Colfax ends Grizzlies’ flag football playoff run

Mariposa’s postseason run ended against a familiar nemesis as the Colfax Falcons defeated the Mariposa County High School girls’ flag football team 13-7 in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V playoffs at Colfax Tuesday afternoon.

The loss halted a seven-game winning streak, , and brought an abrupt finish to a season in which the Grizzlies repeatedly overwhelmed league opponents.

Mariposa had opened the postseason with a 31-0 victory over Bradshaw Christian. Against Colfax, however, the Grizzlies managed seven points and could not extend their playoff stay.

The playoff disappointment followed a strong league campaign. MaxPreps’ season schedule lists Mariposa at 12-2 in league play, good for second place. The schedule shows league losses to River Islands by scores of 12-6 and 7-6, close contests amid a series of decisive Grizzly victories.

Mariposa’s late-season surge included a 68-0 win over Vanguard College Prep, a 39-0 victory over Gustine and a 37-0 shutout of Riverbank. The Grizzlies also received a 1-0 forfeit victory over Vanguard, then beat Linden 59-7 and Waterford 54-0 before dispatching Bradshaw Christian in the playoffs.

The Grizzlies had shown that scoring potential earlier in the season, beating Waterford 40-0, Linden 51-14 and Gustine 69-0. They also won a much tighter league game, edging Millennium 7-6 before beating the same opponent 34-0 in their next meeting, according to MaxPreps.

Senior Bailey Costa is listed as the team’s rushing leader at 40.4 yards per game. On defense, sophomore Dakota Costa is credited with 33 sacks and an average of 5.4 flag pulls per game. Those are the figures currently reported on MaxPreps, not confirmed final-season totals.