Grizzlies football comes to a close at Sutter
The Lassen High School Grizzlies football team season has officially come to a close, as the Grizzlies took on Sutter Friday, Nov. 22 and fell 25-7 in the second round of the Northern Section Playoffs.
The Grizzlies opened the game, kicking off to Sutter to start the game. The Grizzlies forced a turnover by Sutter but couldn’t get past the Sutter defense and were forced to punt.
Sutter was able to make quick use of the punt return for a first quarter touchdown but missed the extra point afterward.
The Grizzlies took the return before the end of the first, but leading into the second the Grizzlies were again forced to punt back to Sutter. The home team then again was able to rush the ball past the Grizzly defense for another touchdown. The Grizzlies’ defense stopped Sutter’s attempted two-point conversion.
Both teams’ defenses held the rest of the second quarter as each team traded punt returns before the half.
The Grizzlies’ quarterback, Brock Wolf, was displaying precise passing skills, but Sutters’ pass coverage was on point, and it showed leading into the third quarter as Sutter managed to collect an interception early in the third quarter.
Luckily, Sutter couldn’t hold onto the possession and made a punt return to the Grizzlies. But Grizzlies again couldn’t work around the Sutter defense and were forced into a turnover on downs.
Once Sutter took back possession, however, the Grizzlies’ defensive line made a big play with Grizzly Josh Harlow breaking through the Sutter ranks to sack their quarterback, setting Sutter back more than five yards.
Sutter regained possession one final time in the third quarter, and they took the punt return all the way with a 66-yard rush to the end zone and a successful PAT to follow. This put Sutter up at 19-0 leading into the final quarter.
The final quarter had the Grizzlies start with a punt return in the first minute of the quarter, with Sutter following up with a completed 25-yard pass to a touchdown.
The Grizzlies took the return but were unable to make a play and turned over possession back to Sutter on downs.
But in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter, the Grizzlies managed to recover a fumble by Sutter. Nick Valdez would follow it up with a 60-yard run to the end zone for the Grizzlies’ only touchdown of the game.
This spelled the end of the Grizzlies’ season but also of an era in Lassen High School football. This was the final game that Tom St Jacques would lead the Grizzlies.
