THE BIG GAME / POINT LOMA 35, MIRA MESA 3 : Manassa Gets Rout Off to a Quick Start

Signs of life appeared in the Point Loma High offense Friday afternoon, and they proved to be a sign-off for Mira Mesa.

For the third time this season, Point Loma defeated a top-five and higher-ranked team by rolling over Mira Mesa, 35-3 at Point Loma High. Mira Mesa (4-1) came in ranked No. 2. Point Loma (5-0) was No. 3.

Two weeks ago, Point Loma got by Helix when the Highlanders were No. 2. Before that, the Pointers upset then-No. 3 Rancho Buena Vista.

But the Pointers did that with something of a secret-agent offense--which spent most of the time incognito, showing up for only three touchdowns combined in both games.

The cloak came off Friday--and fast.

Marlon Manassa took a handoff from Tobin Gault on the first play of the game, peeked at the defense, darted outside and 80 yards later crossed the goal line.

Manassa deflected credit for the score to his offensive line, particularly right guard La’Roi Glover (6-foot-2, 265) and right tackle James Witkowski (6-4, 270).

“It’s a play based on pure power,” Manassa said. “Our two biggest offensive linemen just power their men as far downfield as possible and I just choose which hole to run through.”

Manassa had many holes from which to choose during the afternoon. Her finished the half with 187 yards on 14 carries, with three touchdowns. With five second-half carries, Manassa finished with 209 yards and four touchdowns.

Manassa scored from the three on a fourth-and-two in the second quarter and again from the one with 30 seconds left in the half.

His second-half touchdown came on a 79-yard punt return.

“I saw how slow and lackadaisical Mira Mesa was chasing the punt,” Manassa said of Mike Bovee’s 56-yarder. “The rule is never back up on punts, but if I backed up for this one I knew they weren’t going to be up for a return.”

So Manassa did back up, caught the ball and saw little coverage. He started right, then cut back and strode in. Yes, that easy.

On this day, Manassa was Point Loma’s offense. So convinced of this was Mira Mesa that its defense went after Manassa on a second-quarter play-action, leaving Matt Boxell open in the end zone. Gault hit him with a 17-yard throw.

All this came against the county’s No. 1-rated defense. Mira Mesa had allowed only 10 points in five games and figured to keep Point Loma’s offense in hibernation for another week.

Manassa knew otherwise.

“When we had a bye last week, the practices were really intense, like we were preparing for a Morse game,” he said. “As the week went on, we just got hungrier and hungrier.”

That game against Morse, now ranked No. 1, is two weeks away.