FRUITPORT – Talent and depth are obviously necessary qualities for a good football team.
But confidence – a common belief in the team’s ability to win – is also a really crucial element.
The Fruitport football team struggled with that last season, losing a few games that could have easily been won, which might have cost the Trojans an outside chance at a playoff spot.
The good news was that Fruitport ended the season on a high note with a decisive win over Kelloggsville, leaving the many key guys who are coming back this year with a positive feel.
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[2]Now the Trojans believe they are ready to make a big move upward, with quite a bit of talent and experience throughout the roster, plus the knowledge that they can indeed prevail on the scoreboard.
It all begins on Thursday, Aug. 28, when Fruitport hosts rival Spring Lake in the season opener.
“I think the next several years of Fruitport football are going to be really good,” said Trojan head coach Nate Smith. “We have some great athletes, and our mental makeup is in a much deeper place.
“We won’t lose games we should win. That era is over.”
Growing pains
In one way, 2024 was a success for the Trojans, because they came off an 0-9 season in 2023 and won three games. The most exciting game was in Week 3, when they rallied late for an jaw-dropping 30-27 victory over Comstock Park, ending a brutal 12-game losing streak that dated back to 2022.
They followed that up with a very nice 35-14 win over Muskegon Catholic the following week, and Fruitport seemed to be on a roll.
Then came four straight painful losses. Two were against quality opponents – Belding and Hopkins – but the other two were against Godwin Heights (15-12 final score) and Holland (27-23), two struggling teams that Fruitport had a chance to beat all the way to the end, but could not get the job done.
That was where the lingering doubts and lack of self-confidence – leftovers from the 0-9 season – rose up and cost the Trojans dearly.
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[4]“There’s the physical piece, of course, but the mental makeup of the team is the biggest challenge,” Smith said. “We saw that last year in some of the games where we came up short. We just lacked that competitive maturity.”
After the disappointing losses, the Trojans could have packed it in early and gone through the motions in their final game against Kelloggsville.
Instead they played like it was the first game of the season, scoring early and often and posting a very impressive 48-14 victory.
“Our message last year was that our best game was always out in front of us, and that was our last opportunity to get it done,” Smith said. “We got a lot of kids into the game and had some fun. The feeling everybody left with was that we went out the right way, which was a big key for our offseason work.”
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[6]Now it’s full-speed ahead with a team that Smith thinks will be exciting to watch, and will have its share of success.
“I think they are ready,” the coach said. “They have put in the work. We’re going to be a much improved team on the field.
“I think the guys have turned the corner and are locked in. It’s just different. In practices there is a different level of understanding, and the physicality has been different. The guys have become football tough.”
Offensive skill positions
Fruitport fans got their first look at two key offensive players last year, but they were new to their positions and still learning. This fall both should become dangerous weapons for the Trojans.
The first is junior quarterback Brady Hanson, who started sharing time at QB in the third game of last season and became the full-time starter down the stretch. He put up some promising numbers – 16-for-32 passing for 600 yards and 7 touchdowns.
After a season of learning, he’s more than ready to take command, according to Smith.
“He has physically grown,” Smith said. “I don’t think he has missed a day in the weight room. He’s much faster, and his leadership has really settled in. He has earned the respect of his teammates.
“We ask him to do a lot of run-pass option, and he understands what we’re trying to do and understands defenses. He throws the ball really well and he’s quick.
“As far as his decision-making and making reads, he’s in a totally different place. He had his growing pains last year, and we’re expecting a lot from him this year.”
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[8]The other is sophomore running back Liam Campbell, who started last season as the junior varsity quarterback, then was the starting varsity running back by Week 4. Fans got a few glimpses of what he can do – 88 rushes for 715 yards and 4 touchdowns – but there’s much more coming, Smith said.
“I think he’s going to be special,” the coach said. “He’s one of the faster kids on the team, and he’s been in the weight room and gotten strong. He runs kind of like (former NFL great) Eric Dickerson. He’s patient, gets to the hole, then just explodes through it. He can also catch the ball out of the backfield.
“He’s just a sophomore, and still needs more time on varsity, but he’s going to excel. He could end up being as good as anybody we’ve had.”
The running back position will actually be very deep for the Trojans, because the backup will be senior Kalan Teeter, who rushed for 253 yards and four touchdowns last year, and would be the starter at a lot of schools.
Junior Josh Eppard will also get some carries out of the backfield.
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[10]For a lot of teams, having a running back tandem like Campbell and Teeter would mean that the offense would be built around the running game, but that’s not entirely the case at Fruitport.
The Trojans should also be able to roll up yards through the air, because they also have a pretty elite corps of receivers. It all starts with senior DayDay Williams, a third-year varsity speedster who can create space, catch the ball and cause havoc for defenses.
Williams, a slot receiver who also carries the ball quite a bit, has been doing great things for the Trojans for the past two years. Last season he had 17 catches for 650 yards and 5 touchdowns. Opponents are very aware of him, but that doesn’t mean they will have any more luck when it comes to stopping him, according to Smith.
“He’s just so quick – he could make (a would-be tackler) miss in a phone booth,” the coach said. “He can stop on a dime and leave change. When he gets in space, you just want to sit back and watch him. His quickness and speed are uncanny. We will be getting him the ball in multiple ways.”
Also catching passes for the Trojans will be senior wide receiver Blair Zimmer, another returning starter; junior wide receiver Alan Jackson, a speedster who was on JV last year and should be exciting to watch; and sophomore tight end Colton Smith.
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[12]Zimmer (3 catches, 325 yards, 2 touchdowns) started really coming on last season, and has been hungry to improve, according to Coach Smith.
“He looks great right now,” Smith said about Zimmer. “He’s gotten stronger in the weight room. He texted me in the spring and asked me what he needed to do to get to the next level. When kids ask you that out of the blue, it means they want to put a plan together. We definitely want to get him the ball.”
Linemen, linebackers, defensive backs
One area that will be watched closely is the offensive line, which only returns two guys – senior tackle Mackiel Williams and senior guard Chase Rosema – who saw significant playing time up front last year.
The other spots will be filled in by numerous guys with lots of potential, including senior Evan LaGuire, a transfer from Muskegon Catholic; junior Ashten Kemp, a center who played very well at the JV level last season; and Bryson Cena, a freshman with a great deal of potential.
The line will be physically small by high school standards, but should make up for a lot with its overall quickness and athleticism, Smith said.
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[14]“I love our line,” he said. “They just have to play to their strengths. They are small and quick and accurate.”
The defensive line will be anchored by a three-year starter, senior end David Johnson-Jimenez. Other players will rotate in on a regular basis, including LaGuire, Williams, Rosema (34 tackles last season) and senior Adam Marjonen.
The linebacker position will feature two skilled and experienced returners – senior Easton Fett, a third-year starter who had 59 tackles last season, and senior Carsen Crow, who is in his second year with the Trojans. Jackson (the wide receiver on offense) and Eppard will also contribute.
The defensive secondary will feature Teeter (the backup running back), who will return to a safety position after leading the team with 64 tackles last year and five broken up pass attempts. Among the other defensive backs will be Hanson, Williams, Zimmer (35 tackles last year), junior newcomer Mason DeVries and freshman newcomer Owen Doctor.
Looking for some different results
The Trojans will play nearly the same schedule they did last year, with one exception – Wyoming Lee replaces Muskegon Catholic.
The O-K Silver opponents will again be Belding, a powerhouse and defending champion, along with Hopkins, Comstock Park, Godwin Heights, Holland and Kelloggsville.
The Trojans should be very competitive with the last five, and will have a chance to pile up some wins. Belding, which rolled past Fruitport 58-7 last year, is again expected to be very tough, but Smith says his team will be excited about the challenge of a rematch.
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[16]“We know the teams we have to beat to win the conference, and we are working in that direction,” Smith said. “We have to outwork them and outsmart them, and that’s what these guys are trying to do.”
The first two weeks of the season will be important if the Trojans want to get a good jump on earning a playoff berth. Spring Lake and Big Rapids (on the road in Week 2) both beat the Trojans handily last year, and victories over one or both would give Fruitport a lot of momentum heading into the conference season.
“Our goals are to win 100 percent of the games we are favored in, or we believe we should win, 50 percent of the games that are a push and both teams are pretty equal, and scare the hell out of the teams who should beat us,” Smith said. “That would get us to a great place.”