The Point Loma High School football team returns from a three-week break this week to begin preparing in earnest for the season opener Sept. 1 at the school’s annual “Kickoff” event. For players, this week marked the beginning of so-called “Hell Week,” the traditional two-a-day drills that consume each teen’s daytime hours and likely their complete store of energy. Head coach Mike Hastings and staff were busy issuing equipment earlier this week while workers on the school’s new artificial turf field began putting down the first pieces of the new, deep-green surface that will rejuvenate Bennie Edens Field. In fact, with painting done by parent volunteers, fans attending games at Pete Ross Stadium might say the venerable facility has never looked nicer. Because of the construction, however, Hastings has been forced to be creative in searching for a suitable venue for his program’s three teams to get in the crucial work that precedes the season opener. That search resulted in an agreement to use Bill Cleator Park, home of Peninsula Little League, as a Pointer practice facility. “We’re going to put down lines like a full football field,” Hastings said, as he plans to work the team there in the afternoons after morning workouts on campus at the softball field and a patch of grass near the stadium. PIGSKIN EXTRAS • Hastings, who took the Pointers’ reins in 2004, has compiled an overall record of 64 wins, 25 losses and one tie — an impressive .711 winning percentage. He and his staff said they hold players accountable on the field, in the classroom and as family members at home. • In four different years, Hastings has taken his team to the CIF Championship game at Qualcomm Stadium. Due to scheduling conflicts, this year’s championships will be held elsewhere at sites yet to be determined. • The season opener Sept. 1 features a triple-header against South Bay’s Mar Vista Mariners, with all three Pointer teams. The freshman team begins the day at 10 a.m., junior varsity at 12:30 p.m. and varsity at 3 p.m. Parents are planning a full day of festivities, including dedication and tours of the school’s new weight room. • The Pointers will welcome Kearny High’s Komets to the Western League this year, playing their former rivals in an Oct. 5 showdown at home with a 3 p.m. kickoff. • Homecoming takes place under the temporary lights at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 12 against league foe La Jolla. Ironically, this is also the Pointers’ final home game as they hit the road for three final matches. • Work on a new ticket booth/res-room/snack bar facility is set to begin at the stadium’s Voltaire Street entrance.
