SAN DIEGO SECTION PLAYOFFS : Point Loma Shuts Out Orange Glen

After Point Loma High School defeated Orange Glen, 21-0, in a San Diego Section 3-A football quarterfinal playoff game Saturday night at Mesa College, Mt. Carmel Coach Bill Christopher walked over to congratulate Point Loma Coach Bennie Edens.

Christopher’s Mt. Carmel team will meet Point Loma in the section semifinals next Saturday--although Christopher, after seeing the Pointers play, isn’t so sure he wants to.

“I don’t know if we’ll even show up,” Christopher told Edens. “Your team looked awfully good out there.”

Christopher and his team, of course, are going to show up. But the challenge ahead of them looks imposing.

Point Loma (11-0) dominated Orange Glen from the opening kickoff to the final gun and showcased every phase of its talented football team in the process.

In a starring role was the Pointer defense, which defused Orange Glen’s heralded passing game thanks to a big pass rush. Patriot quarterback Sean Gousha, the county’s second-leading passer, was held to just 106 yards passing. He completed 9 of 20 passes and was sacked six times for minus-39 yards.

Point Loma’s defense also came up with the big play, with Anthony DaSilva recovering a fumble by Orange Glen running back Dennis Esposito on the Orange Glen 36-yard line with 2:41 remaining in the first half.

From there, Point Loma needed only seven plays to get in the end zone for the game’s first score. On first-and-goal from the four, quarterback Mike Bennett flipped a quick pass in the right flat to running back Kelby Downey for the touchdown.

On its first drive of the second half, Point Loma drove 74 yards to a touchdown on 15 plays. Using no run longer than 16 yards, the Pointers received four carries from Luis Guillory for 26 yards and three carries from Downey for 27 yards.

Bennett culminated the 7-minute, 48-second drive on a one-yard quarterback sneak.

In the fourth quarter, Point Loma showed it could score quickly, too. After taking over on downs at their own 46, the Pointers needed only one play to secure their third touchdown.

Bennett rolled left, stopped, and hit Downey down the right sideline for a 54-yard score.