MCHS flag football squad hosts Bradshaw Christian tomorrow to open playoffs

Mariposa County High School will host Bradshaw Christian at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 28, in the first round of the Sac-Joaquin Section Division V girls’ flag football playoffs.

The matchup sends the 12-5 Grizzlies against the 14-8 Pride. Mariposa finished second in the Southern Athletic League at 12-2, while Bradshaw Christian placed fifth in the Sierra Valley Conference at 7-7. Mariposa enters with the stronger overall winning percentage (.706 to .636) and the more productive scoring profile, having outscored opponents 543-122. Bradshaw Christian has scored 394 points and allowed 307.

The teams did not share a common opponent this season, according to the available matchup data, so their league records and season-long statistics provide the clearest comparison. Mariposa averages 274.6 total yards per game, including 185.6 passing, while Bradshaw Christian averages 200.4 total yards and 109.5 passing. Their rushing production is nearly even—90.9 yards per game for the Pride and 89.0 for the Grizzlies—but Mariposa holds a sizeable scoring edge at 27.0 points per game to Bradshaw Christian’s 16.7.

Both defenses have produced turnovers. Bradshaw Christian averages 2.6 interceptions per game, compared with 2.3 for Mariposa, while the Grizzlies have the stronger pass rush at 2.3 sacks per game to the Pride’s 0.9. The matchup also features two of the section’s top ballhawks: Bradshaw sophomore Clara Wainscott has 20 interceptions, while Mariposa sophomore Alicia Garcia leads the Grizzlies with nine.

Mariposa carries a six-game winning streak into the postseason after closing league play with a 59-7 victory at Linden and a 54-0 shutout of Waterford. The Grizzlies recorded eight shutouts during the regular season and won eight games by at least 31 points. Bradshaw Christian is also surging, having closed with three straight decisive wins: 57-0 over Argonaut, 31-6 over El Dorado and 36-0 over Rosemont.

Mariposa’s offense is led by senior Bailey Costa, who averages 40.4 rushing yards and 201.6 passing yards per game, and Garcia, who averages 74.3 receiving yards and has scored 18 touchdowns. Sophomore Dakota Costa anchors the defense with 33 tackles for loss and 33 sacks. For Bradshaw Christian, senior receiver Ava Clarida averages 58.6 receiving yards and has 17 touchdowns, sophomore quarterback Harlow Ahlstrom averages 40.9 rushing yards, and Wainscott averages 6.4 flag pulls per game.

On paper, Mariposa’s passing game, scoring margin and home-field advantage make the Grizzlies the favorite. Bradshaw Christian’s turnover production and late-season momentum, however, give the Pride a potential path to an upset if it can limit explosive plays and create short fields.