The Point Loma High School varsity football team has something to prove this season.
The six returning starters from last year’s Western League Championship squad said they want to show the rest of San Diego that they can come back and teach the newcomers to play “Pointer football.”
The key for the team’s success this year will be overcoming a sharp learning curve in certain positions.
“A lot of young guys gotta’ step it up for us to be great this year,” said senior running back/DB Lester Arnold after a hot Friday morning practice. “We’re a real target this year. Serra, Mission Bay and La Jolla will all be watching us as the number one team “” they all want to beat us.”
With so few returners, the experienced players will need to keep their confidence up from last season when they went 12-1, losing only to St. Augustine in the state playoff game at Qualcomm Stadium.
The Dogs seemed unbeatable and much of that can be attributed to the work ethic and schemes laid out by the excellent coaching staff helmed by head coach and school athletic director Mike Hastings.
“We’re very experienced in the backfield with Lucas Shaw at quarterback and Lester Arnold and Luis Villavicencio at running back, who know our offense real well,” Hastings said. “Our lettermen take a lot of pride in helping the younger players, so our success will be determined by how fast the linemen pick it up.”
The players seem to be getting along “” there is no shortage of the good-natured banter you expect in a seasoned team that knows each other well enough to kid around. The entire program “” freshman, junior varsity and varsity “” ended last season 27-4, which bodes well for the new players. The fact that all three teams use the same offense and defense can only help each year as players transition to a more challenging program.
“It just makes sense to build on it year after year and not make the kids learn new schemes each time they move up a level,” Hastings said. “We’ve been taking the kids to Big Bear for a retreat in the summer to get the experience of being on the same team.”
Coach Hastings admonished the boys to not only watch, but take notes at opponents’ games to learn all they can. He always expects the best from his teams, and the players know that a lack of experience is no excuse for failing to live up to their potential and draw support from the team’s veteran players when necessary.
“We’ve been getting better. We started slow but we’re getting much quicker and picking it up a bit,” said senior quarterback Lucas Shaw. “Our scout team has been giving us good looks and I’m more confident because I know what to expect from the defenses.”
The team has also been playing tough teams during the preseason to hone their skill early in the year. When other teams are going up against local squads, the Pointers head to Los Angeles to play teams like Culver City and Jefferson High.
“The upgraded preseason is a good test for us “” prepares the team for the tough western league,” said Hastings. “Before we get to league games, we’ll be well-tested and ready.”
In order to rest the body and sharpen the mind before the first match-up, Hastings gave the team last weekend off, telling them to instead learn about the upcoming game against Morse High School.
The true test of how prepared the players are and how well they work together “” the season’s first home game against Morse “” will take place at Point Loma High School, 2335 Chatsworth Blvd., on Friday, Sept. 2, at 3 p.m.