Bradshaw Sparks RUHS Football Win

In what he described as the biggest game of his life, senior wide receiver Hunter Bradshaw made three big catches—two of them for touchdowns—to spark the Sea Hawks' 21-7 victory over rival Mira Costa on Thursday night in Manhattan Beach.

The win moved Redondo into second place alone in the Bay League and dropped the defending champion Mustangs into third. Palos Verdes routed Peninsula 35-3 to finish undefeated in league and earn a first-round home game in the Southern Section Northern Division playoffs.

"This was the biggest game of our lives," Bradshaw claimed. "They've been a powerhouse. We haven't beaten these guys since my freshman year, so to beat them at their house is an indescribable feeling."

After each team punted on its first possession, the Sea Hawks struck first when Bradshaw caught a crossing pass from sophomore quarterback Harrison Faecher on a third-and-12 play and cut up the left sideline for a 50-yard touchdown. He added the point-after kick, and Redondo led 7-0 with 4:16 left in the first quarter.

The teams traded punts again before the Mustangs embarked on a methodical 15-play, 83-yard march, tying the score 7-7 on a four-yard run by senior Alec Weaver and the extra point by Stephen Giovati.

However, Bradshaw made perhaps the biggest play of the game on the next drive, catching a well-placed throw from Faecher and being tackled at Mira Costa.

"The guy's incredible, he's only a sophomore but he came through big time," Bradshaw said of his quarterback. "He put it right on the money. We hooked up on those passes, but it was all in the game plan, the coaches called the plays at just the right times."

The 39-yard gain gave Redondo a first-and-goal at the 9, and two plays later senior Ryan Spiwak caught a one-yard touchdown pass from Faecher to put the Sea Hawks back on top, 14-7, with 25 seconds left in the first half.

"He's a great guy, a great leader, and the best player on our team," Bradshaw said of Spiwak, who pulled a hamstring early in the season and did not have his first carries of the year until the league opener against Peninsula. "It was big to score going into halftime, and I'm so glad it was Ryan who got the winning touchdown."

After forcing a three-and-out, Redondo threatened to widen its lead on its first drive of the third quarter but Faecher's fourth-down pass fell incomplete and the Mustangs regained the ball at their own 32.

"I felt very comfortable and my line has been great, I've only been sacked once in five [Bay League] games," said Faecher, who completed 11 of 15 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns. "Those guys give me so much time. Both of the deep balls were to Hunter and he's one of the best receivers on our team. If I can throw it near him, he'll catch it. We're all loving this, not just the seniors."

Anthony Philyaw rushed for 70 yards in 11 carries and Stephon Suddath added 35 yards in eight carries for Redondo. Junior quarterback Ryan Sweigart completed 13 of 18 passes for 114 yards and Raphael Lawson-Gayle had eight catches for 72 yards for host Mira Costa.

Bradshaw found daylight in the secondary and caught a 60-yard strike from Faecher to increase the Sea Hawks' lead to 21-7 with 6:36 left. The Mustangs drove to Redondo's 34-yard line on their ensuing possession, but sophomore defensive lineman Harry Whitson recovered a fumble and Redondo took over. 

Mira Costa had one last desperation drive, moving from its own 25 to the Sea Hawks' 36 before Sweigart's fourth-and-three pass fell incomplete with less than a minute remaining. Redondo proceeded to run out the clock.

"This was big because it gives us a higher seed in the playoffs," Bradshaw said. "We'll be the second team from our league and we can feed off this momentum going into next week."

Score by Quarters

1

2

3

4

Final

Redondo

7

7

0

7

21

Mira Costa

0

0

0

7

Scoring Summary

Redondo -- Bradshaw 50 pass from Faecher (Bradshaw kick), 4:16 left in 1st qtr.

Mira Costa -- Weaver 4 run (Giovati kick), 2:22 left in 2nd qtr.

Redondo -- Spiwak 1 pass from Faecher (Bradshaw kick), 0:25 left in 2nd qtr.

Redondo -- Bradshaw 60 pass from Faecher (Bradshaw kick), 6:36 left in 4th qtr.

Records: Redondo 5-5, 4-1; Mira Costa 4-6, 3-2.