In a battle between two of the South Bay area's oldest schools, both just over a century old and counting, it had been an estimated 78 years since San Pedro High football last defeated Redondo Union.
The matchups between the schools were commonplace early on in their lives, but it wasn't until they brought back the rare showdown in 2012 that the Seahawks began to pick up steam when they won three close duels with the Pirates to start a three-game winning streak (the schools didn't meet in 2014).
Now as of Friday night, the Pirates are off the snide, as they took charge early in the first half, and their defense stood tall in the second half, rolling to a convincing 25-6 victory over Redondo Union at Pirate Stadium. Thanks to a pair of goal-line stands in the second and fourth quarters, San Pedro (2-1 overall) goes into next week's bye with a tidal wave of momentum and a two-game win streak of their own.
Senior quarterback Austin Jackson was once again stellar, completing 8-of-12 passes for 126 yards, a touchdown and an interception for San Pedro, but the main reason why the offense was effective, especially in three straight possessions in the first half, was that they used a trap style to offset Redondo's run defense that was highly effective in last year's 25-14 victory over San Pedro.
Both teams traded punts to start the game, but Jackson would hit senior wide receiver Raymond Geha with a pass, then Geha slipped a tackle at midfield before finally being stopped for a 41-yard first down.
Junior running back Sean Davenport, in his first game after missing the first two due to an injury, would bust loose for a 25-yard touchdown, and the Pirates led 6-0 with 6:14 left in the first quarter. PAT attempt never occurred due to a bad snap.
San Pedro sophomore linebacker Junior Gafa recovered a fumble forced by senior defensive tackle Nick Ford on the next possession, but a three-and-out led to senior kicker Tanner Carcamo pinning Redondo (1-2) deep on their own three-yard line with a 31-yard punt. Three plays later, a high punt snap sailed out the back of the end zone for a safety, giving the Pirates an 8-0 advantage.
Jackson would then toss a 37-yard bomb to Geha for another touchdown, putting San Pedro up 15-0 late in the first quarter, and then the lead would balloon to 22-0 on the Pirates' first play of the second quarter, a 41-yard touchdown run up the middle by junior running back Kai Kaneshiro.
Redondo junior quarterback Jack Alexander would put the Seahawks on the board with a 52-yard touchdown off a hitch pass to senior WR/SS Diego Balcarcel with 8:50 left in the second quarter, but San Pedro junior safety Corey Fausto intercepted the two-point conversion pass and was on his way to give the Pirates' two more points... until officials stopped the play, ruling it dead (high school rule).
The defense of the Pirates would stop Redondo on fourth-and-goal on their next possession which ended on San Pedro's five-yard line, and the final points of the night came on the final play of the first half, when Carcamo booted in a successful 39-yard field goal.
Time of possession was dominated by Redondo in the second half, but still was unable to score due to the suffocating San Pedro defense, which got sacks from Ford, and senior linebackers Sohl Gafa and Einar Ramirez, and yes, another forced turnover on downs in the game's final possession.
It was the first victory at home for San Pedro first-year football coach Corey Miller, so since the Pirates won't have another game until their September 23 road trip to Lawndale, he rewarded the team with a Saturday off during his postgame speech, and sophomore defensive end Jay Johnson backflipped while his teammates cheered.
Kaneshiro ran for 53 yards on eight carries, while Davenport ran for 43 yards on seven carries, and Sohl Gafa added 44 yards on four carries for San Pedro, while Geha caught three passes for 88 yards.
San Pedro is now 14-7-2 all-time against Redondo Union dating back to the first meeting in 1916, won 24-0 by the Pirates for their first official victory in American football (Pirates played rugby from 1908-1915).
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