Forest Park’s Sam McKissack (31) rushes as Lake Linden-Hubbell’s Sam Roberts (3) and Randy Roberts (22) defend during a MHSAA 8-player Division 2 regional semifinal game on Saturday at Warner Athletic Field in Lake Linden. (Adam Niemi/The Daily Mining Gazette)

LAKE LINDEN — What a difference two weeks can make in high school football.

Two weeks ago, the Crystal Falls-Forest Park Trojans jumped out to a 6-0 lead at Warner Athletic Field only to see the Lake Linden-Hubbell Lakes storm back with the game’s next 36 points, essentially winning the right to host the MHSAA 8-player regional semifinal Saturday.

But Saturday’s rematch between the two teams was very different.

Neither squad found the end zone until the Trojans capped a 14-play, 70-yard drive with a five-yard run from junior back Sam McKissack with 1:25 left in the third quarter.

It was all Forest Park needed for the 8-0 win.

Forest Park visits North Central (10-0) at 6 p.m. Friday in the Division 2 regional finals.

For Trojans head coach Brian Fabbri, getting to the third quarter while holding the Lakes at bay was instrumental in earning the win.

“It was huge for us,” he said. “A long bus ride to come into a place where we got physically manhandled two weeks ago. They took it to us. So, I knew if we could weather the storm right away, maybe pop a couple of big plays, it’d be good. Zero-zero at halftime was perfect. I’ll take that any day.”

After McKissack’s touchdown and Felix Quevedo’s two-point conversion run, the Lakes marched down the field in a drive that spanned much of the fourth quarter after closing out the third. They pushed down to the Trojans’ 6-yard line on a 3-yard run by Tampas, and called a timeout with 3:46 left. On a fourth-and-goal, senior back Mason Codere looked to his left and lobbed a pass to senior receiver Marcus Sutherland in the end zone. Sutherland bobbled the ball as McKissack came crashing in, knocking Sutherland over as the ball hit the ground, ending the Lakes’ threat with 3:37 left in the game.

“We had run power over and over,” Gervais said. “You’re getting maybe three yards a chunk. You’re probably not getting six. So we said, ‘Let’s try go backside. Let’s go and see if somebody falls asleep on that back side. It’s always hard to do.

“We were able to get him out on a kind of a corner route instead of an out route. He was there, but the defender made a nice play.”

The Lakes (7-3) stopped the Trojans in their tracks on the ensuing drive, forcing the Trojans to punt. McKissack punted and pinned the Lakes back on their own 34 with just 2:01 remaining. Codere threw an interception to McKissack five plays later, ending any hope of the Lakes completing a comeback.

For the Trojans (8-2), establishing control at the line of scrimmage was paramount to anything they wanted to do over the course of the game. That control was on display during their lengthy drive that came to be the difference in the game.

“That’s what we at Forest Park kind of pride ourselves on,” Fabbri said. “Even back when I played, before my time, controlling the line of scrimmage, finding that workhorse running back and riding them a little bit. Sam McKissack had a great game. Guys in front of him blocked well. We threw a little counter action at them that busted some holes in the middle there.”

The Lakes turned the ball over on downs in the third quarter that opened the door for the Trojans. On fourth-and-inches, Codere set up in the shotgun and was tackled behind the line of scrimmage.

McKissack carried the ball eight times on the Trojans’ ensuing drive as they created time and space for him to work. He finished his day with 24 carries for 86 yards.

“Sam means a lot to our team,” Fabbri said. “He’s a junior. It’s his first year running the ball as the main guy, and he just never says no.”

On the opposite side of the field, the Lakes struggled to establish senior back Ben Tampas as their featured runner throughout the contest, especially after senior back Travis Ongie was sidelined in the first quarter with an injury to his left hand, taking away the Lakes’ passing game. Struggling with illness, Tampas rushed for 44 yards on 14 carries.

FP 0 0 8 0– 8

LL-H 0 0 0 0–0

Third Quarter

FP — McKissack 5 run (Quevedo run), 1:25.

STATS

FP LLH

First downs 11 11

Total Net Yards 150 225

Rushes-yards 40-120 42-141

Passing 30 84

Comp-Att-Int 2-6-1 4-7-1

Punts 2-52.5 1-41

Fumbles-Lost 0-0 3-2

Time of Possession 20:46 27:14

Individual Statistics

RUSHING–FP, McKissack 24-86, Woollard 6-20, Quevedo 8-9, Alder 2-5. LLH, S. Roberts 17-70, Tampas 14-44, R. Roberts 4-14, Ongie 2-7, Codere 5-6.

PASSING–FP, Woollard 1-2-0-26, McKissack 1-3-0-4, Quevedo 0-1-0-0. LLH, Codere 3-6-1-52, Ongie 1-1-0-32.

RECEIVING–FP, W. Curtis 1-26, Woolllard 1-4. LLH, Sutherland 1-32, R. Roberts 2-31, Koskela 1-21.