North Dickinson’s Trenton Kramer (10) reaches for a pass against Onekama during an MHSAA eight-player Division 2 state semifinal Saturday in Marquette. Kramer had 11 catches for 155 yards in the Nordics’ 36-28 win. (Dawn Larson photo)

FELCH TOWNSHIP — Early in the fourth quarter of North Dickinson’s MHSAA eight-player Division 2 semifinal against Onekama on Saturday, the Nordics had seen their 22-point lead shrink to eight.

The Portagers (11-1) had just scored on a 73-yard touchdown pass and added the 2-point conversion to slice ND’s lead to 36-28. And after Onekama stymied the Nordics on the next possession, it looked like Portagers were riding a momentum wave.

That is until the Nordics lined up to punt.

“We had a very strong wind blowing right in our face, so I just thought (quarterback) Brady (Jungwirth) could probably throw it farther than he would kick it …,” ND coach Mike Christian said. “So with Trent (Kramer) running a pattern and Brady throwing, I have complete confidence in those two guys, and I didn’t think they would expect us to go for it. 

“To be honest, if the wind was at our backs, we would have punted.”

The gutsy call with 8:57 remaining turned into a 63-yard touchdown and, after the 2-point conversion, restored ND’s 16-point lead. It was a back-breaking play.

Score one for meteorology and serendipity.

Jungwirth cool under heat

Senior quarterback Brady Jungwirth has played with poise throughout the season, and he did so again in the semifinal victory. Just one example of that came when Jungwirth rolled to his right, and under a heavy pass rush on third-and-eight inside the red zone, threw a perfect strike to a heavily covered Tyler Fleming for a TD.

“It is just great to have a QB like Brady because he understands the game as well as any player I have seen,” Christian said. “It’s like the game slows down for him. It is such an honor to be able to coach him.”

Nordics stars

Jungwirth completed 18 of 23 passes for 217 yards and four touchdowns in the game. He played pitch-and-catch with his tallest receiver, Trent Kramer, all game long. Kramer finished with 11 receptions for 155 yards.

Not that the Nordics forgot about their running game. Jason Graham finished with 149 yards and Tyler Fleming added 55 yards on the ground and also caught two passes for 24 yards 

Graham led the Nordic defense with eight tackles and both Jungwirth and Ty King recorded a sack.

“They all played so great today, and I am so proud of them,” Christian said after Saturday’s win. “This was a great team win.”

Offense bests defense

Onekama came into the semifinal allowing just 11 points per game. The most the Portagers had given up previous to their encounter with the Nordics was 24 to Bay City All Saints on Sept. 27.

In its last six games before Saturday’s showdown with the Nordics, Onekama had surrendered only 8 points per outing.

But no matter to North Dickinson. The unbeaten Nordics put up 14 points by the midway point of the second quarter. Then, after scoring two touchdowns in the final nine seconds of the second quarter — the second score after the Portagers muffed the kickoff — North Dickinson went into the locker room at halftime with the most points scored against Onekama all season.