JUNIOR BRANDON KINALELE (NO. 23) GETS SOME RUNNING ROOM BEHIND A BLOCK FROM AJ HALL (NO. 2). KINALELE ALSO CONTRIBUTED DEFENSIVELY, BLOCKING A PUNT. GAZETTE PHOTO BY JILL BALLINGER The Le Grand High School Bulldogs had a lot to celebrate last Friday night. Not only did they mark the school’s 100th anniversary with a huge community bash, but they got to revel in a 24-14 homecoming win over their arch-rival, Mariposa.

The Southern Athletic League win plants the Bulldogs at the front of the pack in league play with a 2-0 mark. The Grizzlies, the SAL defending champs, fell to 1-1, and they host Waterford’s Wildcats in their own homecoming contest this Friday night in the Gold Bowl at the fairgrounds.

Mariposa took the opening kick-off and stalled, going 3- and-out. The Bulldogs took the ensuring punt and moved the ball from their own 24- yard line to the Mariposa 45 before Grizzly defensive end Cody Wichmann hauled down Le Grand’s heralded running back, Tony Ortegon, to force a punt.

JUNIOR QUARTERBACK JARRETT LEONARD HEADS FOR THE SIDELINE AS HE SCRAMBLES FOR A FIRST DOWN. LEONARD AND THE GRIZZLIES MOUNTED A FURIOUS COMEBACK LATE IN THE GAME, AFTER TRAILING BY 14 AT THE HALF. GAZETTE PHOTO BY JILL BALLINGER The Grizzlies set up shop deep in their own territory at the 7-yard stripe. Junior running back Brandon Kinalele, who ran with purpose all night, swept right for a first down at the Mariposa 18. One snap later, senior A.J. Hall took a pitch on the right side and fumbled to set up the Bulldogs’ first scoring strike.

Le Grand recovered the ball at the Mariposa 23, and four plays later, quarterback Abraham Yanez connected with Zach Moreno from 4 yards out. Fullback Bob Perez booted the PAT and with 5:19 left in the first quarter, the Bulldogs held a 7-0 lead.

The Grizzlies took the next kick-off and moved the ballwell, until it rained yellow flags. Mariposa’s junior quarterback Jarrett Leonard hooked up with senior wideout Frankie Peña in the left flat for a first down at the Le Grand 20-yard line. An illegal procedure infraction and a holding call backed Mariposa up, and it turned the ball over on downs at the Le Grand 36.

On the Bulldogs’ next drive, Ortegon would score his only touchdown of the game on a 2- yard plunge, and Perez’ PAT kick lifted Le Grand to a 14-0 advantage.

With the clock winding down in the second quarter, Kinalele set up a Mariposa scoring opportunity when he blocked a Bulldog punt deep in Le Grand’s end of the field. Le Grand’s defense rose to the occasion and after an incomplete pass on third down, Mariposa running back Cody Christopher was stopped on a screen to the right at the Bulldogs’ 9-yard stripe on fourth down. Le Grand carried a 14-0 bulge into the intermission.

Mariposa got its first break early in the third quarter when Hall jumped on an Ortegon fumble at the Le Grand 41.

With Brandon Kinalele carrying the load, Mariposa marched to the Le Grand 5-yard line when pass interference was called on the Bulldog defense when they smothered Wichmann on a short aerial.

Christopher hammered out 3 tough yards before Justin Kinalele slashed over right tackle into the end zone to put the Grizzlies on the board. Hall’s PAT kick connected and Mariposa had made it a one possession margin.

Le Grand answered when a lineman took Hall’s twirling kickoff and returned it to the Grizzlies’ 48. Four plays later the Mariposa defense held, and the Bulldogs settled for a 27-yard field goal by Perez to push its lead to 17-7.

The Grizzlies’ next scoring march was stopped short when Brandon Kinalele fumbled at the Bulldogs’ 7-yard line.

Two plays later, Ortegon returned the favor with his second fumble which was scooped by by Mariposa defensive end Brandon McCutcheon at the Le Grand 13.

Justin Kinalele picked up a first and goal at the Bulldogs’ 3-yard stripe and Leonard punched it over the goal line on a sneak with 6:49 left in the game. The Grizzlies closed the gap to 17-14 with hopes of getting the ball back.

But Le Grand added another score to put the game out of reach. On fourth down from the Mariposa 10, Yanez conncted with Alex Martinez in the right flat of the end zone for another 6 points. Perez kicked the PAT and the contest ended 24-14 after Leonard was intercepted as the clock wound down.

“They’re solid, just like we are,” said Mariposa head coach Bob Kelly. “These two teams are mirror images of each other.”

Kelly had praise for Leonard and Brandon Kinalele, saying, “He always gives us everything he’s got. Bruce Contreras had a good game too.” Leonard was 7-for-16 through the air.

“We have a shot to take second place in league and get into the playoffs, but we’re going to have to earn it,” Kelly said. “What impressed me against Le Grand was that our kids kept fighting. They didn’t give up, and that’s what its going to take.”

Both Mariposa and Waterford will enter Friday night’s homecoming contest with identical 2-5 overall records.

The varsity contest begins at 7:30 p.m., preceded by the junior varsity game at 5:30p.m.