In Point Loma’s annual home-opening Kickoff Game on Sept. 6, the kickoffs weren’t the problem.
But two crucial kicking-game errors cost the Pointers (1-1) dearly as they dropped a hard-fought 7-6 decision to a tough Ramona (2-0) squad in front of the home crowd.
The first miscue came as the Pointers’ initial possession of the game ended with a punt attempt by junior Jaime Medina. A Bulldog player dashed past the protection and blocked the kick. 
After recovering the loose ball in excellent field position, the Bulldogs cashed in the gift on an 11-yard pass play to take a 7-0 lead with 3:04 left in the opening quarter.
That small margin stood for most of the game as the teams staged a spirited battle that found neither side able to put points on the board.
Just when it appeared Ramona might be about to hang a shutout loss on the Pointers, senior defensive end Jake Virissimo snatched an errant Bulldog pass attempt, the interception coming with just 4:58 to play in the game.
After several good runs by the Pointer trio of Jaylen Griffin, Romeo Epperley and Jacob Ehm that took their team into the red zone, the Pointers found themselves facing a fourth down at the Bulldog 18-yard line.
The Pointers clawed for the first down, and, several plays later, quarterback Gavin Grady tossed a swing pass into the right flat, Epperley gathering it in and sprinting 11 yards for the touchdown.
Pointer head coach Mike Hastings elected to go for the one-point kick to tie the game, but once again a Ramona player was left free to block Medina’s attempt, and the Bulldogs ran out the remaining 2:34 after the kickoff to seal the Pointers’ fate.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, a Pointers drive died near the Bulldog goal line when they failed to convert a fourth-down play. The drive was kept alive when alert senior wide receiver Sergio Gallegos was able to pounce on a Pointer fumble as the loose pigskin tumbled toward the goal line.
A tense sequence took place in the second quarter when the Pointers staged a goal-line stand, halting a Ramona drive on fourth down just inches from a touchdown. However, when an apparent catch of a Grady pass by junior Caleb Johnson was ruled incomplete after the ball dislodged from his hands as he hit the turf, the Pointers were forced to punt from the end zone.
Medina’s punt, into an unusually strong westerly breeze, allowed the Bulldogs to start their short-field drive from the Pointer 30, and they quickly moved toward a second score.
But a called pass play by Bulldog coaches failed as Johnson, now playing defensive back, intercepted a tipped ball and returned it nearly to midfield, thwarting the visitors’ drive.
“It was a hard-fought game,” Hastings said, “especially defensively. Our kids defended short fields and only gave up one touchdown. Our offense didn’t get going until the fourth quarter.
“The game is played in all three phases and, unfortunately, we didn’t win in special teams today,” Hastings said. “But we’ve got a resilient team, and we’ll bounce back from this and get better.”
The Pointers travel to Lincoln High on Sept. 12 for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff and return to Pete Ross Stadium Sept. 19 for a 3 p.m. start, themed a “First Responders Salute Game” to honor local emergency-service providers. POINTERS 38, EL CAMINO 28
The Pointers gave up a 79-yard punt return in the first minutes of their 2014 season on Aug. 29, falling behind El Camino 14-0 before awakening to outscore the Wildcats 38-14 the rest of the way en route to a 38-28 victory on the Oceanside field.
The victory avenged a 14-13 loss on the same turf last November that ended the Pointers’ disappointing 5-6 season in the first round of CIF Div. I playoffs.
Pointer running backs rolled up 374 yards rushing, accounting for all five touchdowns. Griffin notched 176 of those on nine carries for a 19.6 average. One run covered 66 yards. EXTRA POINTS
• The Pointers made a new entrance to their stadium by waiting in the school’s weight room just steps away from the field on Sept. 6 against Ramona. When they were ready to take the field, the team emerged from the stadium tunnel, led by linebacker Dan O’Beirne waving an American flag.
• The Pointer junior varsity team stands at 2-0 after defeating the Wildcats 33-10 and Bulldogs 20-13. The freshman team (1-1) lost 28-0 to the Wildcats and topped the Bulldogs 13-6.
• Point Loma High has added two assistant coaches with NFL experience. Linebacker coach Chris Washington played eight seasons for Tampa Bay, San Francisco and Arizona. Strength coach Na’il Diggs spent 12 seasons with Green Bay, Carolina, St. Louis and the Chargers.