Forest Park sophomore Vic Giuliani (12) picks off an Onekama pass on Saturday during the MHSAA 8-player Division 2 state semifinals at Dick Mettlach Field. (Sean Chase/Daily News photo)

CRYSTAL FALLS — In 2017, the Forest Park varsity 8-player football team took home a state championship.

On Saturday, the Trojans had a chance to add to their historic football legacy as they took on Onekama at Dick Mettlach Field for the Michigan High School Athletic Association 8-player Division 2 semifinals.

Although it was a tightly contested affair throughout, Forest Park took advantage of multiple Portagers’ mistakes to pick up a 49-24 win.

“Relief,” FP head coach Brian Fabbri said. “We’ve worked hard since June and July. During the summer months, those seniors showed up, our underclassmen showed up. It’s just a relief that we got there. We had our ups-and-downs throughout the year. (We) lost that week nine game, which I think ultimately helped us in the grand scheme of things.

“(It) was a really good Onekama team. They didn’t quit. They got down early and fought back. They turned it into a football game. It was a lot closer than the scoreboard showed.”

Now, the Trojans turn their attention to the MHSAA 8-player Division 2 state final game on Saturday at 1 p.m. Central time in the Superior Dome on the campus of Northern Michigan University against Morrice (11-1). Morrice took down Britton Deerfield, 36-0, on Saturday to secure its spot in the title game.

“When it comes down to it, it’s football,” Fabbri said. “It’s the state championship game but between the whistles it’s just football. Play the game that you grew up loving. Play the game that you enjoy and to me that’s what it comes down to. Enjoy the game and leave it all on the field.”

The Trojans received the opening kickoff and then immediately went to work. On the first play of their first drive sophomore Dax Huuki broke through the Onekama defense and scampered 63-yards for a TD, and 15 seconds into the game, Forest Park led 7-0.

The Portagers’ couldn’t get anything going on their second drive and an incomplete pass on fourth-and-four at the Trojans’ 49-yard line gave the ball back to Forest Park.

After using five plays to get inside the Onekama 15-yard line, the Trojans gave the ball to senior Grayson Sundell. He punched the ball in from 11-yards out, giving them a 14-0 advantage after a successful extra point kick by sophomore Dietrich Rasner.

Sundell added another touchdown with 57 seconds left in the first quarter, this time from 6-yards out. Rasner drilled the extra point try and the lead had ballooned to 21-0.

“All the credit to Onekama,” Fabbri said. “They’re well coached. They got down 21 (points) and that’s when they picked it up. It was good we got that fast start to keep us in the lead.”

Onekama seemed to figure things out offensively on its fourth drive of the game, as it moved the ball over the 50-yard line for the first time after Trojans’ senior Kevin Giuliani was called for roughing the passer. Then a false start call began to unravel things.

On the next play, the Portagers fumbled but managed to recover the ball. Then on second-and-15, Forest Park sophomore defensive back Vic Giuliani picked off an errant pass from Onekama’s Luke Bradford.

The Portagers found their footing late in the second quarter, after a helmet-to-helmet call moved the ball into Forest Park territory. Then on second-and-10, Onekama running back Nathaniel Barnett found a seam on the outside and sprinted 52-yards for a TD. The Portagers converted their two-point try, cutting into the Trojans’ lead, 21-8.

“(It) was a huge momentum swing before half for them, getting that touchdown and stopping us there,” Fabbri said. “My message at halftime was, ‘We’re in the lead in a state semifinal game.’ We gave up one big play there and that was the issue. Our message was, ‘Just keep playing football. Don’t hang your heads. You’re leading. Have fun.

“… Bend but don’t break. It’s what these guys are made of and it’s fun to watch.”

After halftime the Onekama offense went back to work and looked to be on the verge of scoring again. However on third-and-two, the Portagers coughed up the football and Vic Giuliani took it 22 yards.

Three plays later, Forest Park senior Nik Stephens ran the ball in from 10-yards out as the lead ballooned to 20 points.

Bradford scored on a quarterback keeper on Onekama’s next drive. A successful two-point conversion cut the Trojans’ lead down to 12 points, 28-16.

As the game began to tighten up, the Portagers’ fans became more involved in the action, especially the section behind the Forest Park bench. No time was that more evident than when the Trojans faced a third-and-two on Onekama’s 48-yard line.

“It comes down to finding a way,” Fabbri said. “Even their crowd behind (our bench) was raucous. We had a third-down conversion and they were getting after it. It’s just one of those things where we just stayed focused. Didn’t jump and got the job done.”

Forest Park leaned on Stephens, who ran eight yards for the conversion. The Trojans’ also converted on fourth-and-two, when Huuki ran for a first down.

After battling its way down the field, Forest Park cashed in when Huuki punched in a three-yard TD run with 55 seconds left in the third quarter, giving it a 35-16 advantage.

Onekama fumbled the ensuing kick off and junior Trent Kannich took advantage, scoring a 22-yard TD on a run around the right end.

Kannich also scored a 7-yard TD later in the fourth quarter after carrying the ball on eight-straight plays.

“Unbelievable,” Fabbri said. “The kid doesn’t come off the field, barely at all. (He) plays defensive end, (he) is our lead blocking fullback 90% of the time and he said, ‘Coach, I want the ball.’ There’s nothing better as a coach than looking in a kids’ eyes and just knowing that he feels it. We just kept riding him and he kept chugging. He doesn’t go down on the first hit ever.

“He’s an awesome kid and I’m just so proud of him. He’s worked his tail off this year.”

Senior defensive lineman Kevin Giuliani picked up a big sack in the win for Forest Park.

“(He’s) absolutely unbelievable,” Fabbri said. “He’s the biggest guy on the field, so there’s no hiding him. There’s no trying to sneak him out anywhere. There’s no doing that with Kevin. It’s one of those things where he’s a great player and he just did his job, not trying to do it all.

“We tried to throw him a couple passes but it just wasn’t in the cards. He played through a lot of adversity, banged up his ankle, and it was just a kid wanting it more.”