Big plays and missed chances sink Ely

ELY- Ely put together several promising drives Friday night against Cherry, but too many big plays, missed tackles, and costly mistakes allowed the Tigers to pull away for a 30-8 win.
The Wolves held Cherry scoreless through the first quarter and twice turned back scoring threats. Cherry’s opening drive reached the Ely 19, but a holding penalty and strong pressure from the Wolves’ defensive front helped force an incompletion on fourth down.
Ely’s defense frequently pushed Cherry quarterback Isaiah Asuma out of the pocket, but the Tigers were able to turn several of those broken plays into big gains as Asuma escaped to the outside.
Cherry drove to first-and-goal at the Ely 3 late in the first quarter, but the Wolves opened the second quarter with another stand when Asuma fumbled near the goal line. Ely recovered at its own 1-yard line.
The Wolves responded with a lengthy drive, relying on the running game to work out from deep in their own territory and move near midfield before punting with about 4:40 left in the half.
Cherry then scored on its first explosive play of the night. Max Bautch caught a short pass along the right sideline, broke two tackles, slipped past two more Ely defenders, and raced for a long touchdown. The Tigers converted for two after a penalty wiped out their first attempt, taking an 8-0 lead.
Ely recovered Cherry’s ensuing onside kick and again moved the ball, with DJ Johnson bootlegging for a first down to help the Wolves reach the Cherry 30. But a motion penalty on fourth down backed Ely up, and Johnson was stopped just short on a bootleg with less than a minute remaining.
Cherry used the final 53 seconds of the half to drive for another score. A short sideline completion became a major gain after an Ely missed tackle, putting the Tigers in position to score on the final play of the half. The two-point conversion gave Cherry a 16-0 lead at the break.
Ely opened the second half with another drive into Cherry territory, but a fumble ended the possession. The Wolves’ defense answered by forcing a fourth-down incompletion, then took advantage of a Cherry personal foul after the play to begin its next series deep in Tigers territory.
Gunnar Skager finished that opportunity with a 4-yard touchdown run, and Johnson kept the ball on the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 16-8 with 5:48 left in the third quarter.
The momentum did not last. Cherry started at its own 41 after Ely’s kickoff went out of bounds and needed only three plays to go 59 yards. Asuma scored on a 17-yard keeper, and although the conversion failed, the Tigers were back in control at 22-8.
Ely again drove into Cherry territory on its next possession. Facing fourth-and-five at the Cherry 45, the Wolves were hit with a delay-of-game penalty, but a pass-interference call against the Tigers gave Ely new life at the 35. The drive later stalled when Johnson was sacked on fourth down.
Cherry took over near midfield and put the game away on the next play, as Asuma kept up the middle and ran 52 yards for a touchdown. The Tigers added the two-point conversion for a 30-8 lead with more than 11 minutes remaining.
Johnson later connected with Cooper Dostert down the left side to the Cherry 28, but that drive also stalled on downs as the Tigers ran out the clock.
Game statistics were not available before press time.
The Cherry contest was Ely’s final game at Ely School Stadium this season. The Wolves’ Oct. 14 matchup with East Central will be considered a home game, but it will be played at 6 p.m. at Babbitt’s Joe Boffa Field. Ely’s next game is scheduled for this coming Friday at Deer River.