Redondo Union Takes Another Step Toward Title

It was methodical, much like every other victory this season for the Redondo Union High girls lacrosse team.

Magical, that may come yet.

The Sea Hawks set that up that wondrous possibility on Tuesday, jumping out to their usual quick lead in taking home their first U.S. Lacrosse Northern Division title and securing a berth in the Southern Section championship game with a 15-8 victory over the Cate School.

Redondo Union will play Los Alamitos on Friday at Valencia High in Placentia for the title. The Griffins, who advanced with a victory over Foothill, are the defending Southern Section champions, ranked No. 2 in the state, and loaded with all-league and all-county players. ''It will be interesting,'' Coach Tom Borgia said. ''It's like playing the Yankees, for crying out loud.''

It might very well be, but the Sea Hawks again proved they have some game in taking apart Cate for their 15th victory in a row, 11 of which have come by 10 or more goals. Julia Denney scored less than 30 seconds into the first half and Redondo Union had an 8-0 lead less than 10 minutes in. They slowed their pace some then, working on moving the ball, chewing up some clock. Cate was able to close some in the first half, and in the second got to within 12-7, but there was more at work.

''We got off to our usual fast start and we did the old, 'Hey, let's slow it down and run some time off the clock,' and then you lose your mojo,'' Borgia said. ''They score, and it's hard to turn it off and turn it right back on. It was 8-0 and we go to the slow down, then it's 8-1 and 8-2 and, OK, don't go to the slow down. Then it's 9-2 and 10-2, and then at the end it got way closer than it needed to be.

''But we were trying to teach the girls, hold onto the ball for two or three minutes. We can't get into a run and gun with Los Alamitos on Friday, so hold the ball. We have to kill three minutes. The key was really we were losing the draws, but once we got possession we were OK.''

The Sea Hawks scored three of the final four goals of the match, the last one by Denney off a nice pass from Chantel Celotto, who is ranked fifth in the state in points.

Denney, a junior, led Redondo with six goals, Celotto and Meesha Robinson added three, Bailey Czech had two and Tully Tampakes one.

''It's a good feeling,'' Denney said. ''We worked really hard for this and Cate beat us really badly last year, so it's nice to beat them in the finals this year.''

They have beaten every opponent since opening the season with losses to Corona de Mar and Trabuco Hills in the first three games, and were dominant while winning matches by crazy big margins of 22-0, 19-2, 18-2, 22-2 and going undefeated in Bay League play.  

That whole time the Sea Hawks knew that this season they wanted to take one more step than they were able to last season, when they lost at Cate 18-6.

''This was our ultimate goal at the beginning of the season, win Bay League and then be able to play Los Al in the finals. We're excited because we've never been able to do this before, no Redondo lacrosse team has made it this far,'' Robinson said.

''So we're excited, but I think we also have a little bit of nerves because we've never played them before and we don't know how we're going to match up against them. But I think we're just going to go play our hearts out and whatever happens happens.''