It’s been a football vacuum since the NFL Pro Bowl, but that’s about to end.

This Saturday, the Mariposa Bears youth football squads will launch their 2010 season in the new Pioneer Market Grizzly Stadium.

Although construction is still underway, the Bears will play on the new field against the Westside Niners as they begin competition in the Southern Conference of the Trans-Valley Youth Football League.

The junior novice teams will square off at 1 p.m., followed by the novice at 3 p.m. The Bears’ junior varsity team takes the field at 5 p.m., and the varsity contest kicks off at 7 p.m.

Admission is $5 for adults, and $3 for children or seniors age 55 or older. Concessions will be available during the games.

Saturday afternoon, the Mariposa County High School Grizzlies will test their mettle against Golden Valley, a Division I high school in Merced.

“I wanted a tough match up for a first scrimmage. We need to find out what we’ve got and where we are,” said head coach Bob Kelly. “A friend of mine just started coaching there, and he is defensive minded, so if we can move the ball it will give us some confidence. If we struggle, at least we’ll have a solid grasp of what we need to work on before we open the season against Summerville.”

Mariposa’s junior varsity team will scrimmage at 3 p.m. and the varsity exercise begins at 5 p.m. Both scrimmages will be held on the upper field at MCHS, and there is no admission charge.