FIELD TWP- The North Woods football team ran into a buzz saw against Cook County in their final regular season home game Oct. 18, as the Vikings handed the Grizzlies a lopsided 50-0 defeat.
It took all of 11 seconds for the Vikings to grab the lead on an opening kickoff return for a touchdown by Ray Dressely, and the two-point conversion put Cook County up 8-0.
It went from bad to worse when the Vikings picked off a Trajen Barto pass on the Grizzlies’ first play from scrimmage, but the North Woods defense turned the tables with a Nick Abramson fumble recovery at the North Woods 47.
Unable to move the ball, the Grizzlies punted to the Cook County 29. Three passes later the Vikings were in the end zone again, with Dressely getting his second score on an 18-yard post pattern for a 14-0 lead.
North Woods had a shot to get on the scoreboard early in the second quarter on their first sustained drive of the game, starting at their own 46 and marching to the Vikings 14 in 13 plays with Abramson and Kaden Gornick doing the lion’s share of the damage on the ground. But on third-and-eight the Grizzlies went to the air, and Dressely came up with an interception to kill the scoring threat.
After stopping the Grizzlies on fourth-and-12, the Vikings had a golden opportunity with 4:44 left in the quarter and the ball at the North Woods 27. Six plays later Dressely was in the end zone again on an eight-yard TD, and the two-point conversions gave Cook County a 22-0 lead.
Dressely disaster struck again after the Vikings’ Rohan Rude picked off another Barto pass and returned it to the North Woods 20. After a one-yard run, Dressely took a swing pass from quarterback Hunter Rex and scampered 19 yards for the score. After the successful conversion, the Vikings took a 30-0 lead into halftime.
The Grizzlies looked determined to get on the board after receiving the second half kickoff. Gornick bulled his way for 13 yards and a first down, carrying a hoard of Vikings tacklers with him to the Cook County 45. Barto connected with Talen Jarshaw on a big fourth-and-five pass that took the ball to the Vikings 12. But in a backbreaking reversal of fortunes, Dressely picked off Barto’s next pass at the goal line and ran it back 100 yards for a touchdown and a 38-0 lead after the conversion.
North Woods never threatened again, and the Vikings tacked on two more touchdowns for the 50-0 beatdown.
North Woods was scheduled to play Cherry in the first round of the Section 7 playoffs on Tuesday. The game report can be found elsewhere in this week’s edition of the Timberjay.