Redondo’s football season ended on a sour note Friday when mistakes led to a 49-8 thumping by visiting Ventura in a quarterfinal game of the CIF Southern Section Western Division playoffs.
Ventura (11-1) scored on the first offensive play of the game and things went downhill from there for the Sea Hawks.
Quarterback Tyler Smith hit Tommy Grossman with a slant over the middle and the receiver raced 89 yards for a touchdown to give the Cougars an 8-0 lead only 28 seconds into the game.
Redondo (6-6) could not find any rhythm offensively, failing to gain a first down in its first four possessions. The Sea Hawk’s third punt was blocked and returned for a touchdown.
Their fourth punt attempt ended with a bad snap sailing over the head of punter Colin Castillo that gave Ventura a first-and-10 and the Sea Hawk 20-yard line. Five plays later, Tyler Peralta scored on a 1-yard run and the rout was on.
“It was frustrating,” Redondo head coach Matt Ballard said. “Obviously they’re a good team and I give them credit. We were in the right spot a lot of times but didn’t tackle like we have been. Definitely the football Gods were not in our favor from the beginning.”
Smith connected with Grossman again for a 24-yard touchdown and found Zach Sourwine in the corner of the end zone for an 11-yard score giving Ventura a 35-0 lead at halftime.
Peralta’s 3-yard touchdown run put Ventura up 42-0 before Redondo managed its best drive of the night.
Starting at its own 33-yard line, Redondo marched down the field. Two consecutive first-down passes to Marcel Myers gave the Sea Hawks a first-and-10 at the 10-yard line but Redondo turned the ball over on a fourth-and-7 play.
Redondo had better luck on its next possession when quarterback Preston Faecher found Myers open for a 40-yard touchdown reception and receiver Warren Jackson caught a two-point conversion.
“We had a slow start and mistakes gave them momentum,” Faecher said. “In the playoffs, that stuff hurts you. We killed ourselves it’s as simple as that. That’s not to take anything away from them. They’re a good football team. They run the ball well and got off the ball hard. They’re a solid football team but we could have competed a lot better than we did today.”
Faecher went 7-for-17 passing for 81 yards. He also carried the ball 12 times gaining 53 of Redondo’s 86 rushing yards.
“We feel like we got out coached and outplayed,” Ballard said. “They put a pretty good butt whipping on us.”
Ventura advances to face Simi Valley (8-4), a team that has upset North Torrance and El Segundo in the first two rounds.
Second-seeded El Segundo (11-1) suffered its first loss of the season when the high-powered Eagle offense was held to only 238 yards in a 29-21 home defeat.
On the other side of the Western Division bracket, former Bay League rivals Palos Verdes (9-3) and West Torrance (12-0) will square off in the semifinals on Friday. Palos Verdes won the coin toss and will host the Warriors at a site to be determined.
Top-seeded West reached the semifinals for the third consecutive season after winning a 52-41 shootout with visiting Calabasas (6-6).
West overcame a 21-7 first quarter deficit to even the score and tied the score again 28-28 heading into halftime.
With star running back Brett Ojiyi sidelined with a shoulder injury suffered in the second quarter, Michael Timmerman stepped up rushing for 95 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries.
Ojiyi’s availability for the semifinals will be determined after further examination.
West quarterback Trevor Mallett completed 15 of 28 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns. Dale Rouse had three receptions for 84 yards and one touchdown. The senior also rushed for two touchdowns.
Palos Verdes relied on its ground game to defeat fourth-seeded Oxnard 28-7 in a game played at South High.
Running back Stanton Gilbertson rushed for 89 yards on 23 carries and quarterback Steven Delcarson ran for 39 yards including a 30-yard scamper and two 1-yard sneaks for touchdowns.
Delcarson was 11-of-19 passing for 143 yards.
Brackets and results are available at cifss.org.
