SENIOR QUARTERBACK JARED GUENTHART (NO. 22) TOOK MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS WHEN HE COULDN’T FIND A RECEIVER. GUENTHART WAS UNDER PRESSURE ALL NIGHT IN THE 33-12 LOSS. GAZETTE PHOTO BY JILL BALLINGER Lining up against the defending Mother Lode League champion, Summerville, and one of the most proficient passing quarterbacks in the Sac-Joaquin Section wouldn’t have been Mariposa’s first choice to start the 2010 gridiron campaign.

However, that’s what the schedule that was set long ago read, and that’s who the Grizzlies had to face in their home opener inside Pioneer Market Grizzly Stadium last Thursday evening.

Zach Roberson, Summerville’s highly-touted field marshall, lived up to his preseason billing and led the Bears to a lopsided non-league victory, 32-12.

Mariposa took the opening kick-off and couldn’t gain a first down on the ground. The Bears took over at their own 27-yard stripe and in less than three minutes put six points on the board when all-league running back Taylor Gold punched it in from the 1-yard line with 6:03 left in the first quarter. The PAT kick was good for a 7-0 Summerville lead, and the aerial show had just begun.

JUNIOR WYATT ELLIS (NO. 11) MAKES THE CATCH AS THE GRIZZLIES STRUGGLED TO GAIN YARDAGE AGAINST A TOUGH SUMMERVILLE DEFENSE. The first period ended with the Bears in front, 7-0, but it didn’t take Summerville long to light up the scoreboard again. Less than two minutes into the second period the Bears’ scored again on a oneyard strike but the touchdown was waved off by a procedure penalty. Just 35 seconds later, Gold crashed through the Mariposa defense for his second touchdown with 8:40 left in the second quarter. The PAT kick stretched the Bears’ lead to 14-0.

Roberson polished off the first half with a 34-yard touchdown strike with 2:42 remaining in the period. The PAT failed, but the Bears held a commanding lead at 20-0 at the intermission.

The Grizzlies’ defense did rise to the occasion late in the second quarter when Summerville threatened again.

Senior defensive tackle Keenan Johnson sacked Roberson for a lose on a fourth down play. A roughing foul was called, and that gave Summerville another shot at the Mariposa 13-yard stripe, but Derek Nady and J.R. Chenot stopped Gold in his tracks.

With 1:23 left in the third quarter, the Bears padded the score to take a 26-0 lead into the final stanza. Gold opened the period with a 57-yard touchdown scamper to push Summerville’s lead to 32-0 be- fore Mariposa could get on the board.

The Grizzlies opened up their offense and spread the field in the fourth quarter.

Senior quarterback Jared Guenthart connected on a fourth-down crossing route to junior wide receiver Wyatt Ellis that went for a touchdown but was called back on a procedure penalty. On the next snap, Guenthart threw into double coverage down the right side, but Ellis jumped above both defenders and pulled down the ball for a critical first down at Summerville’s 33-yard stripe.

The running back brothers, Brandon and Justin Kinalele, started breaking free for decent ground gains against the Summerville defense. They had carried Mariposa’s load on the ground with limited success until the fourth quarter.

Justin broke loose to the Summerville 14 on first down, and hammered to the Bears’ 5 on third down. With 5:05 left in the game, Brandon swept around the right end and into the endzone for Mariposa’s first score. The PAT failed and the Grizzlies trailed, 32-6.

After a short drive, with 1:10 left to play, Justin scored from 5 yards out. The PAT pass failed, and the contest ended, 32-12.

“Roberson is probably the best quarterback we’ll see this season,” head coach Bob Kelly said. “Summerville is a very solid team, and we had our hands full, but all in all, there were some bright moments for us on offense and defense. Our mistakes made them unbeatable, but we’ll get better, this team has some heart.”

The Grizzlies will travel to Newman Friday night to take on Orestimba’s Warriors in a non-league contest beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Orestimba is 1-1 on the season after losing its opener against Livingston, 60-20, and rebounding last week to topple Hogan, 37-27.