ELY— Early mistakes proved fatal for the Timberwolves here as Barnum took advantage in a 44-8 rout last Friday night.
“Barnum is a well-run team,” said Ely Head Coach Louie Gerzin. “We had some momentum-shifting mistakes early in the game that we could not recover from.”
As has been the story all season, penalties proved a hurdle for the Wolves, particularly early as they watched flags halt potential drives. “Fortunately, after the first quarter, we didn’t have many penalties,” said Gerzin. “We played a pretty clean game, but didn’t come out on top,” he said.
Barnum kept the pressure on all night, steadily building their lead. They were up 9-0 by the end of the first quarter and added 20 more in the second to take a 29-0 lead into the break. Sophomore running back Cyle Merhar, who rushed for 30 yards on the night, notched Ely’s only touchdown in the fourth quarter. Senior running back Alex Merriman led Ely in rushing, with 67 yards, while junior Jesse Oelke showed promise, racking up 40 yards on the ground. Sophomore quarterback Max Brandriet added 15 yards, including a two-point conversion.
Senior Brady Eaton led in tackles with 12, followed by senior Garrett Rohr with ten and Oelke with nine.
The Wolves were set to take on Milaca in their regular season finale on Wednesday night as the Timberjay went to press. Playoffs get underway next Tuesday, Oct. 22. Ely is expected to be on the road.