Wolves’ football season ends with playoff loss to Cardinal Carter
Football season at North Star High School is over.
The Wolves’ 2026 season wrapped up with a 31-7 loss to the Cardinal Carter Cougars Oct. 30 at the Libro Centre in Amherstburg.
The Wolves finished the regular season 0-6 but still made the new WECSSAA “AA” playoff format and had a match-up with the Cougars.
Cardinal Carter scored touchdowns on four of their first five drives, including an 11-yard run on their opening possession.
The convert was no good on their first touchdown but it was on their second touchdown, a seven-yard run later in the first quarter.
The Cougars scored on another 11-yard play, this one a pass, after a one-yard run was called off on a penalty.
The two-point conversion try failed so it was a 19-0 lead for the Leamington-based school at that point.
A nine-yard touchdown run later in the third quarter made it a 26-0 game and North Star conceded a safety to make it 28-0, also in the second quarter.
Cardinal Carter was looking for more before halftime but North Star’s Levi Findley intercepted a pass and brought it down to the Cougars’ seven-yard line. The Wolves tried to turn the turnover into a touchdown before the half, but could not.
The Wolves rallied in the second half after a teammate had to be removed from the field via stretcher from the field at the end of the first half due to a leg injury. They kept the Cougars out of the endzone after the visitors made an interception and Cardinal Carter had to settle for a 15-yard field goal to make it 31-0.
North Star got a touchdown thanks to a 37-yard pass from quarterback Cole Young to wide receiver Elijah Rusenstrom in the third quarter.
A holding call on an apparent 85-yard Cardinal Carter touchdown in the fourth quarter removed points from the scoreboard for the visitors.
The Wolves had closed the regular season Oct.23 after a forfeit loss to Herman.
Despite a rough season on the scoreboard, Wolves head coach Emmitt Rosati said he and the other coaches were proud of the players.
“It was a hard fought, physical game,” he said. “(Cardinal Carter) is a physical group and are well-coached. I’m super proud of our guys for being resilient and how we responded throughout the game.”
Rosati said the goal at the beginning of the season was to improve every week and he believes that happened. While the Wolves had challenges all year, Rosati thought they got better.
It was a young roster this season but they have about 20-22 players eligible to return next season with the hope of getting more players to come out for the team.
In the meantime, Rosati said they will work within the rules to do what they can to try and work with the players, including a spring camp where they can try to build on the fundamentals.
“It was definitely challenging but overall an awesome experience,” Rosati said of his first head coaching season. “I learned a lot and I did my best to give the kids the best experience I could.”
Wolves’ football season ends with playoff loss to Cardinal Carter
By Ron Giofu
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