It’s becoming pretty common on the Point Loma High School (PLHS) campus to see members of the school’s wrestling team appearing a little light-headed as they go through their school day. But school officials said they aren’t worried. The affliction is likely caused by team members spending significant time at a higher altitude than they have been accustomed to in previous years. You see, Pointer wrestlers are currently sitting high atop the Eastern League standings. This success is no accident, and a dramatic 37-30 victory over defending champion Patrick Henry last week on the Pointers’ mat elevated the local grapplers to the top of the league heap. A win over Mira Mesa during a huge home match on Wednesday, Feb. 1 would give the Pointers their first league title in nearly 20 years. Head coach Phil Moore and assistant Miles Doughty have transformed their students from Pointers to pit bulls over the last several years and are now enjoying the fruits of their labors. “I’m ecstatic about where we are,” said Moore after last week’s dramatic match. “I knew this was going to happen because we have great kids.” The Pointers matches are certainly a dogfight. In last week’s showdown with Henry in the noisy Pointers gym, the match came down to the final bout, where 134-pound Alex Blea defeated Henry’s Ryan Palladino 9-1 to seal the Pointers victory. Until that moment, the two teams struggled through a see-saw battle that left the Pointers ahead 33-30 entering the Blea-Palladino match. If Blea were pinned, the six points would have given the Patriots a 36-34 win. But Blea, his teammates shouting encouragement, took control of his opponent early and his major decision earned four team points. The final score touched off a celebration among parents and students, many of whom rushed to greet the exhausted wrestlers and coaches. “The difference this season is we’ve had another year to work with our kids,” Moore said. “After watching Patrick Henry wrestle, I figured out how to (attack) them and that’s how we accomplished the win.” Moore has spent four years developing his team. “I have always known these guys could win, they just needed to learn how to wrestle,” he said. “There are no fluke wins in wrestling. You have to be in shape and pull off the moves. It takes a couple of years to groom a kid.” There were side stories to the triumph. Football player Eric Bueno, wrestling in his first-ever meet, had to lose six pounds during the day to qualify for his 197-pound weigh-in. Despite putting up a good fight, Bueno was pinned. While there is a Jan. 25 league match at San Diego High and a tournament Jan. 27-28 in Holtville, Pointer wrestlers and coaches are salivating over their upcoming face-off with Mira Mesa. The Marauders, according to Moore, are the final hurdle for his team to leap in its quest for an Eastern League championship. The last wrestling title won by the Pointers was in 1995. Doughty knows this because he was a member of that team and his father, Brian Lamb, was the coach. “Back then, when we had a home match, it was an event,” Doughty said. “The entire gym, including the balcony, was packed. We would sure like to see a big turnout for the Mira Mesa match because the kids feed off the vibe. But for now, we are right where we need to be.” BITS 'N' BITES: • The much-anticipated Feb. 1 match with Mira Mesa begins at 3:30 p.m. in the Pointers’ gym. There is no admission charge for wrestling. • Weight classes increase slightly during the season to allow for growth. • Former coach Lamb is now head wrestling coach at The Rock Academy. • Moore is establishing wrestling programs for K-12 youth to develop future Pointers. He can be contacted at [email protected]. • The Pointers defeated Scripps Ranch in a non-league meet by a whopping 72-12 score. The Dogs won eleven matches by pins, lost two by pins and saw the Falcons forfeit at the 195-pound class. MATCH SUMMARY: POINT LOMA 37, PATRICK HENRY 30

108 pounds: Daniel Harris (PL) pinned Jake Wood (PH) in 1:30. 115: Michael Harris (PL) pinned Nate Salas (PH) in 1:50. 122: George Ly (PH) pinned Ian Mobley (PL). 128: Kieran Miles (PH) defeated Chase Scillato (PL) 12-8. 134: Alex Blea (PL) defeated Ryan Palladino (PH) 9-1. 140: Trey Hughes (PH) pinned Julian Dalstet (PL). 147: Brandon Rose (PH) defeated Ryan Martinez (PL) 9-8. 154: Keegan Bell (PL) defeated Jose Becerra-Aguilar (PH) 16-10. 162: Alex Corondoni (PH) defeated Martin Cervantes (PL) 8-6. 172: Bailey Dugdale (PL) pinned Ernesto Moya (PH) in 2:42. 184: Tony Melfi (PL) pinned Joseph Harrison (PH) in 2:34. 197: Austin Bregante (PH) pinned Eric Bueno (PL). 222: Bruce Nguyen (PH) defeated Jovanny Sanchez (PL) 5-4. 285: Kevin Desta (PL) pinned Sergio Rodriguez (PH) in 0:57. — Compiled by Scott Hopkins