Point Loma’s Pointer football team has put together two strong performances in CIF playoffs to handily defeat both No. 12 San Pascual (43-35) and No. 4 Scripps Ranch (32-12), playing both games on the road in their quest for a Div. II championship.

The Pointers (8-4) will earn a spot in that championship game if they defeat No.1 ranked Del Norte High (9-2) on Nov. 17 in a 7 p.m. kickoff at the North County school. Currently, on a four-game winning streak, the Pointers would appear to be peaking at the right time of the year. The Nighthawks, after a first-round bye, defeated Oceanside 26-11 to advance and had an earlier seven-game winning streak.

The Div. II championship game will be played at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 25 at Southwestern College.

Many local prep football observers felt Scripps Ranch’s passing game would prove the Pointers’ undoing however athletic director/defensive coordinator Manny Diaz Jr. spent hours going over Falcon game films to craft a defense that repeatedly stifled Falcon plays. The Falcons saw pass attempts repeatedly broken up on beautiful plays by Pointer defenders. In fact, after a bruising hit by Pointer Nate Terzoli in the fourth quarter, Falcon QB Cassius Campbell left the game.

Head coach Joel Allen was well aware of Diaz’s contribution.

“We’ve struggled a bit this year defending the pass and I think coach Diaz took it personally. Putting in a game plan is one thing but communicating that plan is another thing and I was most impressed by how the kids were in great position and made great plays.”

In last Friday’s game, the Falcons took a 3-0 lead to start the game but the Pointers took the kickoff and mounted an 80-yard drive to take a 7-3 lead they never relinquished. A long run by QB Brady Allen covered much of the distance just eight minutes into the game.

After a Falcon punt, the Pointers struck again early in the second quarter, this time with Ian Matayer scoring.

One area of recently developing concern for the Pointers is with their long snapper on punts and placekicking. A Pointer punt attempt failed when the snap went over the punter’s head resulting in a safety.

Desperately trying to get back in the game, the Falcons instead saw Romeo Carter leap to intercept a long pass after Pointer defenders had chased Campbell out of the pocket.

The third quarter saw the Falcons make two critical fumbles that resulted in 10 Pointer points. Recoveries were by Matayer and Matteo Correia.

Allen scored his second touchdown and Aaron Lee’s field goal increased the Pointer lead to 24-5 before a final Allen touchdown run with just over seven minutes to play. The PAT snap was again bad and Lee alertly picked up the ball, rolled to his right, and found his holder, Matthew Cleator, with a pass for the two-point conversion.

Head coach Allen has a theory about his team’s continued success.

“The players on this team really like each other,” he said. “When the question is asked ‘Do we want to be around each other for another week (in the playoffs)?’ the answer is ‘Yes.’ They have a healthy chip on their shoulder.”

POINTERS 43, SAN PASCUAL 35

If the Pointers were going to show any tendency to fold, this would have been the time as the Golden Eagles jumped out to a 14-0 lead in less than three minutes, making some fans wonder if a Mr. Murphy was in the home stands exerting his law.

But the Pointer players remained unfazed and left the field at halftime moving the ball at will and down by a 21-14 score.

The third quarter saw the Pointers blank the Golden Eagles 13-0 for a 27-21 lead and tack on two more fourth-quarter scores to win in a rout.

The Pointers ran the ball 49 times for 287 yards (5.9 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. Brady Allen completed 11 of 15 throws for 110 yards and three touchdowns.

Perhaps one of those opponents Joel Allen referred to where his team struggled to defend the pass was Robert Renteria, San Pacual’s sophomore QB who had thrown for an average of over 200 yards per game. Against the Pointers Renteria completed 17 passes for 305 yards and five touchdowns. But the Pointers intercepted him three times in taking the lead.

EXTRA POINTS

Brady Allen has been nominated for “Two-Way Player of the Year” by a local TV station.

Another Pointer two-way player, team captain Ryan Burdine suffered a broken collarbone in the opening minutes of the San Pascual game.

Del Norte’s head coach, Nick Barnett, is an 11-year NFL veteran linebacker with the Packers, Bills, and Redskins.

A Scripps Ranch photographer confirmed that numerous lights on the stadium poles were burned out, making vision for players and spectators more difficult. Repair these lights, San Diego Unified School District! Maintain your property!