Bruin Athletics Newsletter
4/10/2023
Letter From Forest Park's Activities Director
Winter season 2022-23 was not great for winter weather, but it was a GREAT season for Forest Park High School sports!
We had a strong showing and a few "firsts" for the school. We have an incredible, dedicated coaching staff who work many long hours to build successful teams. Our student athletes who, along with their academic responsibilities, also put in many long hours to be part of a successful team.
A note, if you have any fantastic pictures that you have taken at a game/match/meet, please forward to me or Ms. Willenburg (brickejs@pwcs.edu or willenvr@pwcs.edu) so we can include them in future newsletters.
In closing, when you cross paths with our coaches and student athletes, remind them of the excellent job they are doing by going that extra mile.
James S. Bricker
Director of Student Activities
Swim and Dive
Gymnastics
Corinne Hughes and Jaelynn Vance were the tiny but mighty "team of two" representing Forest Park gymnastics this competition season. Corinne took on a very difficult vault and overcame her fear to became competition ready. Her highest scores this season were a 8.125 on Bars placing 1st, 9.00 on Floor placing 2nd, and a 33.250 All Around. Jaelynn stepped up to compete Floor, helping to elevate the status of Forest Park gymnastics. Her highest score this season was a 9.150 on Vault, placing 1st. They competed at Districts (after only having two prior meets due to a late season) and qualified for Regionals. At Regionals, the girls did an amazing job. These girls helped the new coach navigate the ins-and-outs of high school gymnastics. As coach and a Forest Park Gymnastics alum, I am honored to call them Bruins.
Boys Basketball
Out of the gates they won five of their first six games of the season, with most of the victories double-figures margins. The one loss was a three point loss to 2022 state runner-up Battlefield HS. The 2023 season did not come without adversity, however facing multiple injuries and battling illness, the Bruins boys lost four games in a row over the holiday break. Fighting through those tough times brought the already closely-knit unit even closer.
The Bruins boys returned after the holidays and went on to win nine of their final 12 games of the regular season, to secure the regular season Cardinal District title, securring a #1 seed in the region. This is the first regular season district title for boys basketball in Forest Park history!
In the Cardinal District tournament, the Bruins hosted rival Colgan HS in the semi-finals. The Bruins would avenge an earlier regular season loss to Colgan, earning a 20 point victory, which gave the Bruins the season series over Colgan, winning two out of the three head-to-head matchups.
The District Tournament final vs Potomac HS was a much anticipated third matchup between the top two teams in the District, with the Bruins sweeping the regular season series two games to zero. Adding to the excitement and anticipation of this game was an hour-long start delay due to a local power outage. The game did not disappoint in front of a packed crowd, the Bruins successfully completed the season sweep of Potomac HS. This victory brought another first, the Cardinal District Tournament Championship.
In Regionals, in round one, the Bruins showed the toughness that had been displayed all season, and overcame a first-half deficit to win vs Gainesville HS.
In the Regional Semi-Finals the Bruins would have an opportunity to avenge a regular season loss against Freedom HS. The Bruins and Freedom split the two regular season matchups, with each team winning on the opponent's home court. In the tiebreaker the stakes were much higher. The winner of the game would move on to the regional final and also secure a spot among the top eight teams in the State Tournament. Once again, the Bruins were up for the task, earning a 20-point victory vs Freedom, and securing their spot in the State Tournament, another first in school history!
The Bruins ended their season with a loss to Oscar Smith HS (Chesapeake) in the State Quarter Finals. Although upset with the loss, the Bruins have raised the standard for Forest Park Boys Basketball and has left everyone proud of this season's many accomplishments, and excited about what's to come in the future! The season did not end without others taking notice. seven players received all-area recognition which proved that the entire team played a part in this season's success. The players receiving post-season awards are:
*Brandon Edozie - Soph.
- 1st Team Cardinal District
- 1st Team 6B Region
- 2nd Team All State - Class 6
- Honorable Mention All Met
*Winston Raford - Sr.
- 1st Team Cardinal District
- 2nd Team 6B Region
*Ethan Josiah Salvatierra - Soph.
- 2nd Team Cardinal District
*Roman Hendrix - Jr.
- 2nd Team Cardinal District
*Jaiden McLendon Parker - Jr.
- Honorable Mention Cardinal District
*Andrew Perry - Jr.
- Honorable Mention Cardinal District
*Azaan Sheikh - Sr.
- Honorable Mention Cardinal District
Makafui K. Dogbatse
- Cardinal District Coach of the Year
The Bruins Boys Basketball players and coaches would like to thank the student body, staff, parents, and administration for all of the support this season!
Wrestling
Wrestling had a great season, taking three all the way to States with a 1st and 2nd place finish. Districts started the move toward States where we placed four 1st; one 2nd; and two 3rd wins. At Regions we took two 1st and one 3rd place slots.
District Champions:
- Ean Nguyen; AJ Orlando, Nicholas Truax and Tyler Stewart
- AJ Orlando - Cardinal District Wrestler of the Year
2nd Place:
- Jackson Hernandez
3rd Place
- Jordan McGuckin and Joseph Ramos
Regional Champions:
- AJ Orlando and Tyler Stewart
3rd Place:
- Jackson Hernandez
State Qualifiers :
Anthony Orlando, Jackson Hernandez and Tyler Stewart
State Winners:
- 1st Place - Tyler Stewart
- 2nd Place - Anthony Orlando
Prince William County:
- Tyler Stewart- 2023 Most Outstanding PWC Wrestler
- Tyler Stewart and AJ Orlando - PWC Wrestling Team
Track
Indoor Track had a great season from Districts all the way to States.
District performances: Our boys and girls 4x2 relays made it to the Regional meet. Kennedy Korzen won 1st place in the 3200 and Xavier Ogo won 1st place in long jump.
Regional performances: Xavier Ogo again placed 1st in the long jump and Kennedy Korzen placed 3rd in the 3200. The boys 4x2 relay team hit the state qualifying time.
States: Qualifiers -- Miguel Kamgaing, Solomon Smith, Kennedy Korzen, Musa Alam, Xavier Ogo and Jordan Payne
Xavier brought back a 4th in long jump from the State meet.
Girls Basketball
While the Varsity Program only posted a 2-20 record, the Girls Varsity and JV teams still enjoyed noteworthy seasons, highlighted by their hard work and consistent improvement. Freshman Michaela Thornton and juniors Brianna Shelton and Taylaur Grant were named honorable mention All District. Taylaur Grant also received the team MVP award at the "Athletes for Awareness" Classic in Richmond, VA on January 21, 2023. With only one senior graduating, the future is bright for the Bruins' Girls Basketball program!