Opponents of computer-generated ranking systems in prep sports might wish to keep a video copy of the CIF Div. I quarterfinal playoff game last Friday night between Point Loma and Poway High Schools and mark it as “Exhibit A.” The two schools were judged exactly equal in the CIF’s point system that relies on the strength of a team and its opponents to assign mathematical values. Both teams ended the regular season with identical numbers as the seeding committee convened on Nov. 7 to create playoff pairings. The Pointers were given the No. 4 seed (and a first-round bye) based on their 7-3 record, while Poway’s 5-5 record resulted in the No. 5 seed and a first-round game against El Capitan, which they won 21-0. So, when the two squads met last week on the Clairemont High field, the imagined result would be a seesaw battle, a nail-biter decided in the final seconds. The result? The Pointers pounded and pulverized the troubled Titans in a 38-0 whipping that once again saw the CIF mercy rule imposed during the game’s final five minutes. For their efforts, the Pointers draw the unenviable task of traveling north to face Oceanside, a perennial county power under now-retired coach John Carroll, who compiled a 234-74-6 record in a quarter century as the Pirates’ head coach. Even more impressive is his team’s 20 straight years of making it as far as the semifinals of the San Diego Section CIF playoffs. The run includes 15 section titles and 11 consecutive finals appearances, making the Pirates a true county dynasty. New Oceanside coach David Rodriguez has guided his team to a 7-4 record in his first season including the No. 1 seed in Div. I. Last week, the Pirates opened their playoff run by blasting San Marcos 41-14.  The Pointers should have all they can handle as they travel north to 1 Pirates Cove Way for the Nov. 27 game at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, running back Jaylen Griffin scored three times against Poway, picking up a reported 102 yards in the process, including first-quarter runs of 2 and 46 yards that gave his team a 14-0 lead after one quarter. His first score came on the Pointers’ second possession of the game when, after it appeared they had been stopped, they executed a fake punt. With punter Jaime Medina acting as if the ball had been snapped over his head, the pigskin was instead packed by an up man resulting in a big gain and first down to extend the drive. Quarterback Brenden Torrence added more yards on a keeper to the Titans’ five-yard line before Griffin’s first score. On their next possession, Griffin swept the left side before turning the corner and scoring with 31 seconds left in the opening period. Medina’s 28-yard field goal as time expired in the first half put the Dogs on top 17-0. While the Pointers weren’t able to score following an Antonio Pelayo interception in the second quarter, a recovered third quarter Titan fumble led to the team’s third touchdown when Griffin once again covered the final two yards of the 20-yard drive just before the third quarter ended. On their next possession in the fourth quarter, the Dogs struck again, using a nice 25-yard pass completion to tight end Patrick Rutledge who took the ball to the Titan five before Antonio Quintanilla blasted the final three yards for a 31-0 lead. The Pointers put an exclamation mark on their blowout victory with a 31-yard scoring pass from quarterback Kyle Grady to 6-5 receiver Ken Watson that built the lead to 38-0 and triggered the mercy rule’s running clock. The win ups the Pointers record to 8-3 while the Titans finished at 6-6. EXTRA POINTS: Defensive lineman Mathew Fa’alele led a Pointer defense that stifled the Titans’ plans all night.
During a scoring attempt near the Titans’ goal, the Pointers successfully stationed lineman Arthur Daniels (6-2, 255 pounds) in the backfield to open holes for following running backs. 
Several Pointer and Poway players crossed paths after using the restroom at halftime. Perhaps surprised at how easily the Titans were yielding, a Pointer asked, “Do you guys lift weights during the off-season?”