The underdogs were very nearly the top dogs.
Seeded sixth and with only one regular season win, the Ely Timberwolves made a spirited upset bid Tuesday night but came up on the short end of a 23-12 Section 7AA high school football playoff encounter at Crosby-Ironton.
Ely led 12-7 at the half, but the third-seeded Rangers got a pair of second half touchdowns from freshman back Le’Rail Johnson - the second for 85 yards.
The Wolves, meanwhile, had one drive stall near the C-I 15, and came up empty on two other possessions that reached Rangers territory.
Crosby-Ironton added a late field goal for insurance and moved on to Saturday’s semifinal with Moose Lake-Willow River, and Ely was eliminated with a 1-8 record.
The Wolves, however, had chances for win number two.
Ely gambled early on and turned the ball over on downs at its own 28, allowing the Rangers to jump out to a 7-0 lead after one quarter.
The Wolves closed the gap in the second, with Gunnar Skager plowing in from a yard out. A two-point conversion failed and Ely was down 7-6.
Late in the second quarter, Ely’s Kooper Dostert blocked a punt to give the Wolves the ball in C-I territory.
Sophomore quarterback DJ Johnson hooked up with senior Sean Merriman on a 25-yard scoring play right before the half.
Again the conversion failed and Ely took a 12-7 lead at halftime.
The Rangers got good field position thanks to a penalty and Johnson later ran it in to put C-I on top for good.
Ely threatened to regain the lead, but a penalty wiped out a first-down run to the C-I five, and the Wolves stalled around the 15.
Johnson broke free for the 85-yard TD scamper early in the fourth, but the Wolves would get two more possessions in Ranger territory but were unable to break through.
Injuries to both Johnson and Skager also took their toll in the second half.
