FIELD TWP-The North Woods Grizzlies made the most of a short turnaround before the start of the sectional playoffs by chalking up a solid 20-7 win over visiting East Central last week.
North Woods had only a few days to right the ship after an Oct. 14 loss to Mesabi East, and both teams got off to a slow start in their Wednesday matchup on Oct. 19.
But North Woods put together their most impressive drive of the season in the second quarter, an 86-yard grinder that ate up five minutes of the clock and ended with a 23-yard touchdown by Jared Chiabotti. Quarterback Jonah Burnett kept the drive alive early with a quick left-handed flip of the ball under pressure to Chiabotti, who ran for 15 yards and a first down. Converted receiver Lane Kneen caught a 23-yard strike from Burnett to set up Chiabotti’s touchdown run.
After forcing a punt, the Grizzlies were in business again at their own 49 with under two minutes to go before the half. A team that has depended mostly on the run this season instead went to the air, with Burnett hitting Kneen again to move the ball to the East Central 43. On the next play the Grizzlies crossed up the Eagles’ secondary and Burnett found a wide-open Olin Nelson for the 43-yard touchdown reception and sent North Woods to the locker room with a 12-0 lead at the half.
“I noticed they weren’t going out with him. We switched sets there to one that looks very similar to one of our other sets and we snuck Olin straight down the field,” Grizzlies Head Coach Joel Anderson said. “I don’t think anyone knew he was there. It was a good way to end the half.”
North Woods squandered a golden opportunity after Burnett intercepted an East Central pass and returned it to the Eagles 10. A direct snap to Chiabotti went awry and the Eagles recovered the ball at the 22.
Unfazed, the Grizzles opened the fourth quarter with a five-minute, 58-yard drive culminating in Chiabotti’s second touchdown on a five-yard scamper. Burnett’s pass to Luke Will was good for the two-point conversion, putting North Woods up 20-0.
The Grizzlies had their only major defensive lapse of the game on the next East Central series when running back Patch Gustafson ripped through the middle of the line and outraced everyone to the end zone, a 55-yard shocker. The extra point was good, drawing the Eagles to within 20-7.
Grizzlies defender Issac Fultz made certain the Eagles wouldn’t get any closer by intercepting a pass on East Central’s next possession, and Burnett brought the game to an end by taking a knee at the East Central nine-yard-line to run out the clock.
Noting that the Grizzlies had three interceptions, Anderson said being in the plus column for turnovers will be important as the team moves into sectional playoffs.
“When we can force teams into turning the ball over it puts us in a much better position,” he said.
North Woods has relied primarily on swing passes for its passing game this season, but the second half of the Mesabi East game and the win over East Central showed that when Burnett gets good protection the Grizzlies can stretch the field.
“We’ve got to be able to complete some of those and get people to back up off of us and allow us to play evenly matched,” Anderson said.
Chiabotti had another big night for North Woods, picking up 143 yards on 25 rushes and 38 yards on three receptions. Nelson had 38 yards on seven carries to go with his big touchdown reception. Burnett was six-of-15 passing for 118 yards and a touchdown.
North Woods was slated to go on the road on Tuesday for a first round 7A sectional playoff game against Chisholm. The Grizzlies were in the game at the half with Bluestreaks in their regular season tilt, 10-8, and were poised to take the lead in the third quarter before fumbling the ball away. The Bluestreaks went on to win that one, 22-8.