Despite coming back strong in the second half, the Albert Lea Grizzlies football team fell to 2-1 on the season.

After a rough first half and a second half spent trying to dig themselves out of a hole, the Grizzlies were defeated by the Midwest Rampage 47-24 Saturday at Grizzly Field in Frank Hall Park.

“It’s always frustrating, losing a game,” said Grizzlies coach Stephen Piper. “Offense struggled and had difficulty moving the ball.”

Piper said the team struggled the most in the first half and that the offense played flat. He also said there were a number of first-string players who didn’t play, but that the second string still should have been able to cover their positions.

At halftime, Piper said adjustments were made on what he had already considered to be a solid game plan.

The Grizzlies made more of an offensive presence in the second half.

Defensively, Albert Lea’s highlight was an interception returned for a touchdown by Colton Zuniga

According to Piper, Zuniga, an Albert Lea native who been with the Grizzlies for three years, had a rough game last week but improved in Saturday’s outing.

“It’s nice to see him come back a week later and play at a very high level,” he said.

Piper said special teams performed great, and that defense played reasonably well, despite what the final score suggested. He said there were just four busted coverages that resulted in touchdowns.

“The game was much closer than the score reflects,” Piper said.

Next, the Southwest Huskerz will host the Grizzlies at 7 p.m. May 30 at Trojan Field in Worthington.

Statistics for the Grizzlies were unavailable as of press time.