FRUITPORT – The test of maturity isn’t how you react when things are going well.

The true measure is how you handle adversity.

The Fruitport Trojans ran into plenty of that last Friday in their showdown with previously unbeaten Grand Rapids West Catholic.

The Trojans had their lowest point total of the season and turned the ball over four times.

In the past that kind of trouble might have caused the players to panic and implode, particularly against a great team like West Catholic.

After all, these are many of the same guys who lost three games by a grand total of 17 points last season. It’s the same team that blew a 27-point lead earlier this year and lost to Grand Rapids Christian.

But the Trojans didn’t panic or implode. They dealt with the game as it unfolded, made adjustments on the fly, and did what they had to do to seal the huge 28-20 victory.

Coach Nate Smith said the real test came near the end of the game, after West Catholic got a late pick-six to pull within eight points with plenty of time left.

The Trojans needed some first downs to kill off the clock and keep the ball away from the Falcons, and they went out and got them.

“A couple of the guys looked at me and said ‘Coach, we’re good. We’re going to get the first downs and we’ll be fine,’” Smith said. “They were not nervous or upset at all.

“They believe in themselves and know what they are capable of. They trust each other and our staff and our program. Their heads were in the game, they were locked in and focused. This is definitely a different team than we were in Week 1 or Week 2.”

Of course the Trojans’ job isn’t done. They have two more regular season games, on Friday at 2-5 Hamilton and next week at home against Holland Christian.

They only have so much control over their bid for a share of the O-K Blue conference championship. They are currently in second place in the conference with a 4-1 league mark, along with West Catholic. Hudsonville Unity Christian is 5-0.

West Catholic and Unity Christian will go head-to-head next week. If Fruitport can win both of its games and West Catholic beats Unity Christian, there could be a three-way championship in the league.

Regardless of how the conference race pans out, the Trojans will very likely be competing in the Division 4 playoffs and could potentially be matched up in districts with undefeated Whitehall, which has been bashing one opponent or another all season.

One projection – and that’s all it is – has Fruitport playing a good Ludington squad in the first round of districts, and possibly Whitehall in the second round.

“It kinds of depends on who else gets in,” Smith said. “We could end up going toward Grand Rapids (in districts). But our guys would love it if they had a chance to play Whitehall.”

All of that is in the future, and the Trojans still have the present to worry about.

How many stories have there been over the years about teams that have captured big wins, like Fruitport did last week, then come out flat and lose the next game?

Smith doesn’t believe his team will rest, because his players know that every opponent in the O-K Blue is a potential problem.

“The scoreboard doesn’t indicate how well we’ve played,” the coach said. “I talked to the guys on Monday, and I told them it was a great win for us, but I asked them if they thought they played particularly well, and the answer was no. It was probably one of our worst offensive games. They guys see that and recognize that.

“They’ve bought into the idea that it’s about us playing our best football. We keep delivering that same message every week.”

Hamilton won its first two games of the season but has struggled in conference play, going 0-5 in the last five weeks.

But the Hawkeyes are clearly not pushovers. They only lost to a good Coopersville team by two touchdowns and put 37 points on the scoreboard in a loss to Unity Christian.

Last week they lost to Spring Lake 31-16.

“I know they have a very similar offense to Spring Lake’s,” Smith said. “They will give us some unique looks and unique challenges. We’re going to have to be able to recognize formations and those types of things.

“Hamilton likes to control the ball. When they played West Catholic they held them to a total of 20 offensive plays. It’s going to come down to possessions and whether we can make some stops and get some scores.

“If you take them lightly they can take it to you.”