Forest Park quarterback Vic Giuliani, 12, partes ways with Norway’s Cole Byge, 24, at Dick Mettlach Field on Sept. 13. (Sean Chase/Daily News Photo)
IRON MOUNTAIN — Forest Park’s 8-man varsity team is one win away from advancing to the MHSAA 8-man Division 2 state finals after avenging its only loss of the season against North Central.
But before the Trojans travel to the Superior Dome at Northern Michigan University, they must face Onekama (10-1) at noon today at Dick Mettlach Field.
The Portagers have won nine straight games against Crystal Falls. This streak is fueled by an offense that is averaging 32 points per game.
“They spread the ball out well.” FP head coach Brian Fabbri said. “Nothing fancy. We don’t have one All-Star player that we have to guard. They have multiple athletes and multiple looks and they spread the ball around. They have up to four players in the backfield. I’ve seen them with different quarterbacks. They’re a team that plays good football. Everyone has to do their job and shut them down. It just doesn’t happen.”
Defensively, Onekama is giving up an average of 17 points per game. Fabbri said the Portagers rely more on size than flashy defense.
“They’re big, they have a number of guys in the 200-pound range, and they’re probably the biggest team we’ve seen this year.” Fabbri said.
Onekama’s numbers are impressive, but they pale in comparison to the Trojans’ offensive output. Through 11 games, Forest Park is averaging 48 points per game and holding their opponents to 13 points per game.
Sophomore running back Dax Fuki will lead the way for the Trojans. Through 11 games, he carried the ball 121 times for 1,267 yards and 18 touchdowns. But he’s not alone. Senior Grayson Sandell helped balance Forest Park’s offense. To date, he has carried the ball 75 times for 832 yards and 15 TDs.
Vic Giuliani also added four rushing TDs for the Trojans. But his biggest impact was from the air. Giuliani completed 35 of 63 passes for 14 TDs and 886 yards through 11 games.
Finishing the regular season 9-0 was part of the Trojans’ plans, but Fabbri considers the Oct. 25 loss to North Central a blessing in disguise.
“It really helped us refocus.” Fabbri said. “It brought me back down to earth, where I was thinking big for a while. From the players to the coaching staff, it leveled us out and made us realize we’re not invincible. . We have to play a good game of football to keep moving forward.”
If Forest Park can handle the game against Onekama, it will ensure the Trojans’ first trip to the Superior Dome since 2017. However, they are only focused on what is in front of them.
“I can’t see what’s ahead.” Fabbri said. “We don’t need to talk about the other two teams on the other side of the bracket, because as we saw in Week 9, if you’re not prepared for what’s in front of you, you can lose really easily “And this time, there will be no second chance. If I lose one thing now, there will be no tomorrow.”
Tickets for this game are $10 and must be purchased online at https://gofan.co/event/2226994. The game is also streamed online at https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/forest-park-high-school-crystal-falls-mi/gam205cf0adb4.
