BIGFORK — There’s no better way to get past a big loss than to put a big beatdown on your next opponent, and that’s exactly what the North Woods Grizzlies football team did last Friday to Bigfork, going on the road to trounce the Huskies 42-14.
It was a rough start for the Grizzlies, as they fumbled the ball away on their first two possessions, but a strong defensive stand and a shanked Bigfork punt from deep in their own end of the field set North Woods up at the Huskies’ 27. They almost faltered again but recovered their own fumble at the 11-yard-line, and on the next play, Carson Johnson ran up the middle for a touchdown. The conversion attempt failed, giving North Woods a 6-0 lead with 3:16 to go in the first quarter.
Head Coach Joel Anderson’s teams have been known in the past for their strong running games, but they went to the air for the Grizzlies’ next score. With a first-and-10 from their own 35 with just over a minute before halftime, quarterback Jett Lambert dropped back behind good protection and heaved a long ball that John Warren caught around the Bigfork 40. He outran everyone to the end zone for the 65-yard touchdown, putting the Grizzlies up 12-0. James Yernatich ran in the conversion for a 14-0 lead.
It took one play and 16 seconds for the Huskies to strike back with a 58-yard touchdown pass from their own 42. The conversion failed, leaving the score at 14-6.
But the first-half fireworks weren’t over, as Johnson broke loose down the sideline on the Grizzlies’ next possession for a 52-yard touchdown jaunt with 35 seconds remaining to give North Woods a 20-8 lead going into the half.
After stopping Bigfork on downs to start the second half, North Woods took over at the Huskies’ 45 and wasted no time putting up another score. A 36-yard run by Yernatich took the ball to the Bigfork 4, and Yernatich got the call again for the touchdown, increasing the lead to 26-6.
Bigfork capitalized on another North Woods fumble at the Grizzlies 11, scoring on a pass to make the score 26-12 with just under five minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Following the kickoff, North Woods took over at its own 40 and put together a grinding eight-play drive that culminated in a seven-yard Johnson touchdown. Johnson got the carry for the two-point conversion and a 34-12 margin that closed out almost all hope for a Bigfork comeback with only one quarter remaining.
Johnson had one more big run left in the tank, as he got loose on a 63-yard touchdown run with 6:35 remaining. Lambert ran in the conversion for the final points of the game and the 42-12 win.
The Grizzlies piled up 400 total yards in the contest, 335 of them coming on the ground. Johnson had a monster performance, totaling 248 yards on just 16 carries for four touchdowns. Yernatich tallied one touchdown and one conversion on 16 carries for 60 yards. Lambert picked up 31 yards on 11 carries with a conversion.
It was a perfect game for Lambert in the passing department, as the 65-yard completion to Warren was his only attempt of the night.
The Grizzlies had nine players who racked up tackles on defense. Tristan Vidal led the way with five unassisted tackles and eight assists. Rogelio Noyes had two solo tackles and nine assists, and Vinny Pascuzzi had five unassisted tackles and five assists. The defense allowed 226 total yards, but only 75 on the ground.
Anderson was pleased with the team’s performance.
“We played very well,” he said. “We had a lot of things that needed some fixing there after week one, and we got to work last week and kind of put it together on Friday night. We still have some things to clean up, like keeping the ball in our own hands.”
With seniors Rogelio Noyes, Tristan Vidal, John Danielson, and junior Caleb Rutchasky anchoring the offensive line and Noyes, Vidal, and Rutchasky spearheading the defensive front, the Grizzlies have experienced lines that work well together.
“We knew going into the year that we were going to be senior-dominant on the line and these guys have been together for three years now,” Anderson said. “We’re big, we’re strong. I thought our line did a fantastic job. We opened up some massive holes for our backs, and on defense, Bigfork had their hands full with our guys coming downhill on them. We hope to see that continue throughout the rest of the season.”
Anderson also had high praise for Johnson’s big game.
“We’ve seen Carson primarily on the defensive side of the ball the last couple of years,” Anderson noted. “He’s tough, he’s fast, he runs hard, and last Friday night was his time to shine. He found the holes, he accelerated, and he was giving them fits all night long.”
The Grizzlies were set to take on Kelliher/Northome at home on Friday, the last regular season game they’ll play on a Friday this year. The next four games will be on Thursdays, with the finale moved to a Wednesday to accommodate sectional playoffs.