Several new opponents and membership in a new league will highlight the 2016 Point Loma High School football season.
Based on their strong performance in recent seasons, the Pointers will move up to an Eastern League that will undoubtedly be one of the toughest in the CIF’s San Diego Section, and there should be no shortage of rivalries in the new format.
The 2016 Eastern League games will match the Pointers against perennial county powers Cathedral Catholic and St. Augustine, two private schools with more liberal allowances in filling their rosters.
In fact, when the Pointers made three consecutive trips to Qualcomm Stadium as a CIF Div. III finalist, it was the Saints (46-14 in 2005), (17-7 in 2006) and Dons (41-3 in 2007) who defeated them. Then, in the Pointers’ fourth stadium trip, it was the Dons who again drove a dagger through Pointer hearts with a 20-14 come-from-behind win in 2009.
From the period between 1993 and 2014 when schools were grouped for playoff competition by enrollment, private schools won 14 Div. III titles, led by the Dons (eight times) and the Saints (two titles and five runners-up).
Teams are now assigned to divisions based on their record over the past five seasons, a move local CIF administrators felt would help even the playing field for all schools. Following each year, division assignments are re-evaluated and changes made.
Another rivalry continues in the new Eastern League with Pointer nemesis Madison also coming on board. The Warhawks have been dominant since joining the Western League for the 2010 season, winning the league title every year since except for 2011, when the Pointers battled them to a 13-13 tie in a memorable rainy-night donnybrook at Madison.
The Pointers have yet to defeat the Warhawks in league play, coming no closer than a 28-14 loss in 2012 before their worst loss in the series last year, when Madison crushed them 48-0 on Bennie Edens Field. 
Holdover Mira Mesa, who finished 7-5 overall (1-2 in the Eastern League) last year, rounds out the league.
Besides these league opponents, the Pointers’ early games coming up include repeat matches with El Camino (28-21 Pointer loss last year); Ramona, (20-18 win); Lincoln (21-0 win) and Olympian (21-14 loss).
New to the schedule this year is South Bay power Bonita Vista, who finished 12-3 (4-0 in the Metro Mesa League) enroute to a 52-14 destruction of Mission Bay for the CIF Div. III championship before defeating Canyon (Anaheim) and before losing to Hanford, Cal. 33-21 in a state bowl game.
Also new is El Cajon’s Christian High School, who finished 8-4 (4-0 to win the City League crown).
Gone, for now, is the annual “Shoe Game” against La Jolla, one of the county’s longest rivalries, which the Pointers have won with regularity in recent years.
The ever-popular Homecoming game takes place on Oct. 28 when the Pointers host Christian in a 6:30 kickoff under rented lights. Here’s what the Pointers 2016 schedule looks like:
2016 “FIGHTING POINTERS” FOOTBALL SCHEDULE DATE            TIME         OPPONENT                      SITE Aug. 26        7:00            El Camino                        Away Sept. 3         3:00            Ramona                           Home Sept. 9         6:30            Lincoln                             Away Sept. 16       7:00            Bonita Vista                     Away Sept. 23       7:00            Olympian                         Away Sept. 30                          Bye Week Oct. 7          6:30            Mira Mesa *                       Away Oct. 14        6:30            Madison *                          Away Oct. 21        3:00            Cathedral *                        Home Oct. 28        6:30            Christian #                         Home Nov. 4          2:30            St. Augustine *                 Home Nov. 11        TBA            1st Round Playoffs Nov. 18        TBA            Playoff Quarterfinals Nov. 25        TBA            Playoff Semifinals Dec. 2         TBA             CIF Finals * Eastern League game # Homecoming