Grizzlies fall 45-12 to Blackduck

REGIONAL- The North Woods football team found itself on the wrong side of a 45-12 final at Blackduck on Thursday in a game that turned on missed chances and several big plays by the Drakes.
North Woods kept it close through the first quarter, playing the Drakes tough before Blackduck took an 8-0 lead into the second. The Drakes then stretched the margin, putting together a long scoring drive early in the quarter before turning an interception and short field into another touchdown for a 22-0 halftime lead.
The Grizzlies nearly answered before the break, moving the ball all the way to the Blackduck 6 on their final possession of the half before another interception ended the threat as time ran out.
Blackduck scored first in the third quarter after North Woods pinned the Drakes deep with a punt to the Blackduck 13. The Drakes used big plays and a Grizzlies penalty to flip the field and push the lead to 30-0.
North Woods finally broke through later in the third. Taking over at their own 43, the Grizzlies moved the chains on a quarterback draw by Cedar Holman. From the Blackduck 38, Carson Johnson ran up the middle, cut left, and took the ball to the 2. Two plays later, Johnson went wide right for the touchdown. The conversion failed, leaving Blackduck up 30-6 with 5:27 left in the quarter.
Blackduck added two more touchdowns before North Woods struck again late. Holman dropped back and hit Jett Lambert behind the secondary for a 64-yard touchdown pass with just over five minutes remaining. The conversion failed, accounting for the final margin.
Head Coach Joel Anderson said the Grizzlies showed signs of being close, but could not finish enough plays or drives to stay with the Drakes.
“We are one step away from really just hitting the gas,” Anderson said. “It’s like we’re stuck in first gear, and we need to shift gears to get to that next level. We’re just not quite doing it.”
Johnson led the Grizzlies on the ground with 80 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Holman added 53 yards on 10 carries, while James Yernatich ran nine times for 43 yards.
Holman finished 3-for-5 passing for 68 yards and the touchdown. Lambert’s lone catch went for the score, while TaySean Boshey-Wilkerson and Payton Swanson each added a reception.
Anderson said the deep completion to Lambert was an encouraging sign for an offense that needs to make defenses respect the passing game.
“Cedar dropped back and threw a very nice ball there,” Anderson said. “That’s something that’s been lacking for us, that deep ball. If you want to back a defense off to run the offense you’re designed to run, you’ve got to hit the deep shots when they’re there.”
Defensively, Holman led North Woods with seven solo tackles, seven assists, a tackle for loss, and a forced fumble. Mike King had seven assisted tackles and a pass defended, while Johnson had four solo tackles and four assists. Swanson had four assisted tackles, a fumble recovery, and two passes defended.
Anderson said the Grizzlies showed improvement in pass defense, but still need to clean up tackling and situational play as they close the regular season.