Forest Park overcomes penalties

By Joe Conroy

Published: September 12, 2008

It wasn’t pretty, but the Forest Park offense was just potent enough to hold off Stonewall Jackson 28-10 in the Raiders’ home opener.
Penalties slowed the Bruins in the first half, limiting the visiting team to just 14 points to begin the game. Forest Park was called for 18 penalties for 150 yards and had a score recalled on one, a block in the back on a 57-yard pass on fourth and 28 for a touchdown.
Despite the miscues, coach Charlie Chandler was pleased with his team’s execution of the plays as a whole.
“The execution is very encouraging because, if we take away those penalties we have a lot going for us,” he said. “It’s like my kids want to do too much and they don’t need to.”
Instead, the defense shut down any hope the Raiders may have harbored entering the contest, holding Stonewall to just 103 yards on offense.
“I thought defensively (we) played a hell of a game,” Chandler said. “The coaches got them well-prepared and they played hard. I know Stonewall was missing some key guys — that helps, too.”
Stonewall’s big threat, Damien Thigpen, missed his second straight game of the 2008 season with a badly sprained ankle. Thigpen, who has committed to Tennessee, is day-to-day and had been wearing a protective boot on the injured joint at recent practices.
Forest Park did show its quick-strike ability throughout the game, but most were erased because of penalties.
Quarterback Bruce Facundus hooked up with Miguel Marshall for a 37-yard pass on a 76-yard, five-minute drive that ended with Facundus plunging over the goal line for a two-yard touchdown, the Bruins’ second score of the half.
Facundus finished the evening with 126 yards on 14 of 26 passing and Tundae Bakare scored twice on the ground, including a 76-yard dash to the end zone. Bakare totaled 100 yards rushing.