It was a great moment for Point Loma High School football players Friday during the Division III CIF finals. The third-quarter had just expired and the clock on the massive Qualcomm Stadium scoreboard was being reset to 12:00 for the final quarter of play. The score showed the Pointers leading reigning state champion Cathedral Catholic by a 14-6 margin. The statistics on the scoreboard also told a tale — the Pointers had outgained the Dons on the ground by a 328-44 margin. On the saturated turf below, the Dogs appeared ready to put the final bite on their opponents, who stood at midfield, heads hanging and apparently discouraged. Seniors Will McDonough — who suffered a season-ending injury in the season opener but dressed for the finals — and defensive stalwart Anthony Joyner, who was mauling opponents, embraced on the sidelines. “One quarter left of Pointer football!” Joyner yelled to his fellow senior teammates, signaling the end of their high school football careers. Joyner held four fingers aloft, a team habit, signaling the importance of playing hard to the final second. It was a great moment.  But it didn’t last. The Pointers dropped a heartbreaker Dec. 11 on a rainy afternoon as Cathedral stormed back to score 14 unanswered points in the final quarter and escape with a 20-14 victory and its third consecutive CIF Division III crown. Point Loma finished the 2009 season at 9-4. Aided by a questionable pass interference penalty that stunned observers, Cathedral scored its second touchdown with just over seven minutes left to play. A two-point conversion pass attempt fell incomplete, leaving the Pointers clinging to a slim 14-12 lead. Following a Pointer punt, the Dons got the ball back again and were desperately trying to sustain a drive in the game’s final four minutes when it happened. Cathedral quarterback Max Brewer lofted a long pass downfield to receiver Chance Early, who appeared to be well-covered. Early was able to make the catch at the Pointer 30 as he appeared to be going down. Somehow, Early slipped away from the tackle and sprinted the remaining distance to the end zone. With the two-point conversion successful, the final score was dealt. The Pointers had two possessions in the final four minutes, but the Dons’ defense, given renewed energy, stifled the Dogs’ efforts. As the final seconds ticked away and reality raised its ugly head, tears replaced raindrops on the faces of many Pointer players, while some heaved deep sobs. Momentarily forgotten were the stellar performances of players like Leslie Rogers (22 carries, 140 yards) who broke loose for a 60-yard touchdown on the opening drive of the second half to give Point Loma a 7-6 lead. QB Keegan Fitzgerald scored the Pointers’ second touchdown late in the third quarter on a 25-yard sprint, building the lead to 14-6. Until the end, the Point Loma defense had stifled a Dons’ offense that had produced an 11-1 record to reach the CIF finals. The Pointers dominated the Dons for much of the game. But with one touchdown called back on a penalty, a crucial fumble at the Dons’ one-yard line in the third period, a field goal attempt blocked and two interceptions, the Dogs were unable to finish off their opponents. “The truth is our kids went out there and played their butts off for four quarters,” said a somber Mike Hastings, Point Loma’s head coach. “They went toe-to-toe with the defending state champions and by all rights should have beat them.” As tears continued to flow later in the locker room, assistant coach Dave Aros told players the only loss they had suffered was that they would never play together again as a team. “I’m super proud of these seniors,” Hastings said. “They’re going to go out and do a lot of great things in life.” The Pointers have been to the CIF finals a remarkable four times in the past five years. This year, both junior varsity and freshman teams won league titles, providing a bright outlook for the future.