PORTOLA, CA (MPG) - The Biggs Wolverines season ended Friday night as they fell to the Portola Tigers 27-18 in the semifinals of the 2022 Division V Northern Section CIF Football Playoffs.

The sixth ranked Biggs offense kept rolling in the first half with the same rhythm used the last few weeks since Wolverines coach Brian Harrison changed the Wolverines’ scheme.

“We went away from the spread plays and switched it up to more wishbone plays where we preached three yards and a headache,” Harrison expressed to The Gridley Herald.

He explained that the change gave his offense a new look and made them more comfortable. Harrison mentioned to The Herald after Biggs’ win over Los Molinos on November 11 that Portola coach Steve Heskett would not change his coaching for anyone. Well, Harrison was spot on.

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The No. 2 seeded Tigers came into the semifinal game averaging almost 359 yards of offense per game throughout the year. Harrison exclaimed to The Herald that Heskett kept running the ball all night. After the Wolverines took an 18-13 lead at the half, no significant adjustments were made by Portola.

The Tigers were able to get stops defensively and held Biggs scoreless in the second half by making less mistakes.

“We fumbled the ball after a huge gain,” Harrison said.

Harrison added that the cold element in Portola could have been a factor. There was snow brushed to the sidelines to make a clearer path of play on the field as temperatures dipped near freezing levels before kickoff.

The Tigers took a 19-18 lead in the third quarter and added another touchdown early in the fourth quarter, making the final score 27-18.

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With Harrison’s first season at the helm of Biggs complete, he said that anyone who is going to play for the Wolverines in the future is going to follow three rules he instilled this season. Those rules included being on time, paying attention and playing as hard as you can.

Harrison also has a chunk of his roster returning next season including the rushing attack of junior running back Zach Smith and sophomore running back Davis Long. Harrison also gets another season with senior quarterback Chase Mclean, who Harrison said made some amazing calls with the offense and huge adjustments the last few weeks during the season.

Biggs will lose a total of five seniors this season. However, Harrison expressed that he is excited for the junior varsity talent that will come up next season and hopes to bring more students from the school that want to continue making Biggs into contenders.

“We should be [contenders but] we’re still going to have to put in the work and work harder than everyone else,” Harrison stated.