Now the new season is almost here, and Smith thinks he has a team that’s ready to start experiencing some success again.

That feeling is bolstered by the knowledge that eight starters, or guys with a lot of varsity game experience, return on both sides of the ball.

Of the 42 players on the preseason roster, 21 are juniors, and many of them gained very valuable experience as sophomores. They will play a huge role this season and next, when the Trojans will have a senior-heavy lineup. The Trojans are also excited about the prospect of playing in the O-K Silver conference, after spending several tough years in the brutally competitive O-K Blue.

It all begins on Thursday night, when the Trojans will visit archrival Spring Lake in the annual “Battle of the Bayou,” which is now a non-conference game.

“Going into each game last year – and a few of them we were outmatched in – the players always fought and tried to improve,” said Coach Smith, who is beginning his seventh season leading the Trojans. “That’s something they have brought into the upcoming season. They know how to fight and play with their backs against the wall.”

The improvement this year will be mental as well as physical, according to Smith.

“One of the biggest things in the offseason is that we spent time talking about leadership,” the coach said. “We had a lot of guys step up. We had 10 guys go to a leadership conference, and the players have a team meeting by themselves, to determine what they were going to establish as their standards. Last year we had some leaders, but this year there’s a lot more team buy-in.

“We feel really good about where we’re going, and we think that we’re back on track. We did not lose our way as much as the record would indicate.”

Dornbos, Williams back to key the offense

The Trojans’ attack will be bolstered by the return of quarterback Bradon Dornbos, a senior who learned the hard way last year during his first campaign as a starter.

Dornbos experienced some growing pains, but also developed some skill and a lot of toughness.

A good example came in the game against Holland Christian, when he turned an ankle and had some bruised ribs in the first half, but just kept on playing. By the end of the contest he had completed 20 of 27 passes for 211 yards, including two touchdowns.

With a year of learning behind him, Dornbos could have a very strong season in 2024.

“He’s bigger, stronger and faster,” Smith said about his QB. “From a game standpoint, it will just be a matter of him being more comfortable in the pocket. He got a lot of pressure last year, and we’ve been trying to get him to stay calm while guys are trying to take his head off.  I think we’re going to see a much more calm, controlled quarterback this year.

“He understands what we’re trying to do so much more this year. He understands more of the offense and what the defenses are trying to do. He’s looking to have a really good senior year.”

The rushing game will be a group project this season, after being handled largely by departed senior Kayden Beardsley last season.

Several returning running backs or slot receivers are expected to share the rushing load, including juniors DayDay Williams, Easton Fett, Carsen Crow and Kalan Teeter. Crow practiced with the team last year but was not able to play because he was a transfer student.

Williams may be the most talented in the group, with the type of speed and agility that could equal a great season this fall, according to Smith.

“They each bring something to the table, but I think DayDay is going to be a problem (for opponents),’ the coach said. “He’s an electric type of kid, no matter how he touches the ball. I think he’s going to have a heck of a year.”

The starting wide receivers are expected to be junior Blair Zimmer and senior Bryson Simila. Junior tight end David Johnson-Jiminez is also expected to figure into the passing game.

“Blair had a great offseason,” Smith said about Zimmer. “He spent a lot of time in the weight room and has really matured. He played JV last year, he just wasn’t ready yet, but he’s been everything we’ve asked him to be this spring and summer.”

Skill, experience back on O-line, defense

The backbone of the offense is always the line, and Fruitport’s will be a lot more experienced this fall.

It all starts with senior tackle Caden Carrillo, a fourth-year starter who earned first-team All-Conference honors last season.

“He’s our dude,” Smith said about Carrillo. “He’s a great football player and one of the heartbeats of our team. He sets the tone with his experience and leadership. He’s trimmed down. Last year he was almost 300 pounds, and now he’s around 235 or 240 and he’s strong.

“He has taken the leadership thing to a new level. He really wants to help get this thing back to where it was. We talked about how the leadership in the team needed to grow, and I think he took it personal.”

Joining Carrillo on the line will be juniors Angel Krueger and Luke Westerlund, who started as sophomores; junior Chase Rosema, who could not play last season because he was a transfer student; senior Alex Morse, who missed last season due to injury; and junior Mackiel Williams, who will start at center after playing JV last year.

“Up front we are so much more experienced,” Smith said. “The biggest thing we have noticed in practice is that they are making adjustments and corrections themselves. The O-line is where it starts, and we are very excited about this group.”

Defensively, the Trojans will have the depth and experience to improve on a very rough 2023, when the unit gave up an ugly 437 points, the most in program history.

Anchoring the defensive line will be Johnson-Jimenez, Williams, senior Jonathon Hicks and several regulars from the offensive line.

Fett and Crow will be two mainstays of the linebacker corps, with several other players rotating in, including senior Andrew Steigman and junior Donavan Bondurant.

Junior Tay Thompson, another transfer student who had to sit out last year, could be a big addition on defense, according to Smith.

Williams, Dornbos and Teeter will play a lot in the defensive secondary after starting there last year. Junior Justin Woodard and sophomore Brady Hanson will also see time at safety or cornerback.

New conference, new-look schedule

One big benefit for the Trojans as they attempt to turn the corner might be the new-look schedule.

The Trojans had an 11-16 record over four seasons in the very tough O-K Blue conference. Six of those victories came in 2022, when they won a share of the conference title.

Now the Trojans are part of the O-K Silver conference, which seems almost designed for a team trying to come back from a winless season.

Of the six other teams in the Silver, only one finished with a winning record last year. That was Belding, a traditional football power, which made the playoffs before bowing out with an 8-2 record.

Smith admitted that the Trojans will have a more favorable conference schedule, but isn’t taking anything for granted.

“As we’ve told our guys, a lot of the other teams in the conference didn’t win a lot of games last year, but they will look at us and say the same thing,” he said. “Our guys are excited to show what Fruitport football is all about.”

One opponent that already knows all about Fruitport football is Spring Lake.

Traditionally the Trojans take weeks to prepare for the always-emotional matchup with the Lakers, but this year the rivals will go nose-to-nose in Week 1 in the annual “Battle of the Bayou,” while they are still working out the preseason kinks.

Spring Lake is coming off a very good 7-3 playoff season.

“It starts right out of the gate – it doesn’t get any bigger than this game,” Smith said. ‘I think there are advantages and disadvantages (to having the game so early). We know each other well, but at the same time in Week 1 you really don’t know. You go in a little apprehensive of what you’re going to get. You have to be prepared for other possibilities.”

The rest of the early-season schedule will also be challenging, with the Trojans facing three other teams that made the playoffs last year – Big Rapids in Week 2 at home, followed by Comstock Park, Muskegon Catholic and Belding on the road.

After that the Trojans will get into the more palatable part of the conference schedule – but it doesn’t really matter who they play or when.

Fruitport is looking for its first victory since Oct. 18, 2022 – a 54-28 playoff victory over Ludington – and the Trojans are eager to get it.

“I think getting a win at any point will be big,” Smith said. “When the guys start to see we’re playing the way we can play, the confidence will come. They are eager to put some stuff on the field they have been working on. When we get that win, it’s going to be a snowball effect, I think.”