FRUITPORT – There is a new sense of optimism in the Fruitport boys tennis program.

One reason is that there is literally nowhere to go but up. Last fall the Trojans had a rough go of it and lost all of their dual matches, but learned a lot in the process.

Several players from that team are returning with improved skills and more confidence. Meanwhile, two brand new freshman are showing a lot of early potential and are expected to do good things right away.

“We have some pretty good juniors who have played for a few years, and we have some freshmen who are probably going to be near the top of the lineup,” said veteran coach Brad Busscher. “We have some emerging talent. It’s kind of nice to see that some of our efforts (developing players) at the elementary and middle school levels are paying off.”

One of the exciting new freshmen has a familiar name in Fruitport tennis circles – Sebastian Sweet – the younger brother of Trojan tennis standout Grace Sweet, who won a No. 1 singles regional championship in the spring as a junior.

Despite his sister’s success in the sport, Sweet did not start playing tennis until the last few years. But he’s a natural athlete who watched his sister and started showing promising skills right away, according to Busscher.

Sweet is expected to play somewhere in the singles lineup. The exact order of that lineup will be determined in team competition.

“Sebastian watched his sister a lot, picked up a few things and has kind of applied it to his own game,” the coach said. “One of the reasons he’s already competing at a high level is that he’s able to rally – he’s able to get the ball back.”

The other impressive freshman is Remy Parker, who comes from a soccer family (his dad is a soccer assistant coach at Fruitport) but is reportedly all in for tennis. Like Sweet, he is expected to man a position in the singles lineup.

“Remy enjoys playing tennis all the time,” Busscher said. “He eats, sleeps and lives tennis. He comes from a soccer family. It’s a really big surprise that he decided on tennis. His parents have fully endorsed his love of the game.”

Busscher expects both freshmen to have some success this season, and plenty more in the future as they mature and develop their games.

“They are both very competitive kids who are going to be difficult to beat,” the coach said. “It’s going to be fun watching them get better and better.”

The Trojans also expect to have six players back from last year’s team.

One is junior Shane Brosnan, who ended up playing No. 4 singles by the end of last season and led the Trojans in victories. He is expected to play singles again this year.

The Trojans should have some good depth in doubles, with at least three returnees back with experience under their belts.

One is Bryce Baumgardner, who played No. 2 doubles last season. He will be the only senior on the team this fall.

“Bryce has really worked hard over the summer,” Busscher said. “His serve has very much improved, and he’s a much more consistent player. We will really rely on him in one of those doubles spots.”

Another returning doubles player is junior Eli Puls, who could end up teaming with Baumgardner at No. 1 doubles.

“He’s one of those quiet kids who goes about his business,” Busscher said. “He continually improves his game. He may be our best doubles player.”

Sophomore Owen Tromp also brings back valuable experience after playing No. 4 doubles last year with his brother, Logan Tromp, who graduated in the spring.

There is plenty of competition for playing time in the Trojans’ lineup. Levi Whitlow, Alex Kelly, Braelon Brege, Kaleb Brege, Ashton Wiard, Jackson Yandell and Bradon Krohn will also be battling for court time.

With such a young team playing in the very challenging O-K Blue conference, Busscher is not necessarily counting on a ton of victories this season, but is looking forward to watching his team develop and take strides toward a successful future.

“It’s one of the exciting pieces about being a coach – getting a chance to see how it all comes together, how those different personalities and talents come together,” the coach said. “Part of the way we measure success is the growth in each one of the players, and how much they contribute to the team as a whole.”