MARQUETTE—St. Ignace almost beat Forest Park in their Division 8 regional championship game at the Superior Dome here Nov. 15. And that is the point.

You don’t almost beat Forest Park. You either do or you don’t. St. Ignace got the Trojans rattled, briefly led in the second half but couldn’t hold on. In the end the Trojans prevailed 30-26.

Now 12-0, Forest Park moves on to the state Division 8 semifinal game this Saturday, Nov. 22, against 11-1 Frankfort. Kickoff will be at noon Central Time back at the Superior Dome.

With the losses by Kingsford, Gladstone, Iron Mountain and West Iron County in regional title games, Forest Park is the last remaining U.P. team in the 2008 state football playoffs.

“I’m very pleased with our effort,” Coach Bill Santilli said. Despite a run of injuries that forced players into unfamiliar positions, “The kids just found a way to win. It really took a solid performance out on the field.”

The game was full of twists and turns. Forest Park scored twice in the first six minutes for an early 16-0 lead, but several key injuries and turnovers got the Saints back in the game. When things were going their worst, Santilli said later, he had a feeling St. Ignace would win.

It didn’t turn out that way.

Both teams scored early in the second half, and Forest Park led 30-26 halfway through the third quarter. The Saints got the ball back, but a holding penalty and Jeff Sartori’s sack led to 4th and 21 and a punt from the Saints 13.

Then, bad luck for Forest Park: Taylor Bartczak tried to field the ball after it bounced on the artificial turf. It went off him, and St. Ignace recovered. First down at the Trojan 35.

On the Saints’ first play, FP was flagged for pass interference: First down at the 20. A short pass gained six, and two short runs set up 4th and a half yard at the Trojan 11.

But the snap went off QB Gerrit Mortensen’s hands, and FP nose tackle Tim Martin dove on it at the 13 with 2:20 left in the third quarter.

“We sure got a nice push from the internal line,” Santilli said. “That was a big bullet dodged there--that’s for sure.”

Then the Superior Dome crowd watched the king of slow-motion, time-consuming drives. Forest Park took off upfield … at the pace of an elderly turtle. It was a series of short running plays, mostly by Jim Wheeler with a few by Mick Valesano and QB Bob Reid.

The Saints were helpless because the Trojans kept moving the chains. Third and 7: Wheeler gained 10. Third and 3: Wheeler gained four. Fourth and 1: Wheeler gained three. Then 3rd and 2 at the Saints’ 32. Wheeler gained 2. The chains were brought out. First down by that much.

Finally, on 4th and 2 at the 22, Wheeler came up a yard short. Never mind: The Trojans covered 66 yards in 19 plays and used up 12 minutes of clock time—an entire quarter. St. Ignace got the ball back with just 2:21 left to cover 79 yards against a revved-up Trojan defense.

Mortensen lost two on a roll-out. A short pass to Rob Robinson gained one. A third down pass fell incomplete, setting up 4th and 11 with 1:26 left.

Mortensen went back to pass with Martin in pursuit. The Saints’ QB got a pass away, but it was illegally caught by a lineman who was then tackled by Ed Zarn for a five-yard loss. Forest Park was delighted to decline the penalty on St. Ignace and run out the final 77 seconds.

Once more big sighs of relief from the stands and the sidelines. The Saints had made it real interesting—way too interesting—for Forest Park.

FP took the opening kickoff to its 23. After earning one first down, Josh Siler burst through the left side and sped away for a 64-yard touchdown. He also ran in the two-pointer; FP led 8-0 just 1:20 into the game.

The Saints’ Robinson took the ensuing kickoff at his 10 but lost the ball when tackled at the 28. Wheeler recovered for FP at the St. Ignace 23. Six plays later, Siler scored from the 3, and QB Bob Reid ran in the conversion. 16-0, Trojans.

But it wasn’t the start of another Trojan runaway. Momentum was about to swing the Saints’ way.

Two plays into FP’s next possession, Siler got the handoff, hit the left side—and lost the ball. The Saints’ Tyler Oja recovered at the Trojan 16.

St. Ignace made the Trojans pay. Robinson gained 11 yards, and Mortensen scored on a keeper from the 5. Mortensen’s kick cut the lead to 16-6.

It got worse. One play after the kickoff, Siler, the Trojans’ workhorse back all season, hit the left side, gained five—and didn’t get up right away. Trainers helped him to the sidelines and put ice on his knee. He never returned.

That meant Jim Wheeler went from fullback to tailback, with Mick Valesano and Dustin Basirico taking over at fullback. FP got one first down, had to punt. Then, another disaster: The punt went only 18 yards, and the Saints took the ball at their 42.

Robinson gained 12 yards for a first down at the Trojan 40. Two plays later, Mortensen rolled out around the right and threw a backhanded forward pitch to Austin St. Louis, who continued down the right side for a 40-yard TD. The kick cut the Trojans’ lead to 16-13.

Forest Park fought back with a slow but steady drive, earning four first downs and converting a pair of fourth down plays. Wheeler’s 19-yard run earned a first down at the Saints 14, and he later scored from the 9. The convert failed, but the Trojans now led 22-13.

The Saints retaliated with a 65-yard scoring drive. The big play came on 3rd and 11 near midfield, when Mortensen and St. Louis hooked up for 22 yards to the Trojan 32. Two plays later, on 3rd and 7, the Mortensen-St. Louis combination clicked again for 29 yards and the score. The kick cut FP’s lead to 22-20 at halftime.

Wheeler’s interception ended the Saints first possession of the third quarter, but St. Ignace got the ball back on downs at its 35. Four plays later, the Saints had to punt—but kept the ball when the kick was muffed at the Trojan 19.

Lady Luck had smiled again at the Saints, and St. Ignace made the most of it, scoring on another Mortensen pitch to St. Louis for 12 yards. An attempted two-pointer failed, but the Saints now had their first lead of the game, 26-22.

After Trojan turnovers had led to back-to-back St. Ignace TDs, Santilli talked to his team during a time-out. “I said, Now it’s time for you guys to try to get down to business. We have to play solid defense and get ourselves back in the game.”

The Saints’ lead lasted just 80 seconds. Jeff Hegstrom returned the kickoff 42 yards to the Trojan 44. On first down, Wheeler broke through the right side for a 40-yard gain, shedding tacklers to the Saints 16. He added 13 more to the 3, and Reid scored from the 1. Reid also added the deuce, and the Trojans were back ahead 30-26.

Plenty of drama lay ahead in the game’s final 17 minutes—but no more points would be scored.

The Trojans had a big edge in offense with 385 yards (all rushing) to St. Ignace’s 212 (73 rushing, 139 passing). FP had an 18-7 advantage in first downs. Wheeler led the ground game with 30 carries for 187. Siler had 9 for 97, and Reid had 14 for 53.

On defense, Martin had two big plays and finished with seven tackles and one assist. Valesano had 6 and 2; Wheeler was 4 and 2, and Reid was 3 and 2. Sartori and Martin had sacks; Wheeler had an interception; and Wheeler and Martin recovered fumbles.

Wheeler carried around the regional trophy after the game, and Santilli said he deserved it. “Put an S on his chest after this game,” he said. “Fumble recovery, interception, he stripped it, thirty carries, playing defense. Wow!” The Man of Steel indeed!

The injury report: Siler never returned to the game, but he was walking normally afterwards, and Santilli was crossing his fingers for this week’s game. Jake Jacobson suffered several stingers, a problem all season. Tony Greco rolled an ankle in the first half but played after halftime. Valesano was in and out—the harness he wears to protect his shoulder is so tight it restricts his breathing.

All the injuries had the coaches worried—especially since Siler plays safety on defense, and Mortensen was a big passing threat from multiple formations, Santilli said Assistant Coach Dave Graff “was schooling guys on the sidelines, trying to teach them outside linebacker responsibilities—we were scrambling there.” Halftime “gave us a little time to regroup and come up with a plan for what personnel we wanted out there.”

The Trojans survived and play again this Saturday. “They might not be the most talented team we’ve ever had,” said Santilli, “but they certainly have shown that they have heart and character. They just find a way to win.”

• Forest Park returns to the dome Nov. 22 to face Frankfort for the second time ever. Their only meeting was in the 2000 semifinals at the dome—FP won 56-23 before losing to Muskegon Catholic Central in the finals.

In the 2008 playoffs, Frankfort has beaten Marion (26-18, avenging their only loss, in week 1), Central Lake (27-0) and Bay City All Saints (33-7). Between 1988 and ’93, Frankfort played in the state Class D championship game five times (winning two), but they haven’t been back since ‘93.

The Panthers went 8-1 in the regular season this year, running the table after the 13-8 loss to Marion. They were 6-0 against Class C schools (including two 6-3 opponents; 20-7 over Kingsley and 46-20 over Flint Beecher) and defeated winless Class B Benzie Central.

Saints 6 14 6 0 -- 26

Trojans 16 6 8 0 -- 30