After two early season last-minute losses, Point Loma’s Pointer football team was hoping to avoid another similar heartbreaker last Friday night against Div. I Rancho Bernardo at beautifully lit Pete Ross Stadium.
With just over three minutes left in the game and the Div. II Dogs clinging to a slim 10-7 lead, they gave possession to the Broncos and many fans began squirming uneasily in their seats.
But when Bronco QB Noah Morris threw a pass over the middle, Pointer Tristan Shafer snatched it with a great effort to give his team possession at the Bronco 35.
When a fourth down Dogs’ play at the Bronco 14 failed, the visitors got the ball back again with 45 seconds to play. But once again Morris’ desperation pass was stolen, this time by Pointer Kaden Gill to squelch any Bronco hopes.
From here, the Pointers ran out the clock to even their record at 2-2.
Earlier, Zak Makis also pilfered a crucial pass by Morris as the Broncos threatened just before halftime, adding to an impressive number of picks by the Pointer secondary of late.
The team’s two losses were by a total of three points, so they would be 4-0 had they not allowed two last-minute scoring drives at El Camino and Otay Ranch.
“It was a full team effort by all the boys,” a relieved Pointer head coach Mike Hastings said after a long and loud celebration in his team’s locker room. “We had some injuries, two of them to our team captains Wes Windmiller and Cameron Auva’a, and the young kids really stepped into their roles. Alex Silva made some big plays for Wes and Landon Green filled in for Cameron.”
Neither team moved the ball consistently in the first half. Andy Medina’s 27-yard field goal gave the Pointers a 3-0 lead in the first quarter but a Dog fumble gave the Broncos a break and the ball at the Pointer 21 at the end of the opening frame.
The Broncos capitalized when they scored 41 seconds into the second quarter. 
For much of the game Pointer punter Ricky Borjon saw plenty of action as both teams’ drives were repeatedly stalled. One of Borjon’s boots covered 65 yards.
In the third quarter, JL Skinner took a short pass, ran right, turned the corner and covered 83 yards for an apparent touchdown that was called back when a Pointer player was penalized for making helmet-to-helmet contact.
Fast forward to the final quarter with just over four minutes left to play. Christian Hall broke a 45-yard run that led to the dramatic Pointer touchdown. A 15-yard scramble by QB Jason Peres preceded a two-yard blast by Gill for the score. Medina’s PAT ended Pointer scoring with just 3:47 left to play.
“Our defense produced three turnovers,” Hastings noted. “Their only score was when we gave them the ball after a fumble on a short field, but we held them out otherwise. The offense did what they had to at the end of the game to get us those decisive points. After two very frustrating losses it was very nice to win a close game the way we did with that Kaden Gill interception.” Otay Ranch 19, Pointers 17
After taking a 17-0 lead into the final quarter at the southwest Chula Vista school, the Pointers yielded 19 points in the final 6:47 of the game to suffer a bitter loss.
Pointer points came in the first half on a Medina field goal, a short Gill run and Skinner’s 69-yiard run on a wildcat play in the final minute before the break. The Pointers were never to score again.
For the Mustangs, their game-winning score came after a 65-yard drive with 34 seconds left, sending a Homecoming crowd into a frenzy as sweat-soaked and stunned Pointer players looked on.  Next
The Pointers make another visit to the South Bay to meet Div. II Olympian tomorrow night in a non-league skirmish. The Eagles are currently 1-3 with their lone win against Hilltop. They played the county’s No. 1 ranked team Torrey Pines in Week 3 and lost 35-0. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Extra points
The Pointers play three more Div. I teams, all of them fellow members of the Western League. St. Augustine is currently rated No. 1 in the division, Madison is No. 3 and Cathedral Catholic stands at No. 7.
The team takes its annual bye after the Olympian game, returning to play on Oct. 28 in the big annual Homecoming game against University City. Kickoff is at 6:30.
This was believed to be the Pointers’ first-ever meeting with the Broncos.