FIELD TWP- The North Woods Grizzlies football team held its own against Kelliher-Northome on Friday until a failed fourth-down attempt deep in their own territory opened the door for the Mustangs to escape with a 12-6 win.
Both teams showed the ability to move the ball but had little success in turning drives into points. Following a Mustang punt that pinned them at their own two-yard line, the Grizzlies mounted a 13-play drive with a fourth-down conversion that eventually fizzled out on their own 40.
After a punt, K-N responded with the first scoring drive of the game, a 78-yard march in the second quarter that culminated in a three-yard touchdown run to put the Mustangs up 6-0 with 7:23 left in the half.
North Woods senior Talen Jarshaw ran the ensuing kickoff back to the Mustangs 48, coughed up the ball three plays later for a turnover, then came right back with an interception to set the Grizzlies up at their own 41. The drive stalled at the K-N 40 when a fourth down swing pass from quarterback Louie Panichi to running back Nick Abramson was snuffed out in the backfield.
With 1:49 left on the clock, K-N methodically moved from their own 45 to the North Woods 15 and threatened to score again, but Grizzlies defensive end James Yernatich sniffed out a fourth-down screen play and tackled the K-N receiver at the 11 to kill the drive.
North Woods struck back in the second half after the defense held K-N at their own 18, with the big play coming from Mason Rutchatsky, who tackled a runner for a three-yard loss. On the punt exchange, the Grizzlies took over at the 50-yard line.
Abramson had a strong seven-yard carry for a first down at the Mustang 38, and after a fumbled handoff put the Grizzlies back on the 42, Panichi went to the air, connecting with Jarshaw in the left flat. Jarshaw weaved his way back across the field as he ran to the 20. Runs by Abramson and Jarshaw took the ball to the 13, and Panichi bulled his way up the middle on a quarterback sneak that ended up in the end zone for the score. An attempted pass for the conversion fell incomplete, leaving the score knotted at 6-6 with 8:05 remaining.
After forcing another K-N punt, the Grizzlies got the ball back at their own 26 with 3:47 left and momentum in their favor. Two runs and an incomplete pass left them staring at a fourth down and three, and Head Coach Joel Anderson decided to go for it. The decision backfired when Mustang defenders shut down the North Woods running play for a one-yard loss, giving K-N the ball at the 31 with 2:55 left.
Eight plays later, the Mustangs scored the go-ahead touchdown on a four-yard sweep with only 15 seconds remaining, taking a 12-6 lead after a failed conversion attempt.
The Grizzlies had one last shot when Jarshaw returned the ensuing kickoff to the Mustang 34, but a Panichi pass with two seconds left fell incomplete, sealing the win for the Mustangs.
The Grizzlies had 152 yards of total offense, 127 on the ground and 25 in the air. Abramson led the rushing attack with 72 yards on 23 carries, while Jarshaw picked up 37 yards on 12 carries. Panichi was two-of-nine passing.
The Grizzlies will be back on their home turf on Friday at 7 p.m. to try to upend perennial powerhouse Mt. Iron-Buhl.