Fading memories of a five-year-old state football championship are slowly but surely creeping back to life for the Granite Bay Grizzlies.

  The Antelope Titans were no match for the now 10-2 Grizzlies in Friday’s 38-0 landslide victory in the second round of the Sac Joaquin Section Div. 2 playoffs. Granite Bay is continuing its effort to return to the state championship stage – the Grizzlies won the Div. 1 championship with a thrilling come-from-behind 21-20 victory against Long Beach Poly in 2012.

  “It was a great game,” senior Bailey Diemer said of the victory against Antelope. “There was a lot of good energy.”

  An early first quarter fumble recovery by senior cornerback Jaylen Latson created strong momentum that lasted throughout the first half.    

  A 32-yard touchdown run by senior Blake Peterson in the second quarter led to a 17-0 Grizzly lead by halftime.

  “They had a lot of trash talk,” senior Ryan Fina said. “But our team came out hard and won 38-0.”

  Senior quarterback Jade Foddrill threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Matt Barron late in the fourth quarter.

   Peterson led the Grizzlies with six carries for 115 yards and two touchdowns. Foddrill completed seven of 12 passes for 127 yards, including the touchdown to Barron. Foddrill also scored on a 23-yard run. Evan Tattersall had 84 rushing yards and a touchdown for the Grizzlies.

Linebacker Jackson Huish led the Grizzlies defensively with 14 total tackles, including seven solo tackles.

  The game was so successful for the Grizzlies, a post-game video of coach Jeff Evans informing his players of a mandatory practice on Thanksgiving resulted in loud cheers.

  After Peterson’s second touchdown run in the third quarter, the Grizzly running back was pushed to the ground near the back of the end zone by an Antelope player well after the play had ended, and an altercation between the two teams immediately erupted.

  The fight took place right in front of students in the GBHS Tribe cheering section – Tribe members were sitting and standing in temporary bleachers on the edge of the end zone. Numerous videos shot by students flooded social media Friday night, and one clip showed a Grizzly player on the ground being punched and kicked by several Antelope players.

  Two Antelope players and one Granite Bay player were ejected from the game.

  Roseville Joint Union High School District superintendent Ron Severson responded to the fight with an apology, writing on Twitter: “The GB/Antelope game was marred by inappropriate language, several penalties on the field and a skirmish in the end zone. Both schools are meeting to determine appropriate consequences.”

  GBHS principal Jennifer Leighton, assistant principal Brian McNulty and athletic director Tim Healy released a statement about the fight on the GBHS website (www.granitebayhigh.org) on Monday.

  “Although triggered by an illegal hit by an Antelope player in the end zone after a touchdown, we recognize that some of what occurred in the third quarter was the result of unsportsmanlike conduct, taunting and confrontational behavior throughout the game,” the statement said in part. “The Antelope High administration and coaching staff have genuinely apologized for the inappropriate behavior of their athletes and will be providing appropriate consequences.  Although many of our athletes exhibited the sportsmanship we have come to expect from them, some did not.”

  Because of the proximity of the Tribe temporary bleachers to the end zone and resulting safety concerns after Friday’s fight, GBHS administrators have decided to move Tribe students to the stands when the Grizzlies play host to Del Campo at 7 p.m. this Friday.

  Foddrill cited the significance of “Grizzly Pride” as an influence to ignore any emotional outbursts such as the fight.

  “Coach was telling us all week to stay poised and show Grizzly Pride and just not to fall into their trap,” Foddrill said. “It’s a family out there, so when one of our guys gets attacked, we’ve got to get them back.”

  Foddrill said he and his teammates are now focused on the upcoming semi-final playoff matchup against the  Cougars.

  “We came out and did our job,” Foddrill said, “and it’s on to the next week.”

The winner of the Granite Bay-Del Campo game – the Cougars outlasted Sacramento High 49-48 in four overtimes Friday night – advances to the section championship game scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 2, at Sacramento State.