ELY— An errant snap on a fourth-down field goal attempt from the one-yard line ended the Timberwolves’ hopes for their first win of the season in their homecoming contest here last Friday. It was the second time this year that an impressive second-half rally fell short for the Wolves. This time Ely fell 22-20 to North Central to slip to 0-5 on the season.
It was another tale of two halves as North Central contained Ely offensively in the first half, taking a 14-6 lead into the break. North Central largely shut down Ely’s running game and Ely lost momentum until they turned to the pass.
North Central added eight more points early in the third quarter before Ely senior quarterback Gunnar Hart went to work late in the game, connecting for 127 yards passing including two touchdowns, both to senior running back Jason Kerntz. The Wolves put six more points on the board on an interception and runback by senior Erron Anderson.
Down 22-6 heading into the fourth, the Wolves scored twice to close the gap to 22-20 as the final minutes ticked down. The Wolves’ defense held North Central in their final drive, leaving Ely with one more opportunity. The Wolves were able to move the ball again but faced a fourth down at the North Central one-yard line with just thirty seconds on the clock.
“I opted for the field goal attempt,” said Head Coach Louie Gerzin. But when the snap went awry, an anticipated win turned into the second heartbreaker of the season.
“The guys were pretty upset about that one,” said Gerzin. “But I have to give credit to North Central. They stopped us on the run all day.” In total, the Wolves managed just 78 yards of total rushing. Kerntz, who has been a rushing powerhouse most of the season, led with just 32 yards on the ground, followed by Erron Anderson who posted 30 yards rushing along with a two-point conversion.
Anderson also had a big day defensively, notching five tackles, the interception, as well as a fumble recovery. Kerntz tallied six tackles, including one for a loss, a forced fumble, and a broken pass. Senior Jakson Hegman added 7.5 tackles and broke up a pass. Junior Gavin Marshall posted 6.5 tackles, while junior Chase Anderson tallied 5.5 tackles and forced a fumble. Junior Deegan Richards added 5.5 tackles and sophomore Alex Merriman added five. Hart added a fumble recovery.
The Wolves’ prospects aren’t likely to improve when they head to Cherry on Friday to take on the 5-1 Tigers, whose only loss this season came against Mt. Iron-Buhl.
The Wolves return home on Wednesday, Oct. 19, to take on Hill City/Northland. That game could provide Ely with its best chance to avoid a winless season.