Season preview: Forest Park Bruins

By Joe Conroy

Published: August 27, 2008

After a season of marked improvement under coach Charlie Chandler, Forest Park could be poised to make a run at the Cardinal District’s top teams.

After a winless 2006, Chandler guided the Bruins to a 5-5 mark last year with the adaptation of the spread offense. Forest Park had the tools to run the system with the likes of Miguel Marshall, Tunde Bakare, B.J. Scott and Matt McCracken around quarterback Andrew Butler.

The Bruins lost Butler and McCracken to graduation, but with Marshall, Bakare and Scott all returning for their final seasons, not much will be lost from the team’s production.

“I wouldn’t say we’re loaded, but we’ll have some good depth,” Chandler said. “We return Miguel at receiver and B.J.’s healthy. Obviously Josh Langley and (Michael) McMillin have a lot of experience. At running back we have Tunde Bakare, Jacob Curry, K.J. Allen — all three of those kids have starting experience.”

Another weapon for Chandler is LaVaughn Williams, a senior receiver making the switch from running back. Williams rushed the ball just 14 times for as many yards last season, but figures to play a bigger role this year in the slot.

One question mark is who will be calling the signals, however. Butler’s leadership was just as key to the Bruins’ success last year as his arm. Butler was the All-Area first-team quarterback after throwing for 2,007 yards and 16 touchdowns, both Cardinal District-highs.

“We have some guys battling for the position,” Chandler said. “We have Bruce Facundus, who was our junior varsity quarterback, and Michael Raynes is another guy competing for the position — he was a JV/varsity guy last year.”

Facundus’ father, Bruce, is the Bruins’ quarterbacks coach, though Chandler is confident the competition is being handled fairly by all those involved.

“(Coach) does a good job with all the quarterbacks regardless and he’s very objective,” Chandler said. “He is really hard on his son. He gets some extra help as far as when he’s away from here. I’m guessing they watch film. But it’s a competition right now and we can’t say he’s our starter. He’s been working hard in the offseason and he’s got a lot of growing to do as a football player and a leader.”

Bakare is another versatile option that should factor into more games this year. The team’s defensive MVP at linebacker in ’07, Bakare dedicated himself to improving his stamina so he can participate on offense more than he did last season, when he ran for just 24 yards on 15 attempts.

“He told me this offseason, ‘Coach, I can do it, I can do both,’” Chandler said. “He really worked on his hands this offseason — he couldn’t catch the ball last year (two catches for 10 yards). Now he catches everything. He really made the effort to become a better player especially on the offensive side.

“Bakare is going to touch the ball,” Chandler added. “You know, I hear from a lot of people that he’s one of the best backs in the area that nobody knows about.”

Team info
2007 record: 5-5
Offensive look: Spread
Defensive look: 4-4
Returning starters: 6 (offense); 9 (defense)
Last playoff appearance: None
Overall record last five years: 12-38
Speed merchant: RB/LB Tunde Bakare (5-10, 185, sr.) is the team’s fastest player, running a 4.5-second 40 time.
Powerhouse performer: Senior OL/DL Anthony Milton (5-8, 225) benches 335 pounds and recently squatted 650, making him the easy choice for coach Charlie Chandler.
Blue collar special: Miguel Marshall (5-10, 180, sr.), the team’s do-everything-and-anything guy, is a leader on the field and in the huddle, says Chandler.
Other key returners:  C Justin Bell (5-7, 170, sr.); OG/DT Christian Botero (6-1, 275, sr.); OG/DE Aaron Braesicke (6-0, 215, sr.); RB Jacob Curry (5-7, 180, sr.); LB Jamaal Griffin (5-10, 185, sr.); TE/WR/DE Josh Moore (6-2, 195, sr.); WR/QB Michael Raynes (5-11, 165, sr.); WR/DE B.J. Scott (6-5, 220, sr.); OL/DT Tracy Armstrong (5-10, 220, jr.); LB Nate Brown (6-0, 220, jr.); RB/DB K.J. Allen (5-7, 165, so.)
Promising newcomers: OL Kyle Barnes (6-2, 240, sr.); WR Josh Langley (6-2, 152, sr.); WR Michael McMillin (5-6, 131, sr.); OT Derrick Peyton (6-2, 225, sr.); WR LaVaughn Williams (5-5, 150, sr.); QB Bruce Facundus (5-10, 155, jr.)
Head coach
Charlie Chandler
Age: 32
Year as Forest Park’s head coach: 3rd
Overall Record at Forest Park: 5-15
Coaching background: Graduate   assistant, Elon College, 1997; assistant coach, C.D. Hylton H.S., 1999; assistant coach, Forest Park H.S., 2000-2005
Teaches: Advanced physical education
Family: Wife Tracy; sons, Braden and Christian

SCHEDULE
(all games at 7:30 p.m. unless noted)
Sept. 5 Loudoun Valley
Sept. 12 at Stonewall Jackson
Sept. 19 at Brooke Point
Sept. 26 Hylton
Oct. 3 at E.C. Glass
Oct. 10 Freedom
Oct. 17 Woodbridge
Oct. 24 at Potomac
Oct. 31 Gar-Field
Nov. 7 at Hylton