FRUITPORT – Payton Flores has been around the Fruitport varsity football team since he was very small, with his father coaching and all four of his older brothers taking their turns playing for the Trojans.

He couldn’t wait for the day when his turn would come to compete with the big boys and maintain a proud family tradition.

Payton finally reached varsity last season and was initially a reserve, but got a chance to start at defensive end around midseason against Hamilton.

He got his first varsity sack in that game and ended up leading the Trojans in that category last season.

“I’ve been around the team since my oldest brother was a senior in 2010,” said Flores, who is also a tight end on offense for Fruitport. “I used to help out as water boy and stuff like that, and I couldn’t wait to play. My brothers have helped me out a lot. My brother Amilio was a defensive end and tight end, too, and he helps me with techniques a lot.

“We’re a football family. On Sunday my whole family was at our house watching the Lions.”

What’s really amazing is that Flores adjusted so well to the varsity game last season while only weighing around 150 pounds.

He addressed that issue in the offseason, hitting the weight room, changing his eating habits and putting on about 30 pounds while still becoming quicker.

This season he’s been an essential part of the Fruitport defensive line. He had his best game so far last Friday, recording four tackles and a sack in a 50-35 victory over Allendale.

While Flores isn’t obsessed with sacks, he admits he likes it a lot when he gets them.

“I like making my moves, and when it works it feels good,” he said.

Even at 6 feet and 180 pounds, Flores still has to find a way to beat a lot of offensive linemen who are a lot bigger.

He says he gets good preparation in practice every day going up against 300-pound teammate Kaiden Bell.

“Me and him go at it in practice all the time,” Flores said.

Fruitport head coach Nate Smith has been extremely impressed with Flores’ development over the last few years.

“His transformation from eighth grade until now, physically and mentally, has been incredible,” Smith said. “His body shape has changed. He’s worked his tail off in the weight room.

“He’s long, rangy, he has good quickness and he has a motor. He’s quick off the ball and has good discipline. He’s not following fakes and he’s locked into his keys.”

As much as Smith likes having a defensive lineman who finds his way into the offensive backfield to get sacks, he says Flores knows when it’s not time to rush.

“Sometimes high school guys just try to fly up the field, which creates all sorts of angles for the run game,” Smith said. “He knows how to read the tackles and when to get after it, and that’s the key to it. His discipline and quickness help him get into the backfield when he needs to.”

One person who is very much enjoying watching Payton on the field is his father Mario Flores, who has been serving in various coaching roles in the Fruitport program for years, going all the way back to legendary head coach Steve Wilson.

Payton is the last of five sons that Mario has coached with the Trojans, so when this season comes to an end, a very special part of his life will end, as well.

His other sons who have come through the program are Mario II, Amilio, Antonio, and Ethan. Amilio is a middle school football coach for Fruitport while Ethan plays for Davenport University.

“It’s bittersweet,” Mario Flores said about the last of his kids playing for Fruitport. “I didn’t think it would come this quickly. I’m going to miss having that connection. I told my wife we’ve got to start adopting some kids!”

Like a lot of sons who are coached by their fathers, Payton says his dad has always been extra hard on him in practice and in games – and he appreciates it.

“I like having him on the field,” Payton said. “It helps me a lot. He sees things that I don’t see and he corrects me. He’s put a lot of time into me and he’s super hard on me. He’ll get after me, but I like it. It pushes me to get better.”

Mario is impressed with the way that Payton has worked to be the best player he can be.

“He has mastered his craft,” Mario said. “He’s always been undersized, but he started to hit it hard in the weight room, started eating right and grew three or four inches. Suddenly he wasn’t the same Payton we all knew!”

Even when Payton played last year at 150 pounds, Mario said he wasn’t surprised when he led the team in sacks.

“Payton has always had a nose for the ball,” he said. “I don’t know if it was because he got under their legs or was quicker, but he’s always been right there.

“Out of all of my sons, Payton is definitely the football technician. If you tell him to do it that way, he will do it exactly that way.”