[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 18] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 23802-23803] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]TRIBUTE TO THE 2006 CRYSTAL FALLS FOREST PARK HIGH SCHOOL TROJANS ______ HON. BART STUPAK of michigan in the house of representatives Thursday, December 7, 2006 Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 2006 Crystal Falls Forest Park High School Trojans. This high school football team has made the entire Upper Peninsula (U.P.) community proud by once again beating the odds and advancing to the Division 8 State Finals game at Ford Field in Detroit. This was the third straight year that the Crystal Falls Forest Park Trojans advanced to the Division 8 state high school football championship game. These players, their coaches and the entire Crystal Falls Forest Park community should be commended for representing the U.P. at Michigan's state football championship. In many ways, the Trojans' advancement to the state finals again this year was a classic Cinderella story. Some ``inside'' football experts had predicted that 2006 would be a rebuilding year for the Trojans, as this year's roster included only 2 seniors. However, what the Trojans lacked in size and experience, they made up for with dedication, heart and teamwork. These 34 young men brought an unselfish attitude to the game that many college and professional players could learn from. The team's moment of truth for this year's season came on October 13, when they played Bessemer High School. The shorthanded Trojans suffered a 14-6 loss, dropping their record to 6-2 for the season and jeopardizing their chances at the playoffs. While many teams might allow a dispiriting loss such as this to derail their playoff ambitions, the Trojans came together as a team to overcome this challenge and rally in the face of adversity. The Trojans followed their setback in Bessemer with 5 straight wins, including 4 in the postseason. Assistant Coach Dave Graff summed up the winning attitude of this year's Trojans when he said, ``We might not be the best team, but we're good enough to get where we're going. They believe in themselves and anything is possible.'' The community of Crystal Falls Forest Park and the U.P. truly united behind the Trojans, giving 110 percent of their support. Some of the supporters of the team traveled a long distance--in a short period--to cheer on their team. Crystal Falls Forest Park fans loaded up three buses at the high school at 10:00 p.m. Thanksgiving night and trekked more than 500 miles, arriving at Ford Field at 7:30 a.m. the Friday morning of the game. That gave the fans just a few hours to stretch before the 10 a.m. kickoff! Mr. Speaker, each member of this team deserves to be recognized and I want to take a moment to share their names: Fred Hubbard; Jim Freeman; Dustin Basirico; Bob Reid; Zach Sawyer; Kyle Roberts; Justin James; Calix Sholander; John Grandahl; Levi Oleksy; Kyle LaVacque; Tony Grandahl; Andrew Bortolini; Matt Sundquist; Bryan LaChapelle; Erik Peterson; Josh Siler; Tim Wheeler; Ethan Uren; Justin Process; Jim Wheeler; Tony Renner; Marcus Smithson; Kevin Takala; Chris McCarthy; William Bortolini; Bill Fennick; Travis Hoenig; Bill Paige; Ed Zarn; Paige Armstrong; Pat Bredy; Ben Shuck; Jake Jacobson; Jeff Sartori; and Andrew Gussert. I would be remiss if I did not also salute the Trojans' talented coaching staff. Head Coach Bill Santilli and Assistant Coaches Dave Graff, Gerard Valesano, Gene Giuliani, Jeff Chernach and Dan LaPoint should all be commended for helping lead the Crystal Falls Forest Park Trojans to a third state championship game. Managers L.J. Burns, Dan Ballo-Shuck and Lee Graff should also be recognized for their contributions, as should their trainer, Mark Nylund. Together, this talented coaching staff shepherded this year's young team to the state finals. Mr. Speaker, the Crystal Falls Forest Park football team knew what the late, great Green Bay Packers coach, Vince Lombardi always said, ``Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is.'' The Trojan team wanted to win more than the so-called ``inside'' football experts predicted! Mr. Speaker, I ask the U.S. House of Representatives to join me in congratulating the Crystal Falls Forest Park Trojans football team, their classmates, parents and the community on their exceptional season and in wishing the Trojans well when they retake the field for the 2007 season. [[Page 23803]] ____________________