For the second straight week, Point Loma\u2019s defense struck quickly to start the scoring in a Pointer victory, but this time it took the offense more than half the game to find the end zone.
\nDefensive end Jake Wambaugh\u2019s hit caused a fumble by a Santana High ball carrier just minutes into the Sept. 28 non-league home game. Teammate Sean Gardocki was able to scoop up the loose pigskin and return it 15 yards for the first six points in a 35-3 Pointer victory.
\nWambaugh, a 6-foot-4-inch, 245-pound senior earned All-Western League first team honors last season as a tight end in addition to his defensive duties.
\nThe win, the third straight for the Dogs, left them with a 3-2 record as they prepare for their first league game Oct. 10.\u00a0
\nThe 7-0 score held until halftime after two Pointer touchdowns by the offense were called back because of holding and personal foul penalties behind the play and a fumble on the snap was lost at the Sultans\u2019 one-yard line.
\n“Some kids got frustrated, and they\u2019ve just got to control themselves,” said Pointer head coach Mike Hastings. “We had some inopportune penalties today and we were kind of sputtering. I thought our defense held up very nicely. Coach Dave Aros and his defensive staff again did some great preparation.”\u00a0
\nThe Pointers then awakened to post a 21-point third period to gain control of their Grossmont-Valley League opponents, who have only averaged 5.4 points per game in falling to an 0-5 record.
\nPointer special teams opened the period with sophomore Jalen Griffin continuing his breakout season as he returned the second-half kickoff 99 yards to boost the lead to 14-0 before many in the crowd had settled back into their Pete Ross Stadium seats.
\nAnother special-team play set up the Pointers\u2019 first offensive touchdown of the game when defender Frankie Lopez broke through protection to block a punt on Santana\u2019s first second-half possession. \u00a0
\nStarting this drive from the Sultans\u2019 15-yard line, Gavin Grady lofted a 12-yard scoring pass to Wambaugh in the left corner of the end zone with 9:26 remaining in the period.
\nJust three minutes later, Griffin added his second touchdown of the quarter with a short run that capped the Dogs\u2019 next possession.\u00a0
\nIn just six minutes of play, the Pointers turned a shaky 7-0 lead into a commanding 28-0 lead.
\nA 72-yard punt return by returning All-Western League second-teamer Dirk Lacy set up the final Pointer score in the fourth quarter.
\nLacy, who is returning to full strength after missing the first three games this season with ankle injuries, showed fans what he can contribute as he darted away from tacklers and used his speed to outrun others on the return before finally being hauled down at the Sultans\u2019 10-yard line.
\nTwo plays later, Lacy lowered his head and powered between two defenders for his second touchdown of the season.
\nThe resulting 35-0 Pointer lead, with almost nine minutes remaining in the game, signaled game officials to use a running clock for the remainder of the contest.
\nThe Sultans avoided the shutout when, with two seconds remaining in the game, they used the stadium\u2019s prevailing westerly winds to help lift a 31-yard field goal as time expired.
\n“In the end, 35-3 is a great win and we\u2019ll take it,” said Hastings. “Monday, we\u2019ll come back and get better.”\u00a0
\nNext up for the Dogs will be what promises to be a stiff test at Scripps Ranch on Oct. 4. Kickoff is 6:30 p.m.
\nAfter a couple down years, the Falcons have surged to a 3-1 record with victories over San Marcos, Morse and Bonita Vista. They will face the Pointers after a bye week of preparation.
\nLast year, the Pointers defeated the Falcons 24-3 at Pete Ross Stadium, as Scripps Ranch stumbled to a 2-8 record. EXTRA POINTS \u00a0
\n\u2022 Starting linebacker Tanner Manion returned to action against the Sultans but starting defenders A. J. Smith and Jake Virissimo were withheld.
\n\u2022 Prior to the game, every Pointer varsity player escorted a member of the school\u2019s teaching staff across midfield as part of a Staff Appreciation Day event. Staff members were adorned in team jerseys bearing the same number as their escorting player.
\n\u2022 The junior varsity moved to 4-1 with its 35-13 victory while the freshman team dropped to 3-2 with a 19-8 loss \u2014 both against Santana.
\n\u2022 The Western League opener Oct. 11 against Kearny has been moved to Madison High School, kicking off at 6:30 p.m.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For the second straight week, Point Loma\u2019s defense struck quickly to start the scoring in a Pointer victory, but this time it took the offense more than half the game to find the end zone. Defensive end Jake Wambaugh\u2019s hit caused a fumble by a Santana High ball carrier just minutes into the Sept. 28 […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":726,"featured_media":277051,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"11561","_seopress_titles_title":"Pointers unleash second-half offensive barrage to crush Santana 35-3","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[11551,11561,11553],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-277050","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-peninsula-beacon","category-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277050","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/726"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=277050"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/277050\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/277051"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=277050"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=277050"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=277050"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}