Mariposa football alumni night set for Sept. 25 against Gustine

Undefeated 1966 Grizzlies to be honored during second annual event

Mariposa County High School will hold its second annual football alumni night Friday, Sept. 25, when the Grizzlies host Gustine at the Mariposa Gold Bowl.

This year’s event will honor the 1966 Grizzlies, who went 9-0 and remain the only undefeated varsity football team in MCHS history. Organizer and longtime coach and athletic director Trace DeSandres said the goal is to draw 100 alumni to the gathering.

“We hope to have one hundred alumni at the event,” DeSandres said.

The alumni night began last year on Oct. 10, when more than 60 former Mariposa players, representing teams from 1965 through 2024, returned to campus to share a meal with the 2025 football team.

Head Coach Chase Pometta welcomed the alumni and delivered a motivational address. Doug O’Bannon, a 1965 graduate and member of Mariposa’s first Southern League championship team, and Greg Seely, a retired Air Force general and one of Mariposa’s all-time three-sport standouts, also spoke to the players and alumni.

After the current players left to prepare for the game, the former players introduced themselves and identified the teams on which they played. The alumni later sat in a special field-level section at the Gold Bowl and watched Mariposa defeat longtime rival Denair in overtime.

At halftime of last year’s game, Mariposa honored four milestone teams: the 1965 team, the school’s first Southern League champion; the 1975 team, which won a playoff game and reached the section final; the 1995 team, the school’s first section champion; and the 2005 team, the first and only Mariposa team to win 10 games in a season.

The Sept. 25 schedule begins at 3:30 p.m., when varsity football players and alumni meet at MCHS for a team meal.

At 4:30 p.m., the team will be excused to get ready for the game, while alumni introductions begin. Former Coach Bruce Vegely will make a presentation to the 1966 alumni players.

Alumni are scheduled to arrive at the Gold Bowl between 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. for the game against Gustine. The junior varsity game is scheduled for 5:15 p.m., followed by the varsity contest at 7:15 p.m.

The football alumni night will also open alumni weekend activities. On Saturday, Sept. 26, the MCHS campus will be open from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for alumni to tour the halls and revisit the school.

At 11 a.m., the Laura Lynn Hayes Wing will be dedicated. Former students and the public are invited to attend the dedication honoring Hayes, an educator who has taught MCHS students since 1976.

Later Saturday, the class of 1976 will celebrate its 50-year reunion with the class of 1977. The event begins at 5 p.m. in Building A at the Mariposa County Fairgrouinds, also known as the Sequoia Building.

Across the way, the class of 1980 will hold its 46-year reunion at the Amigo de Oro stage and dance area, joined by members of the classes of 1978, 1979, 1981 and 1982.

For more information about football alumni night, contact DeSandres at (209) 628-4359.