The Point Loma High School football team wrapped up its regular season schedule with a scoring explosion that resulted in two victories, outscoring opponents Serra and Hoover highs by a combined score of 97-27. The season finales set up the fifth consecutive opportunity for a CIF playoff appearance by the Pointers at Qualcomm Stadium. POINTERS 48, SERRA 21 What started as a difficult night for PLHS on Nov. 5 at Serra High took a sudden positive turn. Enough so that a running clock was used by game officials to salve the opposing team’s misery as the Pointers pounded the Conquistadors for a possible record 512 rushing yards in a 48-21 shellacking. The Conquistadors had two big early plays of 80-plus yards — a punt return and a run — to take a 14-7 lead on the seemingly lethargic Dogs. Pointer Jaivon Griffin had been picking up big yardage in the first quarter. But the referees ruled he fumbled at the Serra one-yard line, halting an otherwise promising drive. In the second quarter, though, with Pointer head coach Mike Hastings’ encouragement, the team began to stir. First, it was Christian Heyward hauling in a touchdown pass from quarterback Sean McKaveney to tie the score at 14. On the next Pointer possession, McKaveney hit Matt Magers for a 22-yard gain and Griffin scored from the one-yard line as the visitors took a 21-14 lead 3:19 before halftime. The Conquistadors had one big play left, however, and it came on the first play after an unsuccessful Pointer onside kick attempt. A 50-yard touchdown pass knotted the score at 21 with 3:11 remaining before intermission. The Pointers re-established control quickly in the third quarter. Following a scoring drive to open the second half — allowing the Pointers to take the lead for good — the Dogs got the ball back again. On the very first play, Morris Mathews raced 85 yards to widen the Pointers’ lead. Then, on the ensuing kickoff, crafty Hunter Hirsch simply took the football from the arms of Serra’s return man. From here, one play took the ball to the Serra 10-yard line before Griffin cashed in on another carry for six points. In just over two minutes of play, the Pointers went from being tied at 21 to a lead of 41-21. Tommy Bell added a third-period touchdown run to close out the scoring. Griffin totaled 292 yards on 23 carries as he heads toward a 1,000-yard season. Mathews gained 136 yards on just seven carries as the Pointers averaged nine yards per rushing attempt. McKaveney’s 86 passing yards gave the Pointers 598 yards in offense for the game. Defensively, Bell and Jamal Agnew picked off errant Conquistador passes, while Hirsch and Tevin Heyward were credited with sacks. Christian Heyward led all tacklers with six, followed by Hirsch and Zack Eischen with five each, and Bell with four. Austin Jesus recovered a quarterback fumble. POINTERS 49, HOOVER 6 Following another lackluster start Nov. 12, the Pointers again caught fire and overwhelmed Hoover in a 49-6 rout. The season finale was the last time the team’s 19 seniors played together on Bennie Edens Field. Unlike the previous week, the Pointer defense was stingy — but the offense wasn’t scoring points either. It was on the first quarter’s final play that Christian Heyward, being utilized as a tight end on offense, drifted into the left side of the endzone, where McKaveney lofted a perfect ball to the big lineman, who clutched it to his chest as he fell for the game’s first touchdown. “Sean really ran the offense well and got us into a rhythm,” said coach Hastings. Early in the second period, Bell stepped in front of a Cardinal pass and made a beautiful return, utilizing his offensive skills for the Dogs’ second score. Wide receiver Matt Magers figured in the next two Pointer scores of the half. First, he caught McKaveney’s second touchdown pass of the half, a nine-yarder. Next, he returned a Hoover punt to the Cards’ nine-yard line. From here, McKaveney’s third touchdown pass found Tevin Heyward uncovered in the endzone. When the Cardinals again had to punt from deep in their own territory, the Dogs started a drive in great field position. This time, McKaveney found Agnew on a 21-yard throw for his fourth touchdown pass of the half. Agnew also had an interception — his second in two weeks. Ruben Diaz’s fifth conversion gave the cruising Pointers a 35-0 lead as the teams left the field for intermission. Felipe Soares, Diaz’ backup, handled kicking duties in the second half, and his kickoff to open the second half was deep. With Hoover struggling to put points on the board, its quarterback threw a pass which was again pilfered and returned to paydirt by Bell, marking his second “Pick 6” of the day and his third interception in the final two games of the season. “We’re still getting better,” said Bell, a third-year varsity defensive back. “Today’s game was a statement that we’re going to be the real deal in the Division III playoffs.” Soares’ first of two extra points gave the hosts a 42-0 lead, and the referees began running the clock to shorten the game. After getting the ball back on another short Hoover punt, the Pointers struck a seventh — and final — time. Following a long run by Mathews, Griffin took the ball into the endzone on a five-yard play. The rest of the third and all of the fourth quarter elapsed until — on the game’s final play — Hoover completed a nine-yard pass play for a touchdown that provided the game’s final score. McKaveney had his best day of the season, completing 8 of 14 passes for 107 yards and four scores. Griffin totaled 89 yards in a rushing attack that gained 191 yards for a total output of 298. Sacks were recorded by Bell, Hirsch, Gio Gonzalez, Eddie Frakes, Eric Bueno and Daniel Aguilar. Bueno led all tacklers with seven, while Ikeem Wright added five. “We needed this game because it’s super-important to have momentum going into the playoffs,” said Hastings. “I thought it was a really complete game.”