One blank box on the Pointer football team’s checklist has been “Put an opponent away with a strong finish.”
The team did just that Sept. 14, scoring 24 unanswered second half points to spoil Olympian High School’s homecoming with a convincing 45-13 win, dropping the Eagles to 1-4.
“That was really something to dominate in the second half,” said head coach Mike Hastings. “We really turned the corner in how we play football and finish an opponent off. We learned the hard way at El Camino and Otay Ranch and tonight we figured it out.”
The Pointers (3-2) started strong with a scores on their first two possessions by Christian Hall. His first score came on a short run after a 24-yard pickup by Kaden Gill and his second came on a swing pass from QB Jason Peres that Hall turned into a 75-yard touchdown and 14-0 first quarter lead.
Gill, a mainstay of the Pointers’ offense and defense, was injured in the first quarter and did not return.
In the second quarter, Olympian’s offense showed some life, driving to the Pointer five-yard line before losing the ball on a fumble recovered by Myles Bryant.
On the second play following the turnover, Pointer JL Skinner snared a pass from Peres 20 yards downfield and used speed and direction changes and to break free on a 90-yard scoring play for a 21-0 lead with 6:42 left before the halftime show.
But, as has happened in previous games, the Pointers allowed the Eagles back in the game with two touchdowns in the final 4:15 before the break, one coming following a bad snap to Pointer punter Ricky Borjon who fell on the ball.
The Pointers did move the ball to the Eagles one-yard line but could not stop the clock as the first half came to an end.
After dominating first half play, the Pointers went into halftime with only a 21-13 lead.
Following a big fireworks show for the Eagles’ homecoming, it was the Pointers who launched the second half pyrotechnics.
After Hall was injured midway through the third quarter he returned to pick up 71 yards on a run where he started to the right and then reversed across the field to the left. He scored several plays later on a one-yard run, upping the lead to 28-13 with 4:26 left in the third period.
Less than three minutes later on their next possession, QB Tre Cobb hit Tristan Shafer with a pass and run that covered 55 yards before Bryant ran the final 19 yards down the sideline for a 35-13 Dogs lead.
On the Eagles first play following the score, Zak Makis stole an Eagles pass that set up Cobb for an 11-yard run untouched for the sixth Pointer touchdown in the first minute of the final frame.
On the next Pointer drive they stalled at the Eagles’ 13-yard line. From there, Andy Medina made good on a 30-yard field goal for the final 45-13 margin. Added to his six PAT’s, Medina scored nine of his team’s points.
The Pointers were credited with 603 total yards including 293 passing and 310 rushing.
“Every phase contributed tonight,” Hastings said, “special teams giving us great field position, the defense was taking care of business and I thought our offense was just electric.” Next game
University City’s Centurions arrive Sept. 28 as opponents for the 2018 Pointer homecoming game. They are currently 4-1 with wins over Mission Bay, La Jolla Country Day and Mar Vista. They lost to Monte Vista by 28 points in their season opener.
Kickoff is at 6:30 p.m. and fans are reminded that the stadium gate on Voltaire Street will be closed. Overflow crowds are common for homecoming. Extra points
The Pointers will welcome their bye week with no game on Sept. 21 as several players are recovering from concussions and other injuries. 
Following homecoming, the Dogs enter an intense Western League schedule with games against, in order, Madison, Lincoln, St. Augustine and Cathedral Catholic.
The Pointers are currently eighth of 17 teams in CIF Div. II playoff rankings.