So far and yet so near.
This reversal of the old idiom describes Point Loma’s football game at Ramona High School on Sept. 6.
After a lengthy school bus ride to Ramona, Pointer players found themselves battling the Bulldogs in stifling 100-degree heat and humidity, even after the game’s start was moved back to 7:30 p.m. as a precaution.
As one would expect, when Pointers and Bulldogs tangle, a dogfight breaks out.
In the end, both teams scored three touchdowns, but two missed extra-point attempts by PLHS let Ramona escape with a 21-19 win.
The Bulldogs, who were CIF finalists last year in Div. III, took a 14-0 first-quarter lead on runs of 43 and 33 through the Pointer secondary. They also completed several passes on their drives as Pointer coaches made effective adjustments.
Point Loma then outscored the Bulldogs 19-7.
Sophomore Jaylen Griffin ignited his teammates and a sizable group of visiting fans with a 50-yard run late in the first quarter.
That Pointer drive ended on the first play of the second quarter when running back A.J. Smith threw a 14-yard option-pass strike to senior Drew Rutledge, cutting the lead to 14-7.
The team’s momentum continued when, following the kickoff, a Bulldog pass was tipped on the second play, the ball falling into the hands of Pointer defensive back Adrian Bueno, who raced 45 yards untouched for the second Pointer score in a span of only 52 seconds.
The Pointers drew within one point to make it 14-13 when the extra point kick failed.
But a short Pointer punt gave the Bulldogs the ball at the visitor’s 43-yard line shortly before intermission, and the Bulldogs scored their final points of the game, taking a 21-13 lead with 57.7 seconds remaining.
A nicely executed third-quarter Pointer drive ended with a touchdown pass from quarterback Quinn Bohannon to Smith in the right flat. A two-point conversion run fell short in what would result in the final score of the game with 7:27 left in the third period.
The Pointers mounted another sustained and possible game-winning drive early in the fourth quarter as runs by Smith, Jacob Ehm and others took them to the Bulldog five-yard line. 
From there, Bulldog defenders battered a Pointer runner from several directions, successfully dislodging the ball and recovering the fumble on the one-yard line to end what would be the final Pointer threat of the night.