FRUITPORT – There are different ways to measure progress.

In sports, the obvious standard is the win-loss record, and Fruitport’s football coaches will be the first to say that they haven’t won enough.

The Trojans have had three winnable games in the past three weeks and lost them all. Two of those losses, which came down to the wire, were by a combined total of seven points.

On the other hand, Fruitport has won two games this season, and hopes to add another victory on Friday at home against Kelloggsville in the final game of the season.

Two wins – maybe three – is a whole lot better than the 0-9 record that the Trojans posted last season.

And while a loss is always a loss,  many of the defeats have been much closer they were a year ago.

The worst losses of 2023 were 64-27 to Holland Christian, 58-20 to Hudsonville Unity Christian, 68-7 to Allendale, 55-16 to Coopersville, 59-7 to Grand Rapids West Catholic and 44-20 to Hamlton.

This year three losses have been blowouts – 40-6 to Spring Lake, 41-14 to Big Rapids and 58-7 to Belding.

The other three have been very competitive – 15-12 to Godwin Heights, 27-12 to Hopkins and 27-23 to Holland – and all came in the last three weeks

Last year Fruitport was outscored by a total margin of 437-148. This year, through eight games, they have been outscored 249-139.

It hasn’t been a great season for the Trojans, by any measure, but there clearly has been measurable progress.

“I would say so for sure,” said head coach Nate Smith. “When you look back at what we’ve done, we’ve improved quote a bit. There are a lot of games we’ve been in and could have won. Our record is not far off from being much different. A total of 25 points separate us from being 6-2 instead of 2-6.

“The thing we’ve been talking about with the team is how we keep shooting ourselves in the foot. It comes down to a few plays, and we blow coverage at the wrong time, or have terrible technique at the wrong time. We need to stay locked in for the entire game. That’s going to be a big focus on Friday night, competing for the whole 48 minutes.”

Last Friday’s four-point loss to Holland was particularly frustrating, because victory was definitely within reach.

The Trojans led 23-15 with 6:17 to play, but stopped moving the ball after that, giving the Dutch opportunities to claw back. They did just that, scoring two late touchdowns to steal the lead.

Fruitport still had a chance to win in the end, getting the ball with more than a minute left on the clock. But its final drive included two runs for no gain, two incomplete passes and a costly 13-yard dead-ball penalty after the second down play.

The loss ruined a great rushing night for the Trojan offense. Senior Bradon Dornbos ran for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries. Freshman Liam Campbell had 118 yards on 20 carries, while senior Frankie Kotecki had 114 yards seven carries with a touchdown.

It’s tempting to say that the Trojans have a tendency to lose their composure in very close games, but that’s not exactly it, according to Smith.

“They want to win so badly that they try to do extra things,” he said. “If they had just done what we normally do, we would have success. It just comes down to the guys trusting themselves and their teammates in those situations.

“I think yes, there have been times when we’ve had mental breakdowns, but the vast majority of mistakes have been from guys trying to do too much.”

All of the above makes Friday night’s season finale against Kelloggsville pretty crucial for the Trojans. While a lot of 2-6 teams would just be going through the motions to get it all over with, Fruitport very much wants to win and claim that third victory.

There should definitely be an opportunity to do that.

Kelloggsville comes in with a 1-7 record. The Rockets have been outscored 289-82.

Their victory was a 24-8 decision over a really bad Benton Harbor squad. They have lost to Grant (38-22), Pennfield (24-8), Belding (64-6) Hopkins (35-0), Holland (37-0), Godwin Heights (42-14) and Comstock Park (41-8).

A victory would keep keep Fruitport from tying for last place in the O-K Silver conference standings.

“We talked today about how Kelloggsville is in the same boat, and they are going to empty their playbook and do everything they can to get a win,” Smith said. “But this is our seniors’ last game, the one they will remember for the next 30 years. And this game is what we will be building on for the next 365 days. The way we finish makes a big difference on how we approach the offseason.

“We want to put a full game together and send everyone out on the right note.”