Pt. Loma Continues to Recover : Football: Since loss in first game, the Pointers have come back strong. They beat Serra, 55-0.

The embarrassment of the season opener fades a bit with every first down, touchdown and victory that comes Point Loma’s way, and this game was as therapeutic as they come.

The Pointers, topping the town in expectations and rankings in the preseason, went down hard in its opener against El Camino, now ranked second. Since then, the Pointers have been bent on redeeming themselves.

The 55-0 victory Friday against Serra was part of the process, which also extended the winning streak of Point Loma, now ranked third, to six games.

“Point Loma has this tradition of getting better game by game,” said Serra Coach Skip Coons. “It’s a tribute to (Point Loma) Coach (Bennie) Edens.”

Pointer halfback Alex Gresham said it was almost like a practice game. Despite being replaced by substitutes late in the game, the 5-foot-8 senior gained 107 yards in 14 carries and scored three touchdowns.

“I was surprised I even got that many (yards),” he said. “Whenever we’re winning games like that, coach usually takes some of us out. Sometimes it bothers me, but they’re getting experience. I just don’t think I’ll ever have a 1,000-yard season.”

Edens substituted many times, many ways. At least 12 second-stringers played, and first-stringers tried different positions in a contest where Point Loma outgained Serra, 472 yards to 60.

“A ballplayer’s a good ballplayer. We want to see what they can do at other positions,” Edens said.

Backup halfback Rantie Harper carried only seven times, but his 117 yards were a game high. Harper ended the game’s scoring when he took a handoff from quarterback Rick Munoz and sprinted 44 yards for the final touchdown.

“He’s a good one,” Edens said of Harper. “But both our halfbacks are good.”

Certainly too good for Serra (3-4), a team that was outmatched from the first play from scrimmage. The Conquistadors didn’t get a first down until 8:05 remained in the second quarter and only mustered eight for the afternoon.

“I thought we could have played better,” said Serra Coach Skip Coons. “You know defensively Point Loma is going to be good. We felt if we held them defensively, we could at least get something going on offense. But we were our own worst nemesis. We made an awful lot of mistakes. The kids were too eager.”

Munoz and Ben White flip-flopped at quarterback, each playing a half. White was eight for eight for 140 yards, including a nine-yard toss to Shaunta Baker (four catches, 87 yards). Munoz threw a seven-yard touchdown pass to Bryan Loyce (four catches, 45 yards.)