FRUITPORT – If you want a good example of what high school sports can do for kids, look no farther than Fruitport senior offensive lineman Kamren Richards.

This was a kid who needed a dose of discipline and structure and a chance to prove himself, and found all of that on the football field.

While most high school players track their football careers back to little league or middle school, Richards was different. He played little league baseball as a youngster, but never played organized football until his freshman year of high school.

He was recruited by a coach and several classmates, because the JV squad only had 11 players at the time. Richards joined and a lot of times was the only kid on the sideline, because the other 11 were needed in the game.

“They had already played one game when I joined,” Richards said. “I played here and there when they needed me.”

Richards didn’t take to the sport right away, and openly mentioned that he might not return to the team the following season.

“We joke about it now, how he said he wasn’t sure he wanted to play anymore,” said Fruitport head coach Nate Smith, whose team will travel to Cadillac on Friday night to play in the first round of the Division 4 state playoffs. “Coach Flores, our JV coach, told him ‘I hope you do, but if you don’t, you don’t.’ He just needed to commit to it, and he did. He kind of worked his way up.”

“I didn’t know if I was willing to keep putting in the effort,” Richards said about his initial indecision about continuing to play. “But the other guys talked me into staying. They said we’re a family and we have to stick together.”

Richards kept improving on the field through his second year of JV football, and his junior year on varsity, when he was a reserve.

He started this season as a backup, too, but when the starting right offensive tackle was injured before the second game, Richards finally got his chance, and he’s been starting and achieving ever since.

For Richards, it has been all about attitude and effort, according to Smith. He willed himself to get better at the game, and kept pushing until he won a position.

“Talk about somebody making an incredible effort, he’s all out on every single play,” Smith said. “Whether he makes the right block or the wrong block, he’s 100 percent, and that’s all the coaches can ask for.

“What makes him very unique is that he understands who he is as a player, and understands how he’s grown and how his role on the team has grown. He knows he’s not a D1 (college recruit), but he also knows he put the work in and he’s a better football player because of it. He trusted his teammates and his coaches and got great results. He’s really exceeded his physical abilities in the last six weeks.

“We were watching film the other day of our game against Cadillac (in Week 2 of the regular season) and I said ‘Kamren look, you’re a completely different player.’ The whole team saw that, too. He’s just gained a lot of confidence, his understanding of his assignments has increased, and his technique is 100 times better.”

That kind of praise for Richards would surprise anyone who knew him a few years ago, and hadn’t seen him since.

In middle school, Richards said he was a kid in a “bad place.” He talked back to adults, occasionally got into some minor trouble, and didn’t do very well in school.

Then he found football, and bit by bit matured. These days he’s a friendly, helpful guy with a good attitude who’s liked and appreciated by his coaches and teammates.

“It changed me a lot,” Richards said. “It changed me as a person, mentally and physically. I was in a bad place when I started my freshman year. Football helped me get through high school and get better grades. There was no effort in middle school.

“Football puts you in a good mindset, and gets you ready for the hard work that’s coming after high school.”

While football has left its mark on Richards, Richards has left his mark on the Fruitport program, according to Coach Smith.

“He’s a great character,” Smith said. “He’s funny and he works hard and he embraces it when he makes a mistake – he will say ‘Yup, that sucked.’ The other kids have a ton of respect for him. He’s an all-in kid. We talk a lot about 212 degrees – that’s the point where water becomes steam, and we say it’s not until you hit 212 degrees that real change takes place. That’s what Kamren embodies. His story will be told here for years.”

Richards and the Trojans got into the playoffs by having a good second half of the season. They started out 1-4, then won three of their next four games to finish 4-5. They snuck into the Division 4 playoff field because of tough schedule they played.

The Trojans lost to Cadillac 28-12 in Week 2, and now will have a rematch against the defending state runner-up. But Smith and Richards say Cadillac will be playing a far better team this time around.

“My wife was kind of mocking me on Sunday because I kept checking every half hour to see if we made it,” Smith said. “We got together and had a watch party, and until I saw that we were in I didn’t feel comfortable. When our name went up (on the television) the guys were pretty excited.

“We are a much different team than when we played them before. We have a much different offensive line, our running game is much more established, and our defense is much more confident.”

Richards said the team has improved “by working hard in every practice and giving 100 percent effort in every game.”

So how much better are the Trojans?

“I can’t say on that one – you will have to see on Friday,” Richards said.