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Sea Hawks knock the Tartar out of Torrance
by John Tawa
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Eddie Topps displays Heisman Trophy form on this run against Torrance Friday night. Topps had 156 yards in total offense and three touchdowns to lead Redondo over the Tartars 35-7 in the season opener. Photo by Ray Vidal. |
Redondo flared its nostrils and bared its teeth in its season-opening football game Friday night at Sea Hawk Bowl. The result was a dominating 35-7 victory over the Tartars of Torrance High School in a game that wasn't even as close as the final score.
It took a while for Redondo to get started, but it was obvious from the early moments that Torrance had no chance. Torrance returned 15 starters and was tabbed by an area newspaper to pull off an upset. But all night long the Tartars could do nothing against Redondo's undersized defense, while the Sea Hawk offense used its superior skill to turn one big play after another.
The Sea Hawks scored in every quarter, piling up 336 yards in total offense. Meanwhile, the defense yielded no points and less than 100 yards for the entire game.
"I'm not surprised, I'm impressed," said Redondo head coach Gene Simon. "I thought we could play defense. But to do what we did to this team... I thought for sure they could move the ball on the ground. They had us outsized. We frustrated them and took the life out of them."
The season began ominously for the Sea Hawks when they fumbled the opening kickoff. Eddie Topps found a crease down the left side and was sprinting clear when the ball slipped out of his hands. Torrance recovered the loose ball and the Tartars were in business at the Redondo 39.
But the Sea Hawk defense set the tone early. Operating out of an I-formation, Torrance took four cracks at the interior of the line with no success. When Redondo stuffed Torrance for no gain on fourth and two, the Hawks took over on downs.
Topps gained 18 yards on Redondo's first play from scrimmage, showing the potential of the newly installed fly formation, which spreads the offense out and attacks the perimeter. But the offense stalled, forcing a Sea Hawk punt.
After Torrance went three and out, Redondo took over again on its own 35-yard line. A swing pass from QB Christopher Coleman to WR Keith Ellison gained 35 yards but was negated by a clipping penalty downfield. Undeterred, Coleman then hit sophomore Thomas Brown on a short pass that turned into a 20-yard gain and a first down.
A facemask penalty moved the ball into Torrance territory at the 31 and set up Redondo's first score. After a Coleman keeper gained six, he rolled right and found a streaking Ellison in stride at the post for the score. Dustin Zamboni added the point after and Redondo led 7-0 with 3:56 left in the first.
On its next possession, Torrance finally made it into Sea Hawk territory at the 39. But the defense stiffened, and when outside linebacker Marcus Thompson shot the gap to squash Torrance RB Mike McEachron for a loss of four, the Tartars were forced to punt.
After the teams switched sides to start the second quarter, it took Redondo only three plays to get on the board again. Coleman lofted a pass that Topps adjusted to in mid-air, taking the aerial 55 yards down the left side to the Tartar 25. An inside handoff to Brown netted 24 yards before Topps finished off the scoring drive with a one-yard plunge off left guard, extending Redondo's lead to 14-0 with 10 minutes to go in the quarter.
Try as they might, the Tartars could not solve the Redondo defense. A quarterback sack by DE Kyle Schneider, a big stick by DB Terrence Loving and solid up-the-middle play by Evan Franklin and David Staruch quelled any thoughts of a Torrance comeback.
Meanwhile, the Hawks got on the board one more time before the half, thanks to two big plays. On third and 17 from the Redondo 48, FB Matt Akins picked up 22 yards on a swing pass. On the next play, Topps took an inside handoff, displayed some deft moves, broke two tackles and scampered into the end zone. Coleman added the two-point conversion when he took a bad snap around right end, making it 22-0 Redondo at the half.
The second half saw more domination by Redondo, while Torrance self-destructed. Three fumbles by McEachron in the third quarter set the Hawks up in great field position. Redondo took advantage midway through, when Akins rambled 26 yards virtually untouched for the score.
Redondo's only mistake occurred early in the quarter, when Coleman's pass under pressure was picked off by Torrance LB Coesen Ngwun and returned 46 yards for a score.
Redondo added a touchdown in the fourth on Topps' four-yard run, while Torrance failed to make any positive yardage. When the final gun sounded, the Sea Hawks celebrated the easy 35-7 win.
Ellison, who sat out last season with a knee injury, said the team knew all week it would win.
"We felt ready," he explained. "We read the newspapers and didn't believe it. This was a team out here tonight."
Simon was pleased with the defensive effort, but said that the offense still needs work.
"I thought we should be a little sharper," he said. "We're just not there yet. Right now, I'm not satisfied."
Topps led the Sea Hawk charge with 156 yards in total offense and three rushing touchdowns. Coleman finished 10-for-18 for 138 yards, with one touchdown and one interception.
"We played hard, we studied hard, it just all came together," said Staruch, the team's defensive captain. "Everybody did their job." ER