HUDSONVILLE — As has been the case through the first weeks of the season, Fruitport’s offense put up major points with a slew of explosive plays Friday night against Hudsonville Unity Christian.

Unfortunately for the Trojans, their habit of allowing opponents to run up scores continued as well. Fruitport couldn’t quite keep pace with the Crusaders in a battle of big plays and fell 60-46 at Hudsonville’s Eagle Stadium.

“Defensively, we’ve got to be able to adjust and react – I think that’s where we’re lacking right now,” said Fruitport Coach Nate Smith. “We can get lined up, and if everybody makes their plays, we’re fine. But when (opponents) make an adjustment, we don’t make the adjustment back. We’re not reacting. That, I would say, is the big picture of what we’ve got to get better at.

“Defense has been a hole that we’ve had and we’ve got to keep fixing it.”

Fruitport’s Paschal Jolman looks for running room against Unity Christian. Photo/Mitchell Boatman

Smith did say he was proud of the effort his defensive coaches put into game preparation, but the Trojans still struggled to contain the wing-T misdirection offense of the Crusaders. Ultimately, Smith thinks the team can still build and improve on defense.

“The guys that played tonight played a physical football game all night long,” he said. “Obviously I’m disappointed in the score, but we’ve got some good stuff we can build on.”

Until a turnover on downs by Fruitport late in the fourth quarter, each team scored on all but one of their possessions — a Fruitport punt on its opening drive and a Unity Christian fumble in the first quarter. That made an onside kick by the Crusaders a crucial part of the game.

Leading 16-12 at the start of the second quarter, Unity Christian scored to go up 24-12. The Crusaders then sent a line drive at the Trojan front line on the ensuing kickoff that deflected off a Trojan and back to the Crusaders.

The Trojan defense lines up prior to a snap against Unity Christian. Photo/Mitchell Boatman

Five plays later, the Crusaders scored again to go up 30-12 and gain some separation.

“It came down to possessions,” Smith said. “They gave us one possession when they fumbled the ball, we gave them that one back. You can’t do that against a team like this. You’ve got to play punch-for-punch. I think we got dazed.”

Fruitport is now 2-2 on the season and 1-1 in the O-K Blue conference. The Trojans will host Coopersville next week in another conference game.

Unity Christian got off to a 16-0 lead in the first quarter on touchdown runs by Max VanKoevering and Nolan Vis.

Cody Nash put Fruitport on the board with an 83-yard touchdown run to make it 16-6. After a Crusader fumble, Collin Jolman scored from six yards out to make it 16-12 at the end of one quarter.

The Crusaders then scored on a 25-yard run by Vis and, following the onside kick, a 20-yard pass from Mitch Tibbe to Isaac Stienstra to go up 30-12. A 34-yard run by Collin Jolman brought Fruitport within 30-18 with 6:40 to play in the half.

Paschal Jolman looks for room to run against Unity Christian. Photo/Mitchell Boatman

Vis scored his third touchdown on the next drive, a 39-yard run, to make it 38-18, Unity’s largest lead. Fruitport added a score before halftime on a five-yard pass from Collin Jolman to Nash to draw within 14 points at 38-24.

On the opening possession of the second half, Collin Jolman scored on an 11-yard run to make the score 38-32. Unity Christian answered with a 50-yard run by Stienstra to put the Crusaders ahead 46-32. On the next play, Paschal Jolman broke free for a 75-yard score to narrow the score to 46-38.

Two plays into the final quarter, Dylan VanderGoot scored on a 24-yard run for Unity Christian to make it 54-38. Nash then broke free for a 75-yard touchdown off a pass from Collin Jolman to keep Fruitport alive at 54-46.

The Crusaders iced the game on the next possession with a four-yard touchdown run by Vis, his fourth of the game, to make it 60-46. Fruitport turned the ball over on downs with 2:46 to play and Unity Christian ran out the clock.

Fruitport’s offense huddles before a play. Photo/Mitchell Boatman

Collin Jolman ran for 85 yards and three TDs and completed 6-of-10 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

Paschal Jolman led the Trojan rushing attack with 175 yards on 13 carries with one TD. Nash had 89 yards rushing on four carries, 87 receiving yards on three catches and three total scores.

Andrew J. Fielstra led the Fruitport defense with 10 tackles. Kayden Beardsley and Brock Dornbos both made seven stops.