FRUITPORT – For the Fruitport football team to finally check into the victory column, more of a running game was necessary.

Through the first two games, the leading rusher was quarterback Bradon Dornbos, but that was not an ideal situation.

A more balanced attack should include a ground game with a dependable back who can grind out the tough yards on a consistent basis.

That role was finally filled last Friday by junior Kalan Teeter, who had a breakout game, gaining 95 yards and scoring two touchdowns on 21 carries, according to team statistics.

His two TDs – one from 4 yards out and the other from 16 – helped the Trojans get off to a strong start with a 17-7 lead in the first half. Good starts were sorely missing in the Trojans’ first two games of the season.

Those points were also critical late in the game, when the Trojans rallied to sneak past Comstock Park 30-27 and break their long 12-game losing streak that dated back to 2022.

“After having a rough last year, we had to flip the script,” said Teeter, who was a member of last year’s team that failed to win a game. “We had to do a little bit more, everything a little bit better to squeeze that win out.

“I knew it was coming. I knew how much work we were putting in, and that something good was going to come out of it.”

The victory was a first for Teeter, who had never been on the winning team in a football game before in his life.

“I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “It was exhilarating. I had never felt winning before!”

It seems natural to hear the name Teeter associated with Fruitport football success.

It reminds a lot of longtime fans of the great Mike Teeter, a 1986 Fruitport grad who went on to play football at the University of Michigan and in the National Football League.

Most would assume that Kalan, Mike’s nephew, followed in his footsteps and played the sport from the time he was small, but that was not the case.

He didn’t play football until his freshman year, but showed natural ability and was called up to the Fruitport varsity last year as a sophomore.

“My parents did not want me to get injured early on, so I just stayed out of it,” he said. “I was always watching it, though.”

These days there is a strong Teeter presence on the team, because Colton Teeter, Kalan’s cousin, is also on the roster.

Teeter said he’s used to hearing about his famous uncle when Fruitport football is discussed, and he’s sure his cousin has heard it, too.

It’s not easy to be compared to a guy who played in the NFL.

“There are lots of comparisons,” he said with a smile. “I love it, but sometimes the standards are too high.”

Kalan said his uncle lives in the Fruitport area, and he’s pretty sure he gets to some games.

“Now he gets to see both of his Teeter nephews play!” he said.

Teeter wasn’t a big part of the offense last season, because the running back position was capably manned by Kayden Beardsley. But he graduated last June, and nobody really claimed the role through the first two weeks of this season.

That was before Teeter stepped up and gave the Trojans the ground game boost they needed.

“He had some really good runs,” said Fruitport head coach Nate Smith. “Our scheme is to have a downhill, straight-line, old-school runner and he fits that bill. He is a physically and mentally tough kid. The ceiling is so high for him.”

Teeter smiles when you ask him about his first two varsity touchdowns, which both came in the second quarter on Friday.

He particularly recalls the 16-yard score, when he worked very hard to avoid several tackles, then got into the end zone with the help of a friend.

“I saw my block setting up, one of my teammates ended up on the ground and I jumped over him, then there were a couple of arm tackles that I spun out of,” he said. “There were a couple of other guys chasing me, and there were a couple on me (near the goal line), so one of my blockers, Luke Westerlund, hugged me and fell into the end zone with me!”

Teeter said he surprised himself a little bit with his performance on Friday, but added that it all seemed natural once the game started flowing.

“We started off the game driving down the field really hard, and I knew I could do this,” he said. “Our offensive line did a great job, all of the blockers were opening holes, and I just hit the holes.”

Teeter experienced some leg cramping during the game, but never even thought about checking out of the contest.

As Coach Smith put it, “He would have allowed a leg to get cut off to say in the game.”

That was not far from the truth, according to Teeter.

“It was bad, but I had to push through because my team needed me,” he said.