FANS WAIT IN LINE AT LAST SATURDAY’S TRANS VALLEY YOUTH FOOTBALL LEAGUE SUPERBOWL, HOSTED BY MARIPOSA YOUTH FOOTBALL. THE EVENT WAS AN INCREDIBLE SUCCESS, BRINGING THOUSANDS OF FOOTBALL FANS TO MARIPOSA FOR THE WEEKEND, FILLING HOTEL ROOMS AND BOOSTING BUSINESS. LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WERE ALSO ABLE TO CASH IN BY PROVIDING CONCESSION SERVICES AT THE EVENT. GAZETTE PHOTO BY JILL BALLINGER “If you build it, they will come,” says a line from the movie “Field of Dreams.” Mariposa proved the line true last weekend.

For months, Mariposa Youth Football volunteer Bob Kirchner, Sr. has been working on the planning for the TransValley Youth Football Superbowl games. Last Saturday, those games happened, and thousands of people came to town.

On Tuesday morning, Kirchner was still working to return equipment from the event. He was extremely happy with the success of the weekend-long party. “Thank you Mariposa,” Kirchner said. “Thank you to the businesses, organizations and inviduals that made this so successful.”

While Kirchner doesn’t have final numbers yet, he said he was told by some merchants that business increased by hundreds of percent last weekend. “I’ve heard tremendous things. It was a great event for the community. They want to do it again next year.”

It was no secret that town was packed. The streets were filled with people from Friday evening’s bonfire that drew over 800 people, to Sunday morning’s breakfast crowd. Visitors seemed to be very happy.

Tracy resident Bo Bidanian said things couldn’t have been better. “The hospitality displayed by your citizens was very warm and well received. It was a family atmosphere that was professionally and competently organized and executed,” he said.

“We came for just football, but the booths, play areas, DJ, and excellent food were a wonderful surprise that was appreciated by all,” Bidanian continued. He said his group was also impressed that there was no “gouging” going on in pricing.

“My family is planning a spring-time trip to Mariposa when we will have the time to explore and enjoy your community rather than come and go as we had to both times we were there this year,” the parent wrote. “Thank you again for a job well done. It was well worth the two-hour drive from Tracy.”

Local government officials felt the same way. “I was very proud to be a Mariposan this weekend,” Supervisor Kevin Cann said on Tuesday. “This is exactly what we need. What a great event,” Cann said of the Superbowl. “It was a great showing of Mariposa.”

Supervisor Jimmy Allen said, “What a turnout. It was jampacked.” Marianna Huff of the Mariposa County Chamber of Commerce added, “The whole community was alive. This place was buzzin’. It was great to see.”

Kirchner hopes to have final attendance figures and fund raising amounts by next week. On Saturday afternoon, there was already plenty of talk about doing it again.

Bidanian threw the question out there semi-officially. “Any thoughts about hosting Superbowl again?” he asked in his letter.

No word yet on whether that might happen, but organizers know visitors enjoyed themselves. One person told Kirchner he saw the welcome sign on Highway 140 and Mt. Bullion Cutoff on the drive up. “We felt like we were driving into our yard,” he said.