CRYSTAL FALLS — On a snowy night at Dick Mettlach Field, Forest Park had its home opener on Friday. Behind 213 yards rushing and four touchdowns from Gabe Scarlassara, the Trojans defeated Stephenson 32-22.

It was the head coaching debut of newly appointed Forest Park head coach Brian Fabbri.

“Tonight was a great game for the kids, I am proud of them for perceivering throughout the season. With the forfeited games, being quarantined and everything else,” Fabbri said.

The snow accumulated for nearly the entire first half.

“It made the field wet and slushy. The yard lines and yard markers were hard to see,” said Fabbri.

Less than two minutes into the game, Scarlassara broke free to put the Trojans ahead 6-0. He added two more scores late in the second quarter, within 2:30 of one another, to put the home team ahead 18-0.

The Trojans recovered the ensuing kickoff that skipped off of a Stephenson player. Forest Park capitalized as Scarlassara added his fourth score with under a minute remaining in the first half. The Trojans took a 24-0 lead into the locker room.

Early in the third quarter, Scarlassara injured his shoulder and left the game. Stephenson got on the scoreboard midway though the third, to narrow the Trojans’ lead to 24-8. Late in the third quarter, Tommy Showers scored from a yard out as the Trojans increased their lead to 32-8.

Early in the final quarter, the Eagles scored and added a second successful two-point conversion, to make it 32-16. On Forest Park’s ensuing drive, an Eagles defender scooped up a Trojans fumble and rambled 88 yards for a touchdown.

After an unsuccessful Stephenson two-point conversion, the Trojans led 32-22 and would run out the clock on their last possession.

Forest Park had 365 total yards, all of them on the ground with 54 total carries and 15 total first downs. Scarlassara’s 213 yards came on 20 carries. Showers added 126 yards on 27 carries.

“The kids played hard, Mick (Valesano) and I enjoyed our first game as varsity coaches. They battled through Gabe (Scarlassara) getting hurt,” said Fabbri. “We had to change things on the fly”

Forest Park, who improves to 3-1 on the season, travels to Ontonagon on Friday to complete the regular season. Stephenson returns home to face North Central on the same night.

S– 0 0 8 14 — 22

FP– 6 18 6 0 — 32

1st Quarter

FP-Gabe Scarlassara 53 yard run (run failed) 10:03, 6-0

2nd Quarter

FP- Scarlassara 45 yard run (run failed) 5:44, 12-0

FP- Scarlassara 19 yard run (pass failed) 3:16, 18-0

FP- Scarlassara run (pass failed) 0:30, 24-0

3rd Quarter

S- James Caldron 1 yard run (Caldron run) 8:31, 24-8

FP- tommy Showers 1 yard run (Peyton Willard run), 32-8

4th Quarter

S- Caldron 23 yard run (Pass Good) 11:12, 32-16

S- Tristan Kacynski 88 yard fumble return (run failed), 32-22