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Congelliere Says Hyduke Can Turn Around Redondo

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SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

In the wake of the May 14 resignation of Redondo High football Coach Les Congelliere--who in 1979 guided the Sea Hawks to their first playoff appearance in 25 years--new Coach Chris Hyduke faces pressure to produce similar milestones in directing a program that is again encountering difficulties.

Congelliere said he believes that Hyduke--an assistant at Redondo the past five seasons--is the right person to replace him. Hyduke’s familiarity with the Sea Hawk players and his experience as a defensive coordinator are pluses, said the outgoing coach, who is bound for a new school in San Diego County.

Congelliere, who is still residing in Torrance, said Hyduke will have to overcome a talent shortage.

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Congelliere cited frustration with declining enrollment in the South Bay Union High School District (which includes Redondo and Mira Costa) as a primary reason behind his decision to resign. Redondo went 3-6-1 (3-3-1 in Ocean League play) in 1989, his 11th season at the helm over two stints.

“More than anything else, it’s probably the enrollment,” Congelliere said when asked about the problems that led him to resign. “I was happy at Redondo and felt like we established a pretty good program, but I felt like I took it as far as I could.

“I’m not going to tell you the program is at a peak, because it certainly can get better. But it doesn’t seem to me like it’s going to grow much anymore.”

The South Bay Union High School District had 5,027 students in the 1980-81 school year. That number has declined in each succeeding year, with 3,168 students enrolled in 1989-90, representing an average annual decline of 3.7% for the decade.

Congelliere, 41, also said that the opportunity offered by his new position at Rancho Bernardo High in North San Diego County was an important factor in his decision to leave Redondo. He will be an assistant football coach and head wrestling coach at the newest school in the Poway Unified School District.

“I’ve lived here in the South Bay my whole life and I’ve been at Redondo for 20 years, so it’s a tough, tough move,” Congelliere said. “But I’m going to an exciting, growing community.

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“It’s a brand-new school and won’t have a senior class this year. But we’ll play a full varsity schedule for all sports.

“It’s a great opportunity because it’s a new school and, from what I understand, it’s a high-powered football area. That’s what lured me, the chance to help build a new program.”

Congelliere took over the Redondo football team in 1975. He accepted an assistant’s job with the Harbor College football team in 1980 and came back to Redondo Union for his second tour of duty after four seasons in the community college ranks.

He resignation last month came after a meeting with the Redondo principal, Dr. Jack Clement.

“It was agreed that it was in the best interest of the program for Les to step aside at that point,” said Clement, who was aware of Congelliere’s active pursuit of employment in San Diego County. “But he initiated it.”

Congelliere, who will be a graduate student in physical education at San Diego State, said he doesn’t believe that he has left Hyduke with an unworkable product. Congelliere pointed out that the Sea Hawks, despite the enrollment problem, did manage to make the Southern Section playoffs seven times in the 1980s.

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“We built a pretty good program,” Congelliere said. “We’ve just never been able to get that one athlete that could make big plays all over the field, that one sprinter, which (Hyduke) will have to deal with.”

Thanks to a $100,000 fund-raising effort by the booster club, Hyduke will have the benefit of some new facilities, including a top-flight weight room and a soon-to-be refurbished locker room.

“(Hyduke) will be walking into an established program in the sense that he’ll have some of the factors that are difficult to get,” he said. “We put in one of the top weightlifting facilities in California, for example.”

Looking back at his time with the Sea Hawks, Congelliere said that his 1987 team--which won the Pioneer League, went 9-3 and was led by All-CIF quarterback Scott Yessner--was his best.

“We won our first playoff game at home and then had a really tough, close loss at Santa Maria, but that was definitely the most exciting year,” he said.

Still, he said his proudest accomplishment was leading the Sea Hawks into the playoffs in 1979 after their long drought.

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“After all those years bumping our head against the wall, it was great to turn it around,” said Congelliere, who was a Redondo assistant throughout the early 1970s. “It was nice to do it for the alumni, all those people who have been in the area forever and just want Redondo to do well so badly.

“I’ll miss that close-knit community feeling we had here.”

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