Grizzlies turn back Stone Ridge, stay alive in Southern League race

Denair needs to stumble to give MCHS a shot at a tie for the title

Mariposa County kept its Southern League championship hopes alive Friday night, defeating Stone Ridge Christian 19-7 in a matchup of league contenders. The victory lifted the Grizzlies to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in league play, while Stone Ridge fell to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Southern League.

The Grizzlies finished with 368 yards of offense, gaining 216 on the ground, primarily paced by standout running back Rusty Bull, and 152 yards through the air by junior quarterback Austin Battles.

The defense held Stone Ridge to one touchdown, continuing a season-long run in which Mariposa has surrendered only 74 points through eight games.

Available season figures show senior running back Bull leading Mariposa at 152.8 rushing yards per game with 17 total touchdowns. Sophomore John Ogilby leads the receiving group at 53.4 yards per game. Battles entered the matchup with 656 passing yards and eight touchdowns, along with 252 rushing yards and three scores.

Denair leads the Southern League at 5-0, one game ahead of Mariposa County at 4-1. Stone Ridge Christian and Le Grand are next at 3-2, followed by Waterford at 2-2. Gustine and Delhi are both 0-4 in league play. Overall, Denair is 7-1, Mariposa 6-2, Stone Ridge 5-3, Le Grand 4-4, Waterford 3-4, Gustine 1-7 and Delhi 0-7.

Denair remains unbeaten in league play after beating Modesto Christian 55-22. Its only overall loss was a 28-20 nonleague defeat against Amador. The Coyotes close against Delhi at home Oct. 30 and at Waterford Nov. 6. Neither opponent has a winning overall record: Delhi is 0-7 and Waterford is 3-4, giving Denair a favorable route to the outright championship.

Mariposa must beat Waterford and Le Grand to finish 6-1 in league play, then needs Denair to lose at least once. One Denair loss could produce a tie at 6-1, although the Coyotes’ 26-20 head-to-head win over the Grizzlies could be decisive under the league’s tiebreaking procedure. If Denair wins both remaining games, it will finish 7-0 and claim the title outright.

For Mariposa, last Friday’s win was therefore essential: it eliminated Stone Ridge from a likely one-loss finish and kept the Grizzlies alone in the strongest position to capitalize if Denair stumbles.

Mariposa returns home Friday, Oct. 30, to face Waterford in another Southern League game. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. at Mariposa County High School.