Overview: Point Loma defeats La Jolla
Point Loma Head Coach Ryan Price was most proud of his players for bouncing back after the Vikings' opening score.
Point Loma High kept “The Shoe” last week after a 34-20 win at La Jolla last year.
Last Friday night, the La Jolla Vikings visited Pete Ross Stadium in one of the county’s longest-running rivalries, and the Pointers sent them retreating home on a battered ship with torn sails 37-7.
Ironically, it was the Vikings who put the first points on the scoreboard when a pass interference penalty on the Pointers in the end zone set the stage for a swing pass touchdown, the Vikings taking a 7-0 lead with 4:08 left in the first quarter.
On their next possession, the Pointers found life.
Two passes from quarterback Henry Heuser to Romeo Carter were the big plays on a drive that ended with Carter’s first touchdown with 1:10 to play in the first period.
Carter’s catch came after top Viking defender Carson Diehl batted away a scoring pass on the previous play. The two players were to compete all night, with Carter catching three balls for 70 yards and two touchdowns.
In the second quarter, with Ryder Watson at quarterback, Wade Mettler grabbed a long pass downfield and outran defenders on a 58-yard play to give the Pointers a 14-7 lead with just over two minutes to play before intermission. Mettler had three catches for 77 yards.
With the Vikings going to the air in an attempt to tie the game, a 30-yard pass play was followed by an interception by Pointer Owen Ice, who turned his pick into a long return that left the Pointers at the Viking 32.
After they were stalled, Ryan Cleator booted a field goal as the team trotted off the field with Point Loma up 17-7.
Taking the second-half kickoff, the Pointers moved downfield to score again, with key plays including a 26-yard run by Braden Lane and a 31-yard scoring pass to Carter, giving the Pointers a 24-7 lead with 9:01 remaining in the third quarter.
The third quarter saw the Viking ship begin to take on water.
A desperate long pass by the Viking quarterback was short and fell into the hands of Carter, who raced down the left sideline for a pick-six and a 30-7 lead with 3:39 left in the frame.
Just seconds later, Pointer fans may have recalled one of baseball’s great Yogi Berra quotes.
It was “deja vu all over again” as the new Viking quarterback’s first play was another pick-six for Carter, running the score to 37-7 less than one minute after his first.
Cue up Yogi again… on the first play after Carter’s second pick-six, teammate Ice intercepted his second Viking pass, his long, dodging return taking him within two yards of a third team pick-six.
But a swath of yellow cloth on the turf brought the Pointers all the way back to mid-field with 2:18 to play on the scoreboard, the three picks and two scores all in just 1:11 of game time.
The final quarter was played with a running clock.
Other highlights included a legal blow by Mateo Correia on the Viking quarterback, who left the game but returned for a short time later. Also, Cleator put several of his kickoffs into the end zone along with his field goal.
Point Loma Head Coach Ryan Price said he was impressed with his players for bouncing back after the Vikings’ opening score.
“I was most proud of how the kids responded to the adversity after being down 7-0 and responding like that,” Price said amid players taking photos with “The Shoe.”
“That’s the first real time we’ve been in a corner like that, and it’s a great thing to see as a coach. Our offense is looking great, and we have so many opportunities to score. Our guys do a great job. We’re humming at the right time, but each (league) game is going to get tougher.
“Defense and special teams tonight were great, and I’m just proud of the whole team,” he added.
Next up for the Pointers is a visit to venerable city-owned Balboa Stadium, home field of San Diego High, and a team Price knows will be a strong challenge.
Opened in 1915, the venue was enlarged to 34,000 by adding a second deck of seats when the Los Angeles Chargers moved to San Diego in 1961. Home to numerous major local historical events, including many concerts, the stadium was demolished and rebuilt in 1978 with a much smaller capacity.
The Cavers are 4-1 and took Top 10 Rancho Bernardo to overtime last week in a 23-16 loss.
Extra points
The Pointer varsity defeated Eastlake 49-0 at Homecoming on Sept. 19, needing only 232 yards in offense with good field position against the Titans. Heuser and Watson each threw three touchdown passes, two each to Ryan Patterson and Carter, one each to Leo Sahd and Tanner Spradling. Carter ran for one more.
The Pointer junior varsity is 4-1 after wins over Eastlake (28-7) and Morse (36-8). The Vikings do not field a junior varsity team.
The Pointer freshmen are also 4-1 after defeating Eastlake (14-12) and La Jolla (28-6) for a 1-0 Eastern League record.
Following the game against San Diego High is a non-league home game against Cathedral Catholic.
