Point Loma, 6-1 for the first time since 2014, visits University City Saturday evening in a City League game with championship implications.
The Centurions are 2-0 in league play and the Pointers 1-0. Mission Bay, Morse, and Canyon Hills all have at least one defeat.
U. City is feeling good about itself, 5-2, and back in friendlier environs after two seasons in the Eastern League (1-5 in league, 2-12 overall). The Centurions are coming off a 71-6 win over Canyon Hills preceded by 49-46 over The Bishop’s and 42-31 over Mission Bay.
Point Loma, led by third-year coach Joel Allen, has recovered from a 64-0 loss to Lincoln in its only game of 2020, Allen’s first after a brief hiatus following 11 seasons (100-35-1) at The Bishop’s.
The Pointers canceled the rest of their schedule after that game in ’20 and Allen could have been thinking, why did I do this?
The former Christian star, who quarterbacked his team to a San Diego Section Division IV title in 2002, had announced that he was going to go into business with his brother at conclusion of a 12-1 campaign and 75-59 loss to El Camino in the D-II title game in 2019.
Veteran coach Mike Hastings suddenly announced his retirement after 22 seasons at Point Loma and almost just as quickly Allen came out of retirement to become only the Pointers’ fourth head coach in 74 years, succeeding Don Giddings (1946-54), Bennie Edens (1955-97), and Hastings (1998-19).
Paul Lawrence is 13-7 in two seasons with the Centurions and Allen is 10-8-1 at Point Loma, which leads the series with eight wins in nine games dating to 1982.
The San Diego Union-Tribune weekly Top 10:
Points on 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 basis.
*First-place votes.
Last entries in columns indicate previous rank. **Ranking unchanged.
Cal-Hi Sports’ and Max Preps’ represent state rankings.
| RANK | TEAM/RECORD | POINTS | MAX PREPS.COM | CAL-PREPS.COM | CAL-HI SPORTS |
| 1 | Madison (7-0) | 21*/287/1 | 20/26 | 48.2/45.3 | 20/23 |
| 2 | Lincoln (7-1) | 6*/268/2 | 24/20 | 46.9/49.3 | 19/19 |
| 3 | Carlsbad (6-1) | 3*/252/3 | 25/23 | 46.8/46.8 | 21/20 |
| 4 | Poway (7-0) | 196/6 | 43/43 | 39.2/38.3 | **On the bubble |
| 5 | Helix (5-2) | 173/4 | 44/35 | 39/41.8 |
On the bubble/29 |
| 6 | Cathedral (3-5) | 150/5 | 40/30 | 39.2/38.3 | 37/28 |
| 7 | Granite Hills (5-2) | 113/7 | 65/77 | 32.1/29.2 | NR/NR |
| 8 | Mater Dei (3-4) | 77-8 | 76/66 | 31.9/28.7 | **On the bubble |
| 9 | El Camino (5-2) | 65-53 | 70/85 | 31.4/28.3 | NR/NR |
| 10 | Mira Mesa (5-2) | 24/10 | 109/96 | 24.4/26.1 | NR/NR |
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES
La Costa Canyon (4-3, 15 points), Point Loma (6-1, 10), Mission Hills (4-3, 7).
VOTING PANEL
- John Maffei, San Diego Union-Tribune.
- Steve Brand, Thomas Gutierrez, Rick Hoff, Terry Monahan, Don Norcross, Eric Williams, Freelance contributors.
- Brandon Stone, Allison Edmonds, John Carroll, KUSI-Channel 51 TV.
- Rick Smith, partletonsports.com.
- Ramon Scott, Adam Paul, eastcountysports.com.
- John Kentera, Braden Suprenant (97.3 FM The Fan).
- Bodie DeSilva, scoreboardlive.com.
- Steve (Biff) Dolan, Mountain Country 107.9 FM.
- Christian Pedersen, San Diego Sports Association.
- Troy Hirsch, Nic Pollino (Fox 5 San Diego).
- Todd Cassen, Joe Heinz, Ron Marquez, CIF San Diego Section.
- Mike Dolan, Rex Johnson, CIF Advisory Committee.
- Joe Evangelist, San Diego Coaching Legends.
- Will Torrez, Valley Sports Network.
- Raymond Brown, sdfootball.net.
- Tom Helmantoler, Southern Conference Advisor.
- MaxPreps.com.   Â
TRUE GRID
Reader Nick Pellegrino provided the obscure stat that Julian’s 36-34 win over Warner Springs Warner last week marked the Eagles’ first venture into overtime…Julian has played 487 games since 1967…the contest also was Warner’s first in extra minutes after 233 jousts since 1996…The Manzanita League designation, dumped in 2021 for the return to the Desert League, resurfaced this season and replaced the Citrus League appellation…Petrich is a name in San Diego football that goes back to the 1960s, when Bob Petrich was a linebacker for the San Diego Chargers from 1963-66 before embarking on a successful real estate career in El Cajon…Petrich’s grandson, Robert, is a placekicker for Granite Hills, following his father and Bob’s son, Aaron, who kicked for the Eagles a generation ago….
