The Vikings hung in to the end of the game, making things tough for the Pointers throughout their Sept. 29 contest. It was anyone’s game right up to the end.
The Western League opener at La Jolla High was a defensive battle, with both squads holding strong at key times. If not for defensive back Lester Arnold intercepting a deep pass in the end zone as time ran out, the Vikings would have been looking to recover an on-side kick and grab the win
“They’re a really good football team. I was proud of our kids ” we played a tough football team tough,” La Jolla head coach Dave Ponsford said. “We had ourselves in position at the end to make a play of two and be in a position to win.”
La Jolla started off with the ball but ended their series with a punt. Point Loma, wisely, chose to run the ball repeatedly, with running back Arnold’s 33-yard touchdown run halfway through the first quarter. The Vikings looked poised to score on their next possession, but when the teams switched ends, the score was still 7-0.
The second quarter found the Vikes airing the ball out, and if not for a few key penalties, wide receiver Igor Seriba might have grabbed 6 points after some long receptions. La Jolla ended up getting on the board on the strength of an Andres Liera 22-yard field goal midway through the quarter.
Both teams seemed to get small amounts of momentum going, only to have the opposing defense shut them down. La Jolla quarterback Casey Richmond connected on a few passes, then got sacked by Pointer defensive end Evan Barrett, one of his two for the night, to stop the progress 33 yards from the goal.
Point Loma linebacker Alex Blair was waiting during the next Viking possession for his turn at a sack to once again halt the drive. Not to be outdone, Alex Holmes also made his presence know to Richmond during the game with a sack during a key play.
The second half was much louder, with both teams and fans getting into the game with more enthusiasm. The excitement spilled out onto the gridiron with hard hits and continued defensive dominance during the third quarter. Both teams had trouble getting into scoring position, 3-and-outs happening constantly, keeping both punters active.
The Pointers kept the ball on the ground, with Josh Wade and Arnold alternating duties, finally ending up fourth and inches deep in Viking territory.
Instead of a quarterback keeper, the Dogs handed the ball to Arnold, who broke out 13 yards, setting up his 14-yard TD scramble. The next score was Arnold’s third of the game on a long 55-yard sprint, with Devon Zink punching in for 2 points to make up for the missed PAT earlier.
La Jolla was now down 21-3, but fullback Ja’rood Watson seized the opportunity on a 65-yard run up the left sideline to give the Vikings their first touchdown. On the next series, LJ defensive back Blake Shelbourne barely stopped Arnold from scoring again after breaking though.
The La Jolla offense finally got it going, with repeated receptions by Seriba on both sides of the field, followed by wide receiver David Harpster’s 12-yard reception and Watson’s 18-yard rumble. La Jolla went for the long ball to the corner of the end zone, but Seriba was covered well by Arnold, who intercepted the ball and ran out to the 23-yard line.
Game over.
“Especially after last week, stumbling a little bit, we had a good week in practice, improved some things and played a clean game against a real good team tonight,” Ponsford said. “You gotta take a chance sometimes.”
La Jolla plays at home again next week, with a 7 p.m. contest against Imperial Valley’s Brawley.