FIELD TWP—The Grizzlies went up against undefeated Carlton-Wrenshall in the opening round of the Section 7A football tournament here on Tuesday and refused to go quietly. In the end, however, the Raptors proved tough to contain as they toppled North Woods 33-18.

The 3-5 Grizzlies enjoyed home field advantage because the Raptors had played a nine-man schedule this season, which reduced their seeding in the playoffs. But the Raptors proved up to the task of playing at the 11-man level as they racked up over 300 yards rushing. Despite that, North Woods kept it close, and trailed just 20-18 as late as the fourth quarter.

The Grizzlies struggled offensively in the first half and trailed 20-6 at the break. But a strong second half rushing performance by sophomore running back TJ Chiabotti helped North Woods claw their way back. Chiabotti, who again gained more than 100 yards rushing on the night, posted back-to-back touchdowns in the second half to close the gap to two points.

But the Raptors still had some flight left, and they added two more touchdowns in the final stanza to pad their final margin.

Full game stats were not available as of press time.

The loss ended the Grizzlies’ first season in 11-man competition and, despite the loss, North Woods Head Coach John Jirik said he was pleased with the team’s progress. “Although we only won three games, I thought our team performed well moving to an 11-man schedule with a much smaller lineup this season,” he said. “Our six seniors led the way and helped us navigate the change. They were a talented and fun group of young men.”

The Grizzlies will return next season with much of their offensive power intact. Quarterback Zach Cheney will be a senior next year, while Chiabotti, the Grizzlies’ standout running back, will return as a junior. “We went into the season with the mindset of building an 11-man team with mostly new varsity players,” said Jirik. “After one year of experience, our players will be familiar with our sets and the other teams’ schemes. The start of the next season should go smoother with the experience we gained this year.”