MARQUETTE -- It was rough going for the Frankfort offense Saturday afternoon at Northern Michigan University's Superior Dome.
The Panthers, who were limited to four first downs and 45 yards, dropped a 20-0 decision to Crystal Falls Forest Park in a Division 8 state semifinal contest.
"They outmanned us physically," Frankfort coach Matt Stapleton said. "They certainly put a lot of pressure on our quarterback. We're the type of team that needs to put together time-consuming drives and today we weren't able to get that done."
Crystal Falls, which improved to 11-2, advanced to the state finals for the sixth straight year where it will face Beal City (12-1) Friday at 10 a.m. at Ford Field in Detroit. The Panthers finished 10-3, losing to Forest Park in the semifinals for the second straight year.
Try as they might, the Panthers were unable to shut down senior tailback Josh Siler, who rushed 26 times for 189 yards and two touchdowns.
"I'd say Lake Linden was probably the most difficult team for us to run on this year and these guys are a close second," said Siler. "They (Frankfort) hit hard."
Siler opened the scoring by breaking off left tackle and sprinting 59 yards along the sidelines on the opening play of the second quarter.
He also ended the scoring by plowing through the right side on a 1-yard run with 19 seconds left in the contest.
Senior flanker Levi Oleksy, perhaps the unsung hero in Forest Park's offense, scored on a 3-yard run off left tackle for a 14-0 advantage two plays into the fourth stanza.
"Because we're not a quick-strike team, their second touchdown made for a bigger mountain to climb," said Stapleton. "Yet, I'm proud of our guys for what they did accomplish this year. It's hard to get to the semifinals. The fact that we made it this far in back-to-back years indicates we're doing some good things."
The Panthers, despite gaining just 19 yards in total offense in the first half, headed into the halftime locker room trailing only 6-0.
But much to Frankfort's dismay, the Trojans' defense never let up.
Senior quarterback Dan Nugent, who felt the brunt of it, was sacked seven times in the contest.
"What an effort," Forest Park coach Bill Santilli said. "I couldn't have imagined them not scoring. I simply can't say enough about coach (defensive coordinator Dave) Graff about what he has done for this team. The kids stepped up and carried out their assignments to perfection."
Nugent completed 4-of-8 passes for 36 yards and one interception.
Senior Poom Hang led the Panthers in rushing with 22 yards on 11 carries.
Crystal Falls collected 306 yards in total offense, including 251 on the ground. Oleksy added 58 yards in 21 attempts.
Forest Park senior QB Christian Valesano was 4-of-10 passing for 55 yards. Three of his aerials went to senior Dan Renner for 44.
"We have come so far since the third week of the season (in a 28-21 loss at Hurley, Wis.)," said Santilli. "This doesn't even resemble the team that lost at Hurley. After getting by Lake Linden (14-8 in the district final) our confidence raised to a new level. Right now, I can say something positive about everybody on both sides of the ball. Frankfort has a real nice team. They definitely deserved to be here."
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