For the Ely Timberwolves, a lot of hard work, perhaps even more patience, and some old-fashioned resilience all paid off.
The reward was the high school football team’s first victory of the fall.
Before a large and boisterous Homecoming week audience, the Timberwolves rode a fast start and a game-clinching fourth-quarter scoring drive to a 32-20 win over Chisholm on Oct. 3 at Ely School Stadium.
Senior Jesse Oelke had two touchdowns while sophomore Arturo Cameron plowed his way to more than 100 yards on the ground as well a pivotal touchdown late in the contest as Ely won for the first time in six contests this fall.
The victory came after several lopsided defeats as well as a forfeit, but on the heels of some improvement the week before in a home loss to powerful Deer River.
The Wolves and their fans were exuberant after a triumph that head coach Louie Gerzin said was the result of a yearlong effort.
“We’ve been working hard the whole season,” said Gerzin. “And it’s really nice to see them reap the benefits of that hard work. I thought we got better as the year went on and in Chisholm we faced an opponent that we could compete with.”
For a while, it looked as if the Wolves might even blow the winless Bluestreaks out.
But what once was a 24-0 Ely lead was trimmed to 24-20 early in the fourth quarter, but the Wolves responded with what - at least for now - was the drive of the season.
Cameron, who finished with 123 yards on 18 carries, bulled his way forward for 10 yards early in the drive.
A 14-yard gallop by Oelke, who added 45 yards for the night, helped set up a fourth-and-short that resulted in a Chisholm offside - and a key first down.
Cameron took it from there, going in from a yard out to make it a two-possession game as time was running out.
Chisholm, which clawed back in the game on the strength of an effective passing game, was grounded by the Wolves’ defense and the hosts secured a long-awaited win.
“I think the guys weren’t worried but more disappointed that we gave up the big lead that we worked so hard to get,” said Gerzin. “I didn’t sense too much panic. Arturo had a couple of big runs on that drive and Jesse came up with a big carry to give us fourth-and-short. Having Arturo in the backfield has really given us an inside presence we didn’t have before.”
Ely needed to march only 37 yards after Chisholm botched an onside kick to start the game.
On just the second play from scrimmage, junior back Sean Merriman broke free for a 30-yard touchdown and the Wolves were on the board.
Ely had a successful two-point conversion and tacked on another score early in the second quarter, when freshman quarterback DJ Johnson picked up a touchdown on a one-yard plunge.
Johnson found a wide-open Alex Brandriet on the two-point play to make it 16-0.
The Wolves appeared to deliver the dagger late in the second quarter.
Oelke scored for the second time of the night, sprinting in from the 10 after taking a pass from Johnson, and a Cameron conversion gave Ely a 24-0 edge.
The Wolves’ biggest lead in at least five years didn’t last long as the Bluestreaks went to the air and drove down the field in a hurry.
Quarterback Andrew Sundquist found Jacoby Ekanem in the corner of the end zone on a 24-yard play with less than 30 seconds left in the half, and following the twopoint conversion the Bluestreaks had trimmed the lead to 24-8 by halftime.
Chisholm also scored on its first possession of the second half, with Sundquist dashing in from eight yards out.
The Ely defense, however, recorded a key stop on the conversion, and it remained a two-possession game at 24-14.
Chisholm got the ball back and marched in again, with Michael Chambers’ touchdown trimming the lead to 24-20.
But needing another score, the Bluestreaks tried an onside kick and the Wolves recovered.
Ely took advantage of the field position and worked both the clock and its running game, with runs by Cameron and Oelke setting up the insurance score.
Sundquist went 17-for-31 through the air for 160 yards, but an errant shotgun snap helped foil the Bluestreaks, who turned the ball over on downs.
Ely finished with a season- high 268 yards, with 256 coming on the ground.
Oelke fueled the Ely defense with a team-best 14 tackles.
Cameron added another nine while Brandriet, Oscar Shock, Kooper Dostert and Cyle Merhar were all in on six each.
Merriman finished with five tackles, including two pass deflections, as well as 35 yards on the ground.
The Wolves looked for a second straight win Friday at East Central. The Eagles were 0-6 going into the matchup and Ely’s hopes were high.
“We’re going to have to prepare this week really well and go in against East Central hoping we play as well as we did against Chisholm.”
The regular season finale with Braham follows Wednesday at Ely School Stadium, and Section 7AA playoff action begins for the Wolves, on the road, on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
