Before the Dec. 1 CIF semifinal football game at Cathedral Catholic, members of the Point Loma High School team were unusually fired up, shouting encouragement and slapping each other’s pads during pre-game warmups. Three hours later, in a scene that has become all too familiar, the same players stood in stunned silence in their dressing room, having fallen short of their goal. Some fought back tears. Others, tears streaming down their young faces, cried quietly. And many, unable to suppress their emotions, wept uncontrollably. A couple players did not remove any of their uniforms, but sat quietly in a remote area of the locker room, heads bowed, hands shielding their eyes, where they remained until teammates came to console them. Several minutes earlier, Cathedral’s Manchester Stadium scoreboard had displayed numbers that told the evening’s heart-wrenching story: Cathedral 24, Point Loma 0. With the defeat, the Pointers ended their season with a record of 8-3-1 and a share of the Western League championship with Madison. Cathedral went on to play in the CIF Division III championship game Dec. 12 at Qualcomm Stadium, mounting yet another shutout with a convincing 41-0 win against South Bay’s Olympian. Perhaps most frustrating for Pointer players was their inability to score on the Dons’ defense, something that has not happened in recent years. “It was one of those nights where it seemed we couldn’t get started,” said Pointer head coach Mike Hastings as his squad began the long walk to their team buses. “It was frustrating, really, because I thought we had a great week of practice. The preparation was really good. The (assistant) coaches did a great job getting the kids ready and I thought the kids were ready, too.” Defensively, that was primarily true. The Pointers forced numerous punts in the early stages of the game before Dons quarterback Garrett Bogart found 6-foot-3-inch wide receiver Brian Heinz behind a Pointer defender and his perfect 25-yard throw gave the hosts a 7-0 lead shortly before the end of the first quarter. Shortly before halftime, Bogart spotted Andrew Pascale in the clear and a 40-yard touchdown gave Cathedral a 14-0 lead at the break. The final Cathedral six-pointer came with just over 10 minutes to play, after Bogart hooked up with JJ Stavola. Bogart totaled 233 yards on 14 completions in 26 attempts. Many times, Pointer defenders Ikeem Wright, Jake Wambaugh, Steven Arreola and others were just reaching Bogart before he released the ball.  On offense, the Dogs were repeatedly frustrated by Cathedral defenders during the rare shutout. Despite the end result, the Pointers posted an excellent record and enjoyed a highly successful season. “Tip your hat to Cathedral,” Hastings said. “They did a good job tonight. But we’re proud of our kids. They played a great season, were Western League champs and have nothing to be ashamed of.” Three Pointers earned varsity roster spots as freshmen, playing four years on the top squad. They include Ruben Diaz, Eric Bueno and Kevin Desta. Pointer seniors who playing their last game included Aaron Watkins, Edmond Tucker, Matt Magers, Mohsen Gharram, Morris Mathews, Tevin Heyward, Felipe Soares, Jaivon Griffin, Zalyn Bullard, Ikeem Wright, André Montano, Pablo Borjon, Jon Denae Bailey, Chris Schoenherr, Mike Lombardi, Roman Howard, Michael Solia and Nick Lilya. BITS ‘N’ BITES • The Dons have now prevented the Pointers from raising a CIF championship football banner for five straight years. Twice, in 2007 and 2009, the Dons defeated the Dogs in Qualcomm in the final game. In three other seasons (2008, 2010 and 2011) Cathedral eliminated the Pointers during semifinal rounds. • Going into their championship game earlier this week, the Dons have won four consecutive CIF titles. Only Oceanside (seven) has more. • Cathedral’s varsity roster numbers 64 players, while the Pointers list 48. The Dons also field multiple freshman teams. As a private school, Cathedral is allowed to bring students to its athletic teams from all over San Diego County. A committee formed by new CIF Commissioner Jerry Schniepp is looking at ways to balance this advantage. Many have urged private schools to play in larger-enrollment divisions, to play in separate divisions or even eliminate all regulations governing student residence and attendance. • The other Cathedral points came as a result of their scoreboard clock operator just before intermission. After the clock stopped with seven seconds remaining, the Dons attempted a pass play in which Bogart scrambled, looking for a target for some time before throwing the ball away in the end zone. The clock, which should have expired during the play, instead read 0.2 seconds. The Dons kicked a 32-yard field goal before the teams trotted to their lockers. Since it did not affect the outcome, Pointer fans chuckled at the gift. • Hastings will welcome 27 varsity players back when spring drills begin. The Pointers’ new weight room, located west of the Pete Ross Stadium seats, should be completed in time for next season’s workouts. • The last time the Pointers were shut out was in a 35-0 pasting by — you guessed it — Cathedral in November 2004.