CRYSTAL FALLS—Coaches can teach their players many things, said Forest Park Coach Gene Dziubinski after his Trojans visited West Iron County Jan. 21. “The part of the game you really can’t coach,” he continued, “is shooting the basketball.”

A long dry spell in the third quarter proved his point. During a four-minute span, West Iron hit 8 of its 13 shots from the floor. Forest Park had loaded some bad ammunition—just 1 of 14.

The Wykons’ 19-4 scoring run turned a one-point Trojan lead into a 14-point West Iron margin, and the Wykons moved on to take a 55-43 win.

That loss followed FP’s 64-45 loss at Bark River-Harris Jan. 19. Forest Park enters this week with a 6-4 record overall, 3-1 in the Skyline Conference.

The Wykons defeated Ironwood earlier in the week (separate story). They enter this week 7-2 overall and 3-1 in the West Pac Conference.

Throughout the first half, the Wykons-Trojans game was tense and competitive. West Iron started the second half with a 22-21 lead, and baskets by Tanner Mayo and Paul Angeli made it 26-21.

The Trojans fired right back. Tim Martin converted a three-point play, and moments later Taylor Bartczak nailed a three-point shot, putting the visitors in front 27-26.

Then things happened.

After tying it with a free throw, Angeli scored from the lane. Martin tied it with free throws, but Davin Lindwall scored, made a free throw and Angeli hit a three. After a time-out, Mayo put in two buckets before FP’s Dan Renner scored on a rebound.

West Iron led 39-31 as the fourth quarter started, and the margin grew to 14 points on two more Mayo baskets and his pass to 6-5 teammate Joel Heimerl, who delighted the Wykon fans with a fast-break hoop. Now it was 45-31.

The Trojans fought back on Martin’s free throws and fast break buckets by Jeff Hegstrom and Bartczak. But the lead was still 45-38, Martin had just fouled out, and just 1:37 remained. The Wykons made of 8 of 11 after that to wrap up the win.

When the final horn sounded, West Iron’s noisy white-clad fans rushed the floor to swarm their players—who quickly broke free to shake the Trojans’ hands.

“Our student section had been organizing this for two to three days—the whiteout,” WIC Coach Nate Fales said. “I thought they were a factor; I know our guys were pumped up to play.”

West Iron got away to an early 7-2 lead and led 14-6 after one quarter. In the second frame, two baskets by Renner and a Hegstrom three briefly put the Trojans ahead 21-10 before WIC’s Nick Rosseau made two at the line just before halftime.

Dziubinski didn’t care a lot for some of the officials’ calls, particularly a marginal over-and-back violation at a key point the fourth quarter. But his focus after the game was on FP’s shooting woes in the second half.

“They jumped out there with 10 or 12 points in a row,” he said. “We had the opportunities to keep pace, but we miss and they go down and score.”

While nobody had a terrific night on offense, he noted, “The Angeli kid is just a blue-chipper. Go to Angeli, and something will get done—he’ll either make a basket or get fouled and go to the free throw line.”

Another factor was Forest Park’s recent battle with the flu bug. Since then, “We just haven’t been playing well.” He said his team would get a day off before they start preparing to face 10 straight Skyline Conference opponents.

For the Wykons, Fales said he felt the key was holding FP’s Christian Valesano and Martin below 10 points. Martin scored 14 to lead the team but got in foul trouble in the second half, while Valesano had three fouls in the first half. “That took them out of their game right away.” Both Bartczak and Renner scored eight for the Trojans.

Angeli scored 17 of his 22 points in the second half, and Mayo backed him up with 13 of his 20-point total. Mayo pulled down 15 rebounds, and Heimerl had six, while Angeli rebounded well at guard.

“That’s been the area all year,” Fales noted. “If we are going to rebound, we can be a decent team. That’s what we’re working on every day, and we’re gradually getting better at it.

“I give Crystal’s kids all the credit in the world. They’re winners, they fight hard, and they narrowed that gap in the fourth. There’s no quit in them. I think we’re fortunate to win both games.”

At Bark River, the Trojans trailed 35-25 at halftime but closed the gap to six points in the third quarter.

The Broncos got their lead by shooting 45% in the first half, as Brad Ives scored 10 points in the first quarter—he finished with 26. FP struggled with 31% from the floor in the first half and 30% for the game.

“I thought we were playing as steady as we could,” Dziubinski said. “But they have some awfully gifted athletes, too, and they pounded the ball inside and got some easy stuff.”

The Broncos won by 17 points and had an 18-point advantage at the free throw line, hitting 22 of 29 (14 of 16 in the second half). Forest Park struggled on freebies—4 of 13 for the game.

For the Trojans, Valesano led with 13 points (including two threes), Martin scored 10 and Renner had nine. Martin led with seven rebounds, and Bartczak had four assists.

This week, the Trojans start the second half of the season, and all 10 games will be against Skyline Conference rivals. They will host North Dickinson on Jan. 26 and travel to Carney-Nadeau Jan. 29.

On Feb. 2, Mid Peninsula visits the Chambers Gym.

Trojans 11 14 9 11 -- 45
Broncos 18 17 12 17 -- 64

Trojans 6 15 10 12 -- 43
Wykons 14 8 17 16 -- 55