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Sea Hawks fight back from 20-7 deficit
by Lenny Miller
The Sea Hawk is Redondo’s official mascot. But the bulldog might be more appropriate for this year’s Redondo football team.
"We're playing like bulldogs," Redondo coach Gene Simon said. "You might get us, but were going to keep biting you and hopefully at the end of the game we'll be in position to win it."
Staying true to it's season-long style of play, the relentless fight in Redondo enabled a team struggling to do anything all night, make an astonishing comeback look routine.
The Hawthorne Cougars were stingy most of the night. It was the end of the game that Redondo dominated, after trailing 20-7 starting the fourth quarter.
With a minute remaining, the key play was made by Redondo defensive back Terrence Loving.
Hawthorne got the ball, down by a single point with 3:28 in the game. As they marched down field and into position to win, Loving stepped into a Cortney Barton pass for the interception to seal the Redondo rally.
"I just broke on it, when the ball was in the air and I just tried to take it to the house," said Loving who was tackled just short of the house (end zone) by Barton, following the 80-yard return.
The halftime score showed Redondo leading 7-6, but with a lack of control by either team early, the game was yet to be decided.
In the third quarter it looked as if Hawthorne might be pulling away. Cashing in on a Redondo interception and than fumble, Hawthorne took the lead. Hawthorne scored a touchdown on each turnover, leaving Redondo trailing 20-7 at the end of three quarters.
The door opened for Redondo in the final quarter, when an errant option pitch was recovered by the Sea Hawks. Taking advantage of great field position from the 36 yard line, the Sea Hawks showed new life.
Quarterback Keith Ellison used his arm to find Mike Whitcher and than Thomas Brown to set up first and goal. Brown finished off the drive, running the ball in from 2 yards out. Redondo now trailed 20-14 with 5:54, in the game.
Needing to get the ball back, the pressure was on the Sea Hawk defense. It took less than two minutes for the defense to force a Hawthorne punt. The game clock with 3:37 remaining, now put the pressure back on the Redondo offense.
After being contained all evening by the well prepared Hawthorne defense, Ellison took his shot. Following the words of his offensive lineman Steven Perez, Ellison ran his side on the second play to go untouched, for the 41 yard touchdown. "He made the call to win the game for us," Ellison said in praise.
In scoring so quickly and now leading 21-20, Redondo had to make one more defensive stand to leave victorious. Redondo left over three minutes for the Hawthorne offense to respond. Hawthorne managed to get within striking distance in setting up for the win, when Terrence Loving made the game saving interception at the 10-yard line. With a minute left, Loving looked as if he was going to add insurance, returning the interception for a score. Chasing in disgust, quarterback Barton tracked down Loving short of the goal. This left Loving and Redondo at the 10 yard line, where they ran the clock to end the game.
With the win the Sea Hawks kept their playoff hopes alive. Going home for their final two games, Redondo will next play Friday at 7 p.m. against Peninsula. ER