As Point Loma’s Pointer football team trotted off the field at halftime last week, the 5-1 ‘Dogs’ held only a 16-14 lead against the winless Scripps Ranch Falcons.
Pointers’ head coach Ryan Price knew the message he had to deliver to his players.
“I told them, ‘This is a very pivotal moment in your season based on how you respond to this. We can’t keep starting slow. We’re supposed to learn from these things.’ I was really proud of them because they came out in the second half and responded.”
What did that response look like? Price’s Dogs put 28 points on the scoreboard during the 12-minute third quarter alone en route to a 51-14 rout of the Falcons.
To start the 28-point run, Collin Scott grabbed a 31-yard scoring pass from Ryder Watson with 2:22 expired.
In the next possession, Watson pitched the football to Graham Murdock for a 3-yard touchdown pass.
An interception by Nick Lemus gave the Pointers the ball, after which Watson hit Scott with a 37-yard pass to the Falcons’ one-yard line. Lemus carried the final yard with 8:29 gone in the quarter.
Watson ran the final 16 yards for the fourth score as time expired in the third quarter, with the Dogs turning a 16-14 lead into a 44-14 advantage.
One score in the final period came after an MJ Fowler interception that saw Blake Lingard grab a 45-yard pass from Watson in the end zone. The last 5:55 of the game was played with a running clock.
Watson finished with 393 yards passing, just 14 yards shy of his season best against La Jolla. Murdock led receivers, catching six balls for 105 yards. Scott (4-86), and Tanner Spradling (5-68) topped seven receivers.
Another slow start by the Pointers next week at Lincoln would likely be problematic. The first of three Western League games should be interesting as the Hornets are starting the season slow. With a 2-5 record, Lincoln has played some powerful teams. They are coming off a 43-15 win over St. Augustine.
The following week, on Oct. 23, the Pointers travel to Cathedral Catholic. The Dons are 4-3 but have also gone against some big-name teams. They defeated La Jolla 49-7 last week, a team the Dogs defeated by 27 points in September.
Extra Points
The JV Pointers are 6-1 after a 23-0 win over the Falcons. The novice team is undefeated (7-0) following a 35-14 triumph over Scripps Ranch.
The Point Loma High staff was honored before the varsity game against the Falcons. Players escorted favorite teachers or staff members who wore game jerseys with their players’ numbers.
