FRUITPORT – The Fruitport Trojans could look at last week’s disappointing loss to Grand Rapids Christian in a couple of different ways:

They could fret about wasting a winnable game for the second week in a row or focus on the improvements they made and continue to build on them.

Head coach Nate Smith said the team is going with the second option, because there’s a lot of season left and big goals to be accomplished.

“There’s always going to be a level of frustration when you let a game like that get away,” Smith said. “I met with our team leaders after the game and their head space was great. They know things are fully in our control. It’s not like we were overmatched or outmanned. It was a matter of not focusing the entire game and making too many mistakes.

“I told them we were markedly improved from Week 1, when we were not very focused. Last week we were locked in during practice and it showed on the field. We still have a lot of goals in front of us -it’s just a matter of cleaning things up. A missed tackle here, a blown assignment there, all things we can control.”

A very important part of the schedule will begin this week, when Fruitport hosts Hamilton in its O-K Blue conference opener. The Trojans are hoping to defend their 2022 conference co-championship and a loss in the first game would not be a good start.

To avoid that, the Trojans will have to learn from some things that went wrong in the first two games.

In some ways, last week’s 36-22 loss to GR Christian was similar to the Trojans’ 18-10 loss to Kenowa Hills in Week 1. Some crucial mistakes at very bad times, combined with some bad luck, kept Fruitport from finding the victory column.

One particularly bad spurt came midway through the fourth quarter, when Fruitport trailed by a touchdown.

Quarterback Bradon Dornbos ran for an apparent 33-yard touchdown, but the play was nullified due to a block in the back. Two plays later, on fourth-and-10, Dornbos ran for a big gain and a first down, but another penalty forced the Trojans to replay the down.

On the next play, Dornbos scrambled and threw a jump ball downfield that was intercepted by the Eagles and returned 80 yards for a touchdown.

That sequence of events pretty much sealed the Trojans’ fate.

On the bright side, the Fruitport offense, featuring several very talented skill position guys, started showing big play capabilities.

Wide receiver Bobby Canfield had his first big game of the season, snagging seven passes for 144 yards, including touchdown receptions of 40 and 67 yards.

Running back Kayden Beardsley also had a breakout game, gaining 129 yards on 19 carries, including a 28-yard touchdown run.

“Kayden is an athlete and a competitor who focuses on important little things in practice,” Smith said. “He did a much better job of following the path and making secondary reads in his runs. He had a heck of a game.”

Dornbos was noticeably improved at quarterback, completing eight passes for 148 yards, including two touchdown throws, with one interception.

“I was very impressed with his growth from Week 1 to Week 2,” Smith said about the junior QB. “There’s no doubt he was much improved.”

None of those guys played key offensive roles for the Trojans last season but are becoming more comfortable in their roles.

“We got some things going (offensively),” said Smith, who also credited the offensive line with strong play last week. “We have playmakers. I think that’s one of the things that we’re underestimated on. People don’t think we have guys like that, but we do.”

Several defensive players also had good games, including Beardsley, who led the team with eight tackles, followed by Easton Fett (six tackles) and Day Day Williams, Pierce Jolman and Gianni Rowan (four apiece).

Unfortunately, the pluses were outnumbered by minuses, including penalties. The Trojans were flagged seven times for 75 yards, with three 15-yarders mixed in.

“We still have a lot of things to improve,” Smith said. “The discipline things – following the right path in the running game, making sure the spacing is where it should be in the passing game. I can’t tell you how many times we had (defensive) guys in their backfield and missed tackles. Those are all things we can control. We still have a lot of goals in front of us. It’s just a matter of cleaning things up.

“I think the players can feel that. The locker room after the game was definitely not rainbows and sunshine, but it wasn’t doom and gloom, either. The guys were excited about getting back to practice.”

Some Fruitport fans may have glanced at the schedule and celebrated the fact that Hamilton is coming to town on Friday.

They probably remember last year’s outcome, when the Trojans opened up their scoring machine and pounded the Hawkeyes 61-36.

But Hamilton, which only won two games last season, has already matched that mark with victories over Plainwell (47-6) and St. Johns (36-21) in the first two weeks.

The Trojans will clearly be tested again, and Smith hopes they will get the job done this time.

“They are so much improved,” the coach said about Hamilton. “They don’t look like the same team. They have some good athletes that fit their scheme, and when you have that, great things can happen.

“They are a good football team, they have some momentum going, and they didn’t like the way the game (against Fruitport) went last year. We will have a target on our backs again.”