The Point Loma High School football team’s third straight CIF championship game appearance last Friday had at least one bright spot, with the return of the Pointers’ mascot, Bennie.
Bennie had not made an appearance at a Pointers event for roughly a couple of years because of a costume-washing mishap.
“We were able to pay for the costume with proceeds from the [class of 1967] reunion fees,” said Marcy McCann, Class of ’67 Reunion Committee chair. “We were able to save money for the reunion by getting good deals and a good location. We really wanted to do something to get a new uniform for the mascot.
Other PLHS alumns were also pleased.
“Because we had a great turnout, and thanks to superb service by Carol Nascimento and her son, Jason, of Portugalia [restaurant], we ended the event with a surplus,” said Reunion Committee member Jim Sills.
The PLHS class of 1967 celebrated its 40th anniversary this year by raising enough money to pay for a new costume for the traditional Pointer dog.
“When the classmates heard the mascot had been gone for two years they quickly agreed we should help,” Sills said.
The mascot is named after legendary PLHS head football coach Bennie Edens. Edens celebrated his 82nd birthday on the same day PLHS played in the championship game at Qualcomm Stadium on Friday.
McCann recruited PLHS graduate Connie Panek to put the new costume together. Panek is a professional costume designer who has worked on outfits for plays, television and special events. Panek was assisted by Point Loma resident Leah Ellington. The final cost is still to be determined, but it came in under the projected $1,000 tab, according to estimates.
PLHS student Nick Viera is currently the lucky dog donning the costume.
For Point Loma High School graduates and longtime residents, the name Bennie Edens evokes strong memories of winning football games and CIF championships.
Edens coached the Pointers from 1950 to 1998, but took a few years off in the early 1990s for health reasons. Some of the memories include great moments in CIF championship games. The 1966 team trailed Helix 14-12 with five minutes to play at their own 20, but the Pointers were able to convert on two fourth-down opportunities, winning the game on a touchdown pass from quarterback Bill Gable to junior John Cervinsky.
PLHS won the contest 18-14 for its second title in six years. Cervinsky is a member of the class of 1967.
Two decades later, Edens’ Pointers pulled out another last-minute championship win in the 1987 CIF title game. Point Loma fell behind 14-0 in the first quarter against Morse but closed the gap to 14-13 in the fourth quarter.
The Pointers drove to the Morse 21-yard line and were able to kick the game-winning field goal into a swirling wind for a 16-14 victory.
“The methodical way these teams performed under extreme pressure is no coincidence. Coach Ben Edens quietly and gradually built skills and confidence in all his students,” Sills said.
His long list of accomplishments includes three CIF football titles (1962, 1966, 1987), the 1966 San Diego County High School Football Coach of the Year, 1981 California Athletic Director of the Year, 1981 All-San Diego County Football Coach of the Year and the 1983 Southern Section Coach of the Year.
Edens continued to coach into the late 1980s and 1990s. Jan. 11, 1988 was named Bennie Edens Day by the city of San Diego. He was also named the California High School Coach of the Year in 1992 and 2002 NFL High School Coach of the Year.
“Coach Edens didn’t scream at or belittle his teams. He radiated confidence in them during practices and the players swiftly picked up on and reflected his belief in them,” Sills said.
Although the Pointers lost 41-3 against Catholic Cathedral in the championship game this past Friday,
Bennie the mascot ran out of the tunnel at Qualcomm Stadium with the team and cheerleaders to help bring back the spirit of the winning Pointer tradition.
“It’s disappointing when you don’t come out No. 1, but it was really great to debut the revived mascot at the CIF championship game and pull it off in time,” McCann said.
“Coach Edens is still loved by thousands of his former students,” she said. “That is why we decided to name the mascot in his honor. The Pointer dog unites the generations of classmates with the genuine love the dog inspires and the happy memories he stirs.”