Point Loma running back Jaylen Griffin spent the night of Oct. 2 at the home of his teammate and close friend, receiver and defensive back Sergio Gallegos. On Oct. 3, the two players accounted for four of the Pointers’ five touchdowns in a wild 34-27 non-league home victory over Scripps Ranch.
The Pointers move to 5-1 with the win while the Falcons drop to 2-3.
Griffin scored all three of his touchdowns during a bizarre first quarter in which:
• The Falcons opened scoring on a 71-yard pass just 63 seconds into the game.
• One Pointer fumbled away the ensuing kickoff but another (Julius Agho) intercepted a pass on the next Falcon play.
• Griffin scored his first touchdown on a 58-yard run with less than two minutes played.
• After a Falcon punt, Griffin scored his second touchdown on a 24-yard scamper with less than four minutes expired.
• The Falcons burned the Pointer secondary again on a 65-yard pass with less than five minutes played.
• Capping a Pointer drive, Griffin scored for the third time from five yards out with 17 seconds left.  
After only 12 minutes of play, 35 points were scored, the Pointers leading 21-14.
But neither team was finished.
On their opening drive of the second quarter, a Falcon receiver again flew behind the Pointer secondary, gathering in a pass for another score. 
But Pointer Cole Kidd, in his first game back after a concussion earlier in the season, blocked the point-after attempt, leaving his team clinging to a 21-20 lead less than one minute into the second frame.
The action then slowed to a more normal pace, the Pointers driving down the field, aided by a 45-yard pass completion from Gavin Grady to Gallegos.
“We noticed what Scripps Ranch does on defense and started working on the connection in practice,” said Gallegos after the game.
Romeo Epperley carried the ball in from five yards out before a failed point-after attempt by the Pointers for a 27-20 lead at halftime.
The Dogs’ defense made second-half adjustments, forcing the Falcon quarterback out of the pocket and disrupting the passing game.
The hosts caught a break in the third quarter when a high snap sailed over the visiting quarterback’s head in a shotgun formation. The Pointers took the ensuing punt and struck for their final score, Grady again finding Gallegos open over the middle as he eluded tacklers enroute to paydirt.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Gallegos said of his first-ever touchdown catch. “You’re doing it for your team, for the fans out there and the community who wants to see us get the win.”
The 34-20 lead stood until the Falcons responded with just 1:10 left in the game to provide the final score.
“This team has the best vibe and relationships,” Gallegos noted. “Our new staff and players are already welcome like family and we all know we have each other’s backs.”
The Falcon game was the first of four consecutive home games for the Pointers, who begin league play on Oct. 10 against Kearny. The Komets are a Div. IV team, mired in an 0-5 season after a 42-6 loss at Lincoln last week. Kickoff is at 3 p.m.
Then, on Oct. 17, rented “Friday Night Lights” return for the popular annual homecoming game at Pete Ross Stadium against longtime rival La Jolla in “The Battle of the Shoe.” Action begins at 6:30 p.m. 
The Div. III Vikings are currently 3-3. Notable is their 55-52 loss against Fallbrook last month when quarterback Collin Rugg passed for a school record 569 yards.
The Pointers lead the long-running rivalry 44-33-1, according to the PLHS sports website. POINT LOMA 47, SANTANA 33
The Pointers were fortunate to only fall behind 6-0 after a first quarter that saw them turn the ball over to the Sultans three times with two fumbles and an interception.
Only a stingy defense kept the Dogs from a 21-0 deficit after the miscues ended in two Sultan field goals and a failed fake field goal attempt pass fell incomplete.
But the Pointers awoke, scoring 20 second-quarter points.
The Pointers grabbed a 7-6 lead in the second quarter on a darting 25-yard scoring run by Tshombre Carter, but a Santana touchdown pass put the hosts back on top 13-7.
Epperley then broke a 60-yard run and later scored on the Pointers’ next drive to pull within 14-13.
The final 64 seconds of the first half saw the Sultans score to go up 19-14 and Griffin answering with a run to take a 20-19 lead at intermission.
The Dogs then put up 21 third-quarter points to end the frame with a 41-25 lead. Following a Sultan safety, Griffin took the ensuing kickoff and returned it 85 yards for one of the scores. He also scored the final Pointer touchdown. EXTRA POINTS
• Dozens of members of the PLHS staff and several community members were honored in a staff appreciation event before the Falcon game.
• The game was also selected as Game of the Week of the National Football Foundation’s local Walter J. Zable Chapter. Point Loma’s Griffin was chosen as his team’s most valuable player and will attend a San Diego Chargers game as a guest of the organization. He will also be honored, along with other local prep and college selections at an annual spring banquet. Quarterback Zach Podraza was selected from the Falcons. 
• The Pointer junior varsity moved to 5-1 with a 25-0 win over the Falcons, while the freshmen are 4-1-1 after a 33-33 tie.
• Western League games after Kearny and La Jolla include Mission Bay (Oct. 31 at home, 3 p.m.) and Madison (Nov. 7, away, 6:30 p.m.).