FRUITPORT – At most high schools, Paschal Jolman would have been the undisputed No. 1 football star a long time ago.

That would have been particularly true last year, when Jolman was among the area’s leading rushers with 894 yards on 99 carries and eight touchdowns in the regular season.

But Jolman’s performance sometimes remained a little under the radar because Fruitport was loaded with offensive stars.

Guys like big-armed quarterback Gavin Reames and All-State slot receiver Cody Nash had a lot of huge games and ended up getting a lot of the headlines.

On Thursday night, however, Jolman was the undisputed hero. Not only did he have a career-best night, but his big plays kept the Trojans on top of upset-minded Kenowa Hills.

Jolman scored two touchdowns in the first half, but his biggest efforts came in the second half, when it was clear that Kenowa Hills was not going away.

The Knights scored a touchdown and took a 13-12 lead midway through the third quarter. Two plays later Jolman broke loose for a 54-yard scoring run.

In the fourth quarter Kenowa closed its deficit to six points, so Jolman answered with another 54-yard touchdown run to put the win on ice.

He finished with 190 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries, and Fruitport won its opening game 32-20.

“It was crazy,” Jolman said. ‘It was a shocker, for sure. I’ve never had a game like that in high school.”

He said his parents and other family members and friends were at the game to witness his career performance.

“They were ecstatic,” Jolman said about his mom and dad. “My older brother was there with all of his friends, too. They were going crazy during the game.”

Jolman admitted he was extra determined right before his two biggest touchdown runs, because he wanted to seal the victory, once and for all.

“Each of those moments I thought to myself, ‘I need the ball and I need to score,” he said. “There was no doubt about it. Every time I touch the ball I’m thinking ‘I’m going to break this one.’”

Regardless of his big night, Jolman said he has never cared about who gets the headlines after games, just so Fruitport wins.

“It doesn’t bother me much,” he said. “We’re all doing it for each other, anyway.”

On the other hand, he admits it was fun to have the spotlight for at least for one night.

“Most definitely,” Jolman said with a chuckle. “I haven’t had that spotlight since little league!”

Fruitport coach Nate Smith was thrilled with Jolman’s performance, particularly in the second half when he answered everything that the Knights could dish out.

“He took advantage of what was given to him,” Smith said. “He’s been on varsity since he was a sophomore, and he’s learned to keep working and working and opportunities will come, and once he gets in open space he’s gone.

“He had some really big games last year, but the cast of standout players was pretty long, so for him to do that in the very first game this year was really special and timely.”

Both Jolman and the offensive line saved their best efforts for the final two quarters and were a deadly combination, according to the coach.

“The line did a great job, especially in the second half, with maintaining their blocks, and Paschal exploited that,” Smith said.

Jolman has grown a lot as a running back since he came to varsity two years ago, according to Smith.

The natural abilities – raw speed and an amazing ability to make cuts – were always there, the coach said.

“He’s very fast in the open field, and his ability to change direction and re-accelerate is pretty impressive,” Smith said. “He’s part of the passing game too. He jumps out in the slot on certain sets and can run routes as good as anybody. He had three or four big catches on Thursday.”

The difference, now that he’s a senior, is that Jolman has learned to be more patient and look for running room that the O-line creates.

“That’s always a challenge for great high school running backs, having the discipline to follow the path of the blocks that are created,” Smith said. “It’s mental versus physical, and last year he became more and more comfortable with that. The more he grows, the sky is the limit for him.”

While Jolman had the biggest moments on Thursday, there will be still be games when his teammates shine the brightest, because Fruitport is still loaded with talent. Besides Nash, who is back for his senior season, the Trojans have guys like speedy receiver Nash Cooper and senior quarterback Collin Jolman – Paschal’s twin brother – who can break open big plays at any time.

Collin Jolman had a very nice game on Thursday in his first start at quarterback. He completed nine passes for 138 yards and ran for 108 yards, including a big 71-yard touchdown burst.

The nice part is that Paschal Jolman doesn’t need the hype to have fun on the field, according to Coach Smith. He’s an incredibly strong leader and supportive teammate who wants everyone to shine, he said.

“On one of his touchdown runs Cody Nash made a great block at the 5-yard line, and Paschal had his hand up to give him a high-five before he even reached the end zone,” Smith said. “That’s unique for a kid with that sort of talent having that sort of mindset. He knows he’s gifted, but the way he loves his teammates is great.”

Jolman says it’s easy to love his teammates because he’s been playing with most of them for years.

“We’ve been playing together since we were about six, and we just have a blast together,” he said. “That’s a big key to what we’re going to bring this year.”