ELY - Turnovers can be costly— witness the fourth quarter of Wednesday night’s game between the Timberwolves and North Woods. Back-to-back Ely fumbles in their own territory allowed the Grizzlies to put 14 quick points on the board en route to a 44–36 comeback victory.

On a windy and cool night the fans that braved Ely Memorial Stadium got to see the game of the season. Both teams defense struggled to keep the opposing offense in check.

The Wolves played some of their best football of the season for roughly three-and-a-half quarters. Midway thru the final stanza, Ely had the ball on their own 30-yard line, with a 36-30 lead. That’s when a Wolves fumble left the Grizzlies with the ball well into Ely territory. Two plays later, North Woods quarterback Tate Olson connected on a 30-yard touchdown pass and a two point conversion giving North Woods a 38-36 lead, their first of the night.

Just moments later, it was déjà vu all over again, this time as the Wolves coughed up the ball on their own 37-yard line. North Woods initially lost ground, but on third-and-22, Olson bobbed and weaved his way to a first down, setting up the game’s final touchdown a few plays later. With the quarter winding down, North Woods held the Wolves on their final drive, taking it over on downs with just seconds remaining.

Offensively, Ely made the most of their possessions, scoring their 36 points on just 289 yards of total offense. Sophomore Eli Conaway led in rushing, with 158 yards and four touchdowns on 29 carries. Senior Matt Gerzin added 83 yards on 12 carries, while Carter Gaulke ran three times for 49 yards.

A trio of seniors led the way for North Woods, including running back Brendan Parson who tallied 169 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries. Garrett Abramson ran for 95 yards on 13 carries and added 2 touchdowns. Tate Olson completed 10 of 22 pass attempts, for 123 yards and a touchdown, while picking up 31 rushing yards on eight carries. 8 times for 31 yards. North Woods picked up a total of 424 yards.

The Grizzlies win assured them the top spot in the section 7A playoffs. The Grizzlies will enjoy a bye in the first round, and will host the winner of Tuesday’s quarterfinal match-up between fourth-seed Bigfork and fifth-seed Ely next Saturday, Oct. 28. Game time is 2 p.m.

Meanwhile, the Wolves will travel to Bigfork on Tuesday, Oct. 24, to take on the Huskies.