FRUITPORT – The immediate future certainly looks brighter for the Fruitport boys basketball team.

The Trojans return three talented starters and one seasoned post player from last year’s roster, and have added a very promising freshman who’s expected to start and contribute right away.

Fruitport has also switched conferences – from the brutally tough O-K Blue to the O-K Silver – which should help the team be much more competitive in a lot of games.

The extended forecast is also pretty bright for the Trojans, because four players from this year’s projected starting lineup are underclassmen who will continue to improve and will return in 2025-26.

Overall, it’s safe to say that the dark clouds are clearing for the Trojans and some fun days are ahead. It will all start on Tuesday night when Fruitport opens the season with a home game against Muskegon Heights.

Fruitport struggled last year, posting a 7-18 record, including a 1-13 mark in the O-K Blue.

But the sun started peeking through near the end of the season, when the Trojans posted three impressive wins – one in a conference game, and two more in the local Division 2 district tournament, when they beat Orchard View and Oakridge and advanced to the championship game for the second straight year.

That late success was a good building block for this year, particularly with a number of key players returning.

“We definitely turned a corner when it came to figuring out how to win,” said Fruitport head coach Steve Erny. “That bled into the summer and fall. I think a big goal for these returners is to win a district championship. After two years of winning some district games and coming up short, I know that’s on their minds.”

Perhaps the most promising returnee is junior guard DayDay Williams, who averaged 12 points per game last season as a sophomore. Williams will be a third-year starter this year, and should be on pace to become a real standout.

“It’s exciting that he brings so much experience, and will have even more time with us after this year,” Erny said about Williams. “He is a very big component in our offense. We want the ball in his hands a lot. He’s super quick, very good at getting by defenders and getting to the basket. He’s going to be tough off the dribble.”

Another returning starter is senior guard Grade Anspach, who averaged 6.5 points her game last season. The third-year varsity player is an intelligent leader on the court and who can knock down shots from the outside.

“He does a very good job of getting the team organized and being a leader,” the coach said about Anspach. “He can knock it down from the outside. He’s a really scrappy kid and a high intelligence player.”

The third returning starter is 6-4 sophomore Hudson Hazekamp, who broke in as a very promising freshman last year and averaged around 5.5 points per game.

After gaining a full season of experience against varsity competition, Hazekamp is on schedule to become a real force in the Trojans’ lineup.

“As a freshman he ended up being a really important part of our team by the end of the season,” Erny said. “He had some ups and down, but he has grown a lot in terms of confidence, and he’s taller and more explosive. People are going to see him excel when shooting from the outside.”

Junior Trevor Rusnak spent last season backing up starter Ryan Bosch at center. Bosch is skipping his senior season to concentrate on his baseball career, giving Rusnak the opportunity to step into a starting role and provide an important post presence for the guard-heavy team.

“He’s around 6-3 and very strong,” Erny said. “He does a lot of things well. He’s always blocking out and fighting for rebounds, and he’s also comfortable shooting from the perimeter. This season we’re counting on him to not only play more minutes but have more of a role in point production.”

The exciting newcomer this season is 6-2 freshman guard Dexter Lillmars, who will take the big step right from middle school basketball to the varsity starting lineup.

“He’s a very skilled player,” Erny said about his latest young talent. “He can shoot, he can be a playmaker and he can handle the ball. He was a pretty dominant middle school player, and when he played with us in the summer it was obvious that he could not only be part of the team, but is someone who can help the team. I think he will be able to score some points, right from the start.”

Seniors Evan Butler and Braden DeBoer, juniors Keontay Thompson, Wyatt Fielstra, Scott Lambert and Kaden Gelderloos, and sophomore Brady Hanson will provide depth off the bench.

“I am very optimistic that we are primed for a very good season,” Coach Erny said. “I don’t know exactly how many wins we will have, but I know these guys are excited to get off to a good start and take on some new challenges.”