Albert Lea earned its first win of the season Saturday by defeating Buffalo Ridge 28-7.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Grizzlies lit up the scoreboard halfway through the second with a 1-yard run by Spencer Niebuhr. Niebuhr scored again on the ground for the two-point conversion to give the Grizzlies an eight-point lead.

About three minutes later, George Gerdes found the end zone on a three-yard run to extend Albert Lea’s lead to 14 points.

The Wildcats struck back with about seven minutes left before halftime to cut the Grizzlies’ lead in half.

In the third quarter, Albert Lea’s passing game came alive.

Tony Tolbers hit Gerdes on a 41-yard touchdown pass, and late in the third, he connected with Colton Zuniga on a 12-yard pass to give Albert Lea a 28-7 lead.

“We had a great game, and we got the passing offense rolling,” Albert Lea offensive lineman Craig Schmidt said. “We got everyone involved and everyone contributed.”

Jason Kuipers broke the century mark rushing with 108 yards, and Tolbers led the Grizzlies’ passing attack with 231 yards through the air. Overall, the Grizzlies are 1-2.

Next, Albert Lea will host the Minnesota River Valley Shock at 5 p.m. June 1.

“Everyone is looking forward to continuing our winning streak,” Schmidt said.