JUNIOR VARSITY GRIZZLY JAMES PALMER (NO. 21) HAD A STELLAR GAME AGAINST SUMMERVILLE LAST THURSDAY NIGHT. HE EFFECTIVELY STOPPED TWO OF THE BEARS’ LONG DRIVES. GAZETTE PHOTO BY JILL BALLINGER Losing a game in the final seconds is always hard to swallow, and Mariposa’s junior varsity football team suffered just that in last Thursday’s inaugural home game inside Pioneer Market Grizzly Stadium.

The Grizzlies fell to Summerville’s Bears, 13-7, when the visitors scored on a 12-yard aerial into the right flat with just 27 seconds left in the contest.

Sophomore Giacob Delgrego blocked the PAT, but Mariposa ran out of time to put another score on the board.

The Grizzlies drew first blood in the opening quarter when standout running back Liam Fieldsted returned the opening kick-off out of Mariposa’s patented “bloody bucket” to the Summerville 30- yard stripe.

Fieldsted took the first snap to the Bears’ 24, and Delgrego followed on second down with a slam to the 20-yard line for a first down. Three plays later, Fieldsted slashed into the endzone from three and a half yards out to give the Grizzlies a 6-0 advantage. Sophomore Phil Rauch split the uprights with his PAT kick and with 6:44 left in the first quarter the Grizzlies led, 7-0.

Summerville almost knotted the score as the second quarter closed out, but the defensive efforts of sophomore linebacker James Palmer halted two deep drives.

With 2:50 left on the clock in the first half, Palmer picked off a Summerville pass at the Mariposa 4- yard stripe to squash the Bears’ drive.

On Mariposa’s first snap a halfback pass was tipped in the air, and a Summerville defender snatched the ball at the Mariposa 32.

On fourth down, with 38 seconds on the scoreboard, Palmar pilfered another Summerville pass attempt in the endzone to stop the Bears short.

Summerville came back in the third quarter and knotted the game a 7-7 on a 25-yard aerial strike and a good PAT kick with 5:10 left in the quarter.

“I thought we did what we expected to do on offense,” said head coach Dennis Blessing. “Defensively, we stopped the run well, but ran into a very good JV quarterback, and they kept sneaking the tight end out over the middle and that burned us a few times.”

“Our guys had their heads down after the game, but I told them to be proud of their performance. If they continue to play that hard, we’ll get our share,” Blessing said.

Blessing had high praise for Palmer’s defensive play. “He was all over the place, and Fieldsted had an outstanding game. Liam is our captain, and he shows his leadership on and off the field. Delgrego ran inside as hard as anyone and had a solid game too.”

The Grizzlies will travel to Orestimba to face the Warriors in a non-league contest Friday evening beginning at 5:30 p.m.