fourth-ranked team in the CIF Southern Section Northwest Division and San Pedro (No. 4 in the L.A. City Section).
Entering Friday’s game, Ballard believed Orange Lutheran to be the toughest opponent on Redondo’s schedule and the outcome proved him right.
The Sea Hawks were down 21-0 before DeAaron Williams hauled in a 12-yard pass from quarterback Harrison Faecher to cut the lead to 20-7.
Orange Lutheran finished the first-half scoring with an 80-yard drive that consumed less than a minute.
Redondo jumped back into the game early in the second half when Julian Harrison returned a fumble 45 yards for a touchdown on the Lancer’s opening drive of the second half narrowing the margin to 28-14.
But Orange Lutheran answered quickly returning the kickoff 95-yards for a touchdown.
Faecher opened the fourth quarter scoring with a 30-yard strike to Christian Fernandez but Orange Lutheran scored 20 unanswered points to complete the rout of the Sea Hawks.
Faecher connected on 16 of 31 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns and added 60 yards rushing on four carries.
Junior running back Stephen Sudduth had a team-high 76 yards on 12 carries for Redondo and was named the team’s Offensive Player of the Game.
Sudduth took the place of leading rusher Anthony Philyaw who was serving a one-game suspension after being ejected from the previous week’s game.
Harrison earned Defensive Player of the Game honors and junior Walter Siefker was the Special Teams Player of the Game. Faecher was selected the Scout/Practice Player of the Week.
