“We’re going to ‘The Q’ baby!’” yelled dozens of sweat-soaked, grass-stained football players from Point Loma High School on Friday. Moments later, the traditional Gatorade shower bathed an unsuspecting head coach Mike Hastings as the euphoric band of players prepared to sing the school’s alma mater before a group of shrieking parents, students and fans. The Pointers are heading back to Qualcomm Stadium for their fourth appearance in the last five rounds of county championships. Point Loma players ground out yet another come-from-behind victory Dec. 4, edging the stubborn Steel Canyon Cougars 30-26 in a CIF Division III semifinal nailbiter at Mt. Carmel High School. Running back Emilio Diaz (5 carries for 31 yards) picked up a crucial first down with a blast through the Cougar defense with just over one minute left, allowing the Pointers to take a knee as the stadium scoreboard clock rushed toward zero. The Pointer crowd erupted in ecstatic cheers while players began rushing the field. Across the expanse of turf, Cougar players faced the reality that their dream was over. The winning touchdown drive for the Pointers was a nicely executed 12-play drive covering 72 yards that consumed more than six minutes. Morris Mathews (10 carries for 64 yards) powered the final 12 yards early in the fourth quarter, and the Dogs’ tenacious defense shut the Cats down the rest of the way. “We made the plays that counted and found a way to win,” Hastings said. Pointer placekicker Ruben Diaz drilled a 38-yard field goal with just three seconds remaining in the first half to give the Dogs their first lead of the game at 16-13. Then came a wild third quarter that gave the Cougars their third and fourth leads of the game before the Pointers’ final burst. The Spring Valley school took the second half kickoff and marched to the end zone for a 20-16 lead after kicking the extra point. After the Pointers were called for holding during the next possession and faced a first-and-22 dilemma, quarterback Keegan Fitzgerald (3 pass completions, 84 yards) stunned the Cougar defense with a 75-yard touchdown bomb to favorite target Davis Callejon that came on a third-and-10 situation. The Pointers took a 23-20 lead after making the extra point. The Cats came right back, connecting on a 71-yard scoring toss only two plays later. Despite Callejon’s second PAT block of the night, the Cougars took a 26-23 lead, setting the stage for the Pointers’ final drive. The teams also matched each other in the first half, with the Cougars leaping to a 7-0 lead on a drive that began after a Point Loma fumble. Alex Perlin (11 carries, 102 yards) scored his first of two touchdowns from 32 yards on a fourth-down play. The Dogs showed their fourth-down prowess when Leslie Rogers (who led all rushers with 20 carries for 131 yards) scored from 15 yards on a fourth-and-six play early in the second quarter. That 7-7 tie lasted all of 37 seconds as the Cats went up again on a 43-yard run followed by Callejon’s first PAT block. The Pointers knotted the score at 13 on a drive capped by Fitzgerald’s (16 carries, 94 yards) one-yard plunge. Diaz’s PAT attempt was blocked. The Dogs ran up some big numbers, totaling 358 yards on the ground. Stephan Jackson carried three times for 21 yards and Zach Gemmill had 17 yards on two carries as the team averaged 6.4 yards per carry. The 9-3 Pointers will encounter archrival 11-1 Cathedral Catholic for the Division III crown tomorrow, Dec. 11 in a 1 p.m. kickoff at the Mission Valley stadium. “Our kids are pumped,” said Hastings. “We’re going to show up and leave it all on the field.”