After a bye week, Point Loma High School (PLHS) head football coach Mike Hastings was hoping his Pointers would perform well in last Friday’s Western League opener at La Jolla. They did, delivering an efficient performance on offense, defense and special teams, dispatching the Vikings 21-7 to retain the enigmatic “Shoe” trophy for yet another year. “We got back to fundamentals and relearned the basics,” said Pointers quarterback Thomas Mize. “Our win against La Jolla felt great and it sets a path toward winning Western League.” Mize and Co. put up touchdowns on their first possession of each half, something Hastings called a key to the Dogs’ dominance. After halting the Vikings’ first drive of the game, the Pointers drove down the field on an all-running drive that culminated when Mize dove for two-yards with 6:39 left in the opening period. Ruben Diaz’s first of three extra points gave the visitors a 7-0 lead. La Jolla stacked its defense to stop the Pointer ground game (the Dogs attempted only four passes in the game) and the score remained unchanged until the third period. Receiving the second-half kickoff, Point Loma drove the length of the field. Jaivon Griffin covered the final 31 yards, increasing the lead to 14-0. The hosts avoided a shutout in a drive that spanned the third and fourth quarters and featured a highlight-film tackle from sophomore Pointer defender Zach Eischen. Viking receiver Vincent Cheng caught a Bobby Schuman pass in the clear and sprinted for his goal line. Eischen, however, ran Cheng down from behind and, on a diving shoestring tackle, brought him down after a 47-yard gain. The Vikes, however, scored several plays later. Griffin’s second touchdown from nine yards out closed the scoring with 4:59 left to play in the contest. Offensively, the Pointers outgained the Vikings 308-167. Griffin led all ball carriers with 162 yards on 18 carries, while Morris Mathews carried 12 times for 66 yards. The Dogs rushed 46 times for 297 yards, a 6.5-yard per carry average. Defensively, Christian Heyward led tacklers with eight total tackles (five solos, three assists) and a sack. Eischen added seven, Ikeem Wright and Eddie Frakes each had six, and Robbie Pejovich and Johnny Castaneda recorded five apiece. Wright and Castaneda were also credited with sacks. Diaz’s distance skills also proved to be a valuable Pointer weapon, because each of his four kickoffs sailed into the endzone, preventing Viking runbacks. “The truth is, it was a team effort tonight,” Hastings said. “All three phases helped win the game. We always say that if you hold a team to one score or less you’re going to win just about every game you play.” Meanwhile, the original “Shoe” trophy reportedly resides with the family of a deceased Vikings coach. When he passed away during a several-year gap in the decades-long rivalry between the two schools, the trophy was presented to his wife. The current trophy is a far cry from the original, consisting of a football shoe spray-painted gold and attached to a small piece of plain wood. The Pointers get back to action tomorrow afternoon, Oct. 22, when they visit Mission Bay for a 3 p.m. kickoff. The Bucs (0-6) have not won a game since last year’s departure of all-state player Dillon Baxter, who now plays at the University of Southern California. “Our team has all the tools it needs to go undefeated in league,” Mize said. “Once we establish consistency, there’s no stopping us.”