Forest Park running back Dax Fuki, 13, brushed off a North Central defender in the second half Friday at Dick Mettlach Field. (Sean Chase/Daily News Photo)
CRYSTAL FALLS — The Forest Park and North Central eight-man varsity teams met for the second time in three weeks Friday at Dick Mettlach Field in Crystal Falls.
But this time, the MHSAA eight-player Division 2 regional title was on the line.
After losing to the Jets in Week 9, the Trojans got revenge and won 34-12.
“can’t believe it” Forest Park head coach Brian Fabbri said. “I’m more happy for the kids. I got to experience that as a player and it’s so much fun. It’s something I’ll never forget. For me, they’re writing their chapter in Forest Park football legend. It’s kind of written. I’m not done yet, but it’s a good place to start.”
The atmosphere after the game was somber for the Jets, as seniors talked to their teammates in the huddle.
“I don’t want to make excuses, but tonight we didn’t come out here with the best team possible.” Said Jets head coach Leo Godzinski. “When your teams are even, you have to give it your all. That just wasn’t the case. Hats off to Crystal Falls. We wish them the best of luck.”
“What a great group of kids for my team. We all know we’re a family. Of course Lane is my son, but I’ve watched the seniors grow up. Everything from the freshman year’s birthday party. They fought until the end. They are real football players.”
Forest Park’s Nick Stevens scored the first TD on a 10-yard pass from Vic Giuliani. Sophomore running back Dax Fuki led the Trojans with four rushing TDs, including a game-clinching 8-yard TD run late in the fourth quarter.
“That was amazing.” Fabbri said. “He broke Lane Godzinski’s tackle in the backfield. That was the turning point for me. The biggest play so far this season.”
North Central senior Lane Godzinski finished the game with two rushing TDs. For the Trojans, it was an improvement from their first meeting.
“We found a way” Fabbri said. “He injured a lot of guys, hit a lot of guys. So we did multiple reviews and found something that worked. Coach Dan Nocellini suggested a two-linebacker set, but The rest is history. We shut them down.
“Our theme was kind of ‘find a way,’ and we did that tonight.”
Forest Park returns home for the MHSAA 8-Man Division 2 state semifinal against Onekama. Game dates and times have not yet been announced.
“I have to get ready for work and go back on Monday.” Fabbri said. “There’s the next step in the process, but we’ve got to come back on Monday and recover and recover. That’s how we keep this train moving.”
