Pointer football team prepping for new division after 10-3 season

by Scott Hopkins

After a 10-3 season that ended in a CIF Div. III championship game, Point Loma’s football team expected changes in their ranking and league assignment. Fortunately, the team was moved up from Div. III to Div. II, which will place it among higher-ranked teams. The team also moves into the Eastern League, which was good news to athletic director Manny Diaz Jr. and the coaching staff.

Joining the Pointers in the Eastern League for the 2023 season are Christian, La Jolla, Mira Mesa, and Morse high schools. With the addition of La Jolla, the annual battle for “The Shoe” resumes along with one of the county’s longest rivalries.

Diaz and head coach Joel Allen have also scheduled some challenging games for the non-league portion of their schedule.

Four Pointer players return for next season after earning all-league recognition as juniors on last year’s team. From left, Brady Allen (first-team offense), Rocket Robinson and Nate Terzoli (both first-team defense), and Aaron Lee (second-team offense and City League Kicker of the Year). SCOTT HOPKINS/PENINSULA BEACON

Their first-week opponent is perennial power Madison who finished 9-2 last year, with both losses to state champion Lincoln in their Western League and CIF playoffs. Also on the schedule are Rancho Bernardo (second place in Palomar League), Mater Dei (11-4 overall, first place in Metro Mesa League), Christian (4-0, first place in Eastern League), and University City.

Yes, the same Centurions who defeated the Pointers in both a league game and for the CIF title by a total of just 11 points. They, however, were moved to Div. II but also assigned to the Western League with Cathedral Catholic, St. Augustine, Madison, and Lincoln.

Allen, Diaz, and a group of other coaches just finished a spring session that included returning players from last year’s program and, in the end, a group of incoming freshmen.

Currently, the team is on a CIF-mandated “no contact period” that lasts for two weeks before players and coaches can resume pre-season workouts in July.

Early season games in the upcoming season were purposely scheduled as “away” games while the Pointers’ turf field is replaced.

2023 POINT LOMA HIGH FOOTBALL SCHEDULE

DATE TIME OPPONENT LOCATION

Aug. 18 7 p.m. Madison Madison

Aug. 25 7 p.m. Otay Ranch Otay Ranch

Sept. 1 7 p.m. Rancho Bernardo Rancho Bernardo

Sept. 8 7 p.m. University City. University City

Sept. 15 7 p.m. Mater Dei Point Loma &

Sept. 22 7 p.m. San Diego Point Loma @

Sept. 29 7 p.m. Christian # at Granite Hills

Oct. 6 7 p.m. La Jolla # Point Loma %

Oct. 13 7 p.m. Mira Mesa # Point Loma $