Mustangs run over LW: Redmond earns first win for Coach Chandler

The Redmond High School football team won its first game of the season last Friday night at Lake Washington High School, defeating the Kangaroos 28-7 in their Kingco opener.

The Mustangs were in control from the get-go, scoring on their first drive — a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Michael Conforto — set up by a 47-yard pass from Conforto to receiver Nikolaj LaCour.

On the very next drive, Conforto, the second-year starting quarterback, launched a touchdown pass — that head coach Jeff Chandler called one of the best plays he's seen in 15 years of coaching high school football. The 27-yard tight-spiral pass landed into the outstretched arms of Cody Klepinger as the Mustangs opened up a 14-0 lead.

"That second touchdown in the first half was just pretty," Chandler recalled. "He had time, he saw his read, picked the correct read, threw it right before the break and put it right on the money."

Chandler lauded his offensive line for giving Conforto plenty of time to read the defense, something that did not happen during the Mustangs' 41-7 loss to Juanita last week.

"We were getting pressured last week, and he didn't have time," he said. "This week, that line answered the bell."

The Mustangs ended up scoring on four unanswered drives to go up 28-0, before LW got on the board when sophomore quarterback Shawn Gray hit Alex Donnelly for a 14-yard score with 2:14 left in the third quarter.

The only sore spot for the 'Stangs was their mistakes as Redmond was flagged for 14 penalties during the game.

"We hit adversity, we hurt ourselves a little bit with all the flags," Chandler said. "We're not going to be happy with the penalty totals, but for our kids to continue to fight for the entire game, it's huge. It speaks a lot to their character, they fought and fought, and I'm thrilled with that."

Redmond dominated the Kangs in both rushing and passing, with the Mustangs outgaining the Kangs 213-30 on the ground, with Conforto earning 122 of those yards. The Mustangs outgained LW, 130-79, in the air. The Mustangs also intercepted four Kangaroo passes.

"This win was huge for us to get the momentum going and show everybody in the Redmond community that Redmond's back, and we've changed," said Conforto. "Everything went the way we wanted. We could have had a little less penalties, but I couldn't ask for more from my teammates, my coaches, everybody."

The Mustangs kick off their league schedule against Woodinville this Friday at home, with kickoff at 7 p.m.

To view and/or purchase photos from last Friday's game, visit photographer Matt Campbell's Web site at www.sportspixs.com

Contact Redmond Reporter Sports Reporter Tim Watanabe at twatanabe@redmond-reporter.com or (425) 867-0353, ext. 5054.

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