Forest Park senior Nik Stephens (22) tackles North Dickinson’s Jason Graham (12) during a regular season contest at James D. Priestap Memorial Field on Sept. 19. (Sean Chase/Daily News photo)

CRYSTAL FALLS — Hanging off the front of the press box at Dick Mettlach Field is a white-painted sign that reads, “Forest Park 2017 8-player state champions.”

On Saturday, the Trojans have a shot at adding to their legacy in 8-player football when they face off with Morrice at 1 p.m. Central time at the Superior Dome in Marquette.

“It’s a very big deal,” Forest Park senior Nik Stephens said. “It’s my last chance to do it, and we’ve got to give it our all.

“(We’ve been) trying to get to the state championship game; that’s what’s been in our heads all season. And now that we’re here, we’re ready for it.”

Trojans head coach Brian Fabbri is uniquely familiar with the pressure associated with reaching the state finals.

He played football for Forest Park in high school, reaching the MHSAA Division 8 state title game in 2004 and 2005.

However, the Trojans lost both games, falling to Mendon at Ford Field in 2005 and Climax-Scotts in 2004 at the Pontiac Silverdome.

“It’s awesome,” Fabbri said. “I got to play at two state championships and it’s a lifelong memory. That opportunity to play on that big stage with the lights and everyone watching. I’m glad I got to coach a team to feel that, and only in my fourth year.

“I’m blessed. It’s a great group of kids, community and support staff. Everything has to come together for something like this to happen. Forest Park’s got a rich football tradition, but we don’t go to the state championship every year, either.”

While pressure is associated with playing for a state title, Fabbri is reminding his team that it’s just another football game.

“It all comes down to telling them, ‘Ultimately, you’re playing football,'” Fabbri said. “You’re playing a game that you love. It’s the state championship. All the lights are on; hopefully, we have the whole U.P. behind us.

“So when they’re on the field, just go back to why. Why are you here? Why are you playing the game? And hopefully, it’s because they love it. And you know they love being with their teammates.”

Even though Fabbri has been the Trojans’ calming presence this week, there are moments when he has also had to ground himself.

“You start overthinking everything, and when it comes down to it, we just need to execute our game plan,” Fabbri said. “We need to slow them down in that game; it’s tough to stop a team. But similar to North Central, (we need to) slow them down enough that they make mistakes.”

Forest Park (11-1) averaged 47.7 points per game while giving up 15 points per contest. Its lone shutout came against Bellaire in the opening round of the playoffs. According to the Michigan High School Football Coaches Association, the Trojans are ranked No. 3 in 8-player Division 2. But their toughest test will be against Morrice.

The Orioles’ offense (11-1) has averaged 40.8 points per game this season while holding opponents to 10.4 points. Morrice has also posted five shutouts in its 12 games.

“They don’t have many holes,” Fabbri said. “Their biggest weakness is their youth. They have a lot of underclassmen and only three seniors. So we gotta take advantage of that.

“We have veterans on our side. We have guys that have played for me for four years, for this program for four years.”

Forest Park has already beaten North Central (ranked No. 6) and Onekama (ranked No. 8) during its playoff run, with its defense holding both teams under 25 points. While the Orioles present a unique challenge, Fabbri believes in the defensive system that got the Trojans to the dance.

“It’s gonna be tough,” Fabbri said about slowing down Morrice. “They like to run the football. We’ll probably see 30 different formations, but ultimately, their goal is to run the ball.

“We just have to key on our keys and compete. We have all those seniors on the field. It’s just about them making plays. All the credit to them — those guys have bought into the system.”

Win or lose, this will be the last game for Forest Park seniors Brody Starr, Kevin Giuliani, Grayson Sundell, Gabriel Quevedo, Stephens and Nate Bradish.

“I’ve been playing with all these seniors since I was little, and it’s always just been one of our dreams, our biggest dreams to play in the state championship,” Giuliani said. “And we get to do that now, which is awesome.”

Preparing for the turf

Forest Park has played on grass all season long. However, Saturday’s game in the Superior Dome will be on turf.

Until then, neither the Trojans nor Orioles can step foot on the field at Northern Michigan University. So Forest Park found the next best thing: an indoor training facility in Negaunee.

On Wednesday, the Trojans used that facility to get accustomed to playing on turf.

“It’s not gonna be the same exact turf, but it’s as close as we can get to that atmosphere inside the dome,” Fabbri said. “Basically, everyone’s got good footing everywhere. So I’m excited to see our guys on a turf field, and hopefully, it plays to our advantage. With our power running, a game outside would probably suit us better. But I also like the athletes we have.”

Tickets for the event are $10 apiece and must be purchased online at https://nmu.universitytickets.com/w/event.aspx?id=3539. The game will also be streamed live at https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/mhsaa-mi/gambdb6b83919.