Grizzlies will enter gridiron campaign with experienced veterans and packin’ a little ‘Thunder and Lightning’

By Dan Tucker

The Mariposa Grizzlies will open their 2026 football season Sept. 3 at Sierra High School with the look of a veteran team and the expectations that come with it.

Mariposa finished 9-2 last season and returns much of the lineup from a squad that shut out the Chieftains 40-0 last year, a victory that lifted the Grizzlies to 3-0 at the time and offered an early indication of the balance they would carry through the season.

Junior quarterback Justin Battles returns to direct the offense, giving the Grizzlies lightning quick speed and experience at one of the most important positions. All-Southern League running back Rusty Bull also returns after adding weight and strength in the offseason. He’ll bring the thunder, joining a veteran offensive line that figures to be among the team’s strengths.

“We’ve got 30 guys on the roster this year, and 17 of them are seniors,” said fourth-year head coach Chase Pometta, who has molded a winning program from a mediocre beginning. “That’s a good number, and a lot of these guys are returning in key positions.”

“We have the full right side of our offensive line back, and Austin (Battles) started every game as a sophomore, so he’s got a season of snaps under his belt. Rusty (Bull) returns at running back and he’s 30 pounds heavier, that will make a big difference, plus he’s stepping up as a team leader,” Pometta said.

The Grizzlies also return three more All-SAL starters: senior defensive backs Lyell Marcis and Beau Pokora, along with senior offensive lineman Kayden Ogden, a 265-pound presence up front.

Among the players expected to add to that depth are Devin Coca and sophomore John Ogilby, two names Pometta said could play important roles as the season develops. “They’ve all improved, and we’re looking for a strong season from Devin Coca at linebacker and sophomore John Ogilby, who’s a solid athlete and will see time at the slot, quarterback, and running back,” Pometta detailed.

The Southern League race figures to offer its share of challenges, with several programs returning experienced personnel. “Denair is going to be tough, they have a lot of skill guys returning, and Stone Ridge is returning their quarterback. Le Grand is bringing back a young team, but with a lot of experience,” Pometta noted, outlining the upcoming Southern League season.

Offensively, the Grizzlies expect to remain grounded in a physical running game, though Pometta said a more experienced group could allow Mariposa to throw more often than it did a season ago. In last season’s spread offense, Mariposa logged about a 70-30 run-pass offensive play collective. “This year I think we’ll be more like 60-40. We’re actually a power running team, and as a team we averaged 8.3 yards per carry. We only threw it 100 times, but with another year of experience I think it will open up more this season,” Pometta outlined.

Pometta also credited a veteran coaching staff for helping shape the program’s progress, including defensive coordinator Rodney Bull, defensive line coaches Jeremy Briese and Steve Ward, defensive backs coach Evan Hill and Taxtyn Weiland, who works with the receivers and slots. Former Grizzly and NFL player Cody Wichmann directs the offensive line. “That’s such great thing for these kids on the offensive line to experience, ”Pometta said.

Mike Canter is the head junior varsity coach, flanked by Joe Leonard as his assistant, providing a continuous supply of young talent for the varsity roster.

Last season the Grizzlies went on to finish 9-2 overall and 5-1 in Southern League play, placing third in the league standings behind Denair and Stone Ridge Christian in MaxPreps’ listing. Other standings listed Mariposa County in a three-way cluster at 5-1, reflecting just how narrow the race at the top of the Southern League became.

For Mariposa, the opener offers an early chance to prove that last year’s success was more than a one-season surge. The Grizzlies’ 2025 run included a strong league record, a playoff appearance and a series of close, physical games that supplied both confidence and lessons heading into the fall.

Sierra, meanwhile, will get another look at a Grizzlies team that controlled last year’s meeting from the outset. If Mariposa County can again establish its running game and turn defense into field position, the season opener could give the Grizzlies the kind of fast start that carried them deep into the 2025 schedule.

Beyond the opener, the schedule gives Mariposa County a full run of familiar tests. The Grizzlies are scheduled to travel to Bret Harte on Sept. 11 and Amador on Sept. 18 before beginning Southern League play with Gustine at home on Sept. 25. They then visit Modesto Christian on Oct. 2, host Delhi on Oct. 9, travel to Denair on Oct. 16, host Stone Ridge Christian on Oct. 23, host Waterford on Oct. 30 and close the regular season at Le Grand on Nov. 6.

Mariposa County High School 2026 Football Schedule

After the Sierra opener, the Grizzlies will stay on the road for nonleague tests at Bret Harte on Sept. 11 and Amador on Sept. 18, two opponents that were not listed on last year’s Mariposa schedule. Southern League play begins Sept. 25 at home against Gustine, a team the Grizzlies edged 22-16 last season, before Mariposa County travels to Modesto Christian on Oct. 2 after routing the Crusaders 52-18 a year ago.

The October stretch grows heavier from there. Delhi comes to Mariposa on Oct. 9 after falling 42-13 to the Grizzlies last season, and Denair follows on Oct. 16 in what could become one of the league’s key dates. Mariposa County beat Denair 24-23 in overtime during the regular season, only to see Denair answer with a 33-28 playoff victory in the rematch.

Stone Ridge Christian visits on Oct. 23 after handing Mariposa County its lone Southern League loss last season, 14-11. The Grizzlies then host Waterford on Oct. 30, looking to build on last year’s 19-14 win, before closing the regular season Nov. 6 at Le Grand, which Mariposa County defeated 56-34 in 2025.

The back half of the schedule should quickly reveal where the Grizzlies stand in the Southern League race. The October stretch includes Denair, Stone Ridge Christian and Waterford in consecutive weeks — three opponents that helped define last year’s standings — before the regular-season finale against Le Grand.