Redondo Union football uses big second half to defeat Culver City
Daily Breeze · David Rice · 2026-09-05T07:55:01+00:00 · nguồn gốc
CULVER CITY — After winning its first two games handily, the Redondo Union football team was in trouble against Culver City, trailing by 14 points, midway through the second quarter, Friday.
Redondo’s defense, which has been stellar all season, turned its play up a notch and the Sea Hawks offense led by junior running back Rocky Martinez came alive scoring 35 of the next 42 points in a 42-28 nonleague win.
“It was an incredible performance by our O-Line,” Martinez said. “The gaps were always there. They were just dominant. I did not realize I had that many yards. When they had that huge play to go up 21-7 I was mad. I think we all were. Our lineman just brought me aside and said “Let’s go” and we did and got a big win.”
Martinez ran the ball 31 times for 277 yards and a touchdown in the game helping helping take some pressure off of junior quarterback Brady Grow. Grow, who struggled in the first half, bounced back to throw for 141 yards and two touchdowns in the second half.
Redondo scored on its first four possessions after halftime to turn the game around.
“We just had to come out (after halftime) and start making plays,” Redondo coach Keith Ellison said. “Culver City was able to hit us over the top for a couple of scores. We were in position to make the play, but just didn’t do it.
“We just had to get back and kind of relax a little bit and just calm down. We are a young team, got a lot of sophomores out there playing. The response from our team (in the 2nd half) means so much more what that first half looked like. We got hit in the mouth and we just came back fighting. Rocky Martinez played outstanding tonight and he keeps getting better each week.”
Martinez started strong leading Redondo (3-0) down the field quickly and scoring the game’s first touchdown, two minutes into the game, from 13 yards outs. Culver City responded with three consecutive touchdowns, a 35-yard pass from Nicholas Hoang to Joel La’Foe, a 52-yard pass to CJ Bludso-Cohen and 51-yard pass for a 21-7 lead.
Redondo would gain some momentum as they scored less than two minutes later on a 31-yard touchdown run by Jacob Guitron to cut the Centaurs’ lead to 21-14.
Redondo came out of the locker room firing on all cylinders scoring on three of its next four possessions.
“Going into halftime the trainer taped me up and our coaches said we are just going to go back to the things that have been working all season,” Grow, who passed for 195 yards and two touchdowns, said. “I just had to hit them and I did. Having Rocky Martinez go for over 270 yards made it easier on me. Him getting almost 300 yards is insane. We knew we were the better team we were just a couple of plays away and in the second half we made the plays and were able to get a big win.”
Things would take on a seesaw feel in the third quarter. Grow hit Tyler Harper for a 77-yard touchdown for a 27-21 lead.
Culver City retook lead, 28-27, on an 11-yard connection from Hoang to Bludso-Cohen with 10:45 to play. Redondo responded as Malachi Brown did his best Martinez impersonation scoring on an outside pitch from 13 yards to put the Sea Hawks back in front, 34-28 with 8:41 left.
“We had a team meeting at halftime and we just locked in and went crazy (in the second half),” Brown said. “(The comeback) that’s what we are built for, we just do that. Everybody just had to get touches and do something with the ball and we will be good.”