CROMWELL— The Cardinals showed why “perennial” and “powerhouse” go hand-in-hand when describing last year’s Section 5 champion, as they ran over the Grizzlies 37-8 in North Wood’s non-conference season opener. It was a somewhat disappointing beginning for a senior-dominated North Woods squad that is widely seen as a contender for the Section 7 Nineman championship this year.

But Cardinals senior runningback Nic Johnson proved unstoppable as he ran for four touchdowns, including three on long breakaways that totaled an astonishing 212 yards combined and put the game out of reach for North Woods. While the Grizzlies managed a fourth quarter touchdown, it was far too late to matter.

“They just outplayed us,” said North Woods Head Coach John Jirik. “Our line play was pretty good, but defensively we looked terrible.”

North Woods struggled on both sides of the ball, racking up just 195 yards, most of it thanks to seniors Garret Abramson, who rushed for 72 yards on 10 carries, and Brendan Parson, who tallied 41 yards on 14 carries. Senior quarterback Tate Olson completed three of 11 passing attempts, for 20 yards, while senior Isaiah Squires gained 31 yards on 11 carries.

On defense, Olson, Abramson, and Trevor Morrison led the way in tackles, with nine apiece. Squires tallied seven tackles, while Chase Kleppe and Austin Chaulklin each had five. Parson grabbed an interception in addition to four tackles.

The Grizzlies hope to turn it around when they host Mt. Iron-Buhl on Friday. “We’ve got tons to work on,” said Jirik. “We seemed a little confused out there. I don’t think we can fix everything in one week, but we just want to make progress so we’re ready to go when it counts.

Friday’s game time is 7 p.m.