Point Loma Tops Morse for Title

We can’t even call it a stingy defense. It’s downright selfish.

Point Loma’s third-ranked football team had given up only 31 points in seven games going into what has become the traditional Eastern League showdown--the annual Morse-Point Loma game.

Friday night at Mesa College, the Pointers, with a 16-0 victory, made it 31 points in eight games and sealed the league title for the first time since 1987, when they also won the 3-A San Diego Section championship.

For 22 Point Loma seniors, it was the first and maybe last chance to defeat the Tigers and it felt good.

“I think it’s great,” said senior defensive end David Cunningham, who had two quarterback sacks and made a touchdown-saving tackle with his team leading, 9-0, with under a minute left in the first half. “That’s all I can say.”

The remainder of the team wasn’t saying anything. Defensive end La’Roi Glover led the team in a dance celebration that would have made the Hammer blush.

“It means a lot,” Point Loma Coach Bennie Edens said. “Year in and year out, (Morse) is as good as they come. It always seems to come down to us or them. Last year, they were the best, other years, you could have flipped a coin. But this year, I think we are the best.”

From their opening kickoff, an onside kick the Pointers recovered, everything took a Point Loma bounce. Morse quarterback Cary Taylor, in what proved to be a frustrating night (one of nine for 14 yards and one interception) fumbled the Tigers’ first play from scrimmage and Pointer Tyrone White fell on it in the end zone for the safety less than five minutes into the game.

“That set the tone for us,” Cunningham said. “La’Roi and I knew right then, that we were going to win it.”

The Pointers went ahead, 9-0, four minutes later when quarterback Ben White (six of seven for 77 yards) ran a yard up the middle.

Flanker Shaunta Baker, who rushed 12 times for 74 yards, even took a snap at quarterback and scored on the play. Baker swept right and ran 15 yards to give the Pointers (9-1) a 16-0 lead with three minutes left in the third quarter.