FRUITPORT – The last time the Fruitport football team had a few tough losses in a row, and very much needed a victory, they got it against Kelloggsville.

That was the final game of last season, when the Trojans trounced the Rockets 48-14.

Well, Fruitport is coming off two tough season-opening losses, to Spring Lake in Week 1 and Big Rapids last Friday, and could really use another pick-me-up.

And next on the schedule is Kelloggsville, where the Trojans will play on Friday night to open their O-K Silver conference season.

Before anyone assumes that another soothing victory is imminent, however, they should know that the Rockets appear to be much better than they were last season, when they posted a 1-8 record.

Kelloggsville is off to a 2-0 start after beating Grant 43-14 and Perry 48-28 in the first two weeks of the season.

The turnaround obviously has something to do with the arrival of new head coach Justin Dennett, who left Montague after four years to take the Kelloggsville job. He and his staff have obviously been doing something right with the Rockets.

“Very early on it looked like it was going to be a game that we would be favored in, but they are very good and we are going to have to play well on Friday night,” said Fruitport head coach Nate Smith.

“Their new coach has done a tremendous job with them. They are incredibly athletic, and compared to last year, very sound, offensively and defensively. They get their athletes the ball in space and do it with intention. Their play execution is much different.

“Last year it didn’t seem like their players knew where to go. This year they seem very confident. It should be a good game for sure.”

Battle tested after two weeks

After a few days of watching film and soaking it all in, the Trojans are feeling a little better about the first two weeks of the season, despite falling to Spring Lake 42-14 and Big Rapids 39-7.

They are viewing the games as learning experiences against two outstanding teams, and the numbers support that viewpoint.

Spring lake is now 2-0 and has outscored its opponents 91-28. Big Rapids is 2-0 and has outscored its opponents 58-14.

“We don’t like being 0-2, but we were going against two teams that are undefeated right now, and we were pushed and exposed,” Coach Smith said. “We want to be exposed early on so we can make those fixes for the conference games. We intentionally ichedule those tough games, because we know they are going to make us better.”

Against Big Rapids, the Trojans only managed one score, a 91-yard touchdown pass from Brady Hanson to DayDay Williams.

But they did manage to move the ball fairly consistently, particularly on the ground. The offensive line got some push going, and several young, inexperienced running backs ended up doing pretty well, filling in for injured starters Liam Campbell and Kalan Teeter.

Junior Josh Eppard was the best among them, putting up runs of 18 and 14 yards. Fellow juniors Dariyon Gatlin and Alan Jackson also showed promise running the ball.

“They did a really good job, all things considered,” Smith said. “Eppard runs angry. He’s a linebacker by nature and he brings that when he runs the ball. He runs downhill and he’s looking to run through somebody, instead of around somebody. Gatlin has a little bit of that attitude, as well.”

The big problems for the Fruitport defense were all the big plays by Big Rapids.

The Cardinals had touchdowns on six of eight offensive possessions, including three scoring plays covering 69, 89 and 47 yards, respectively.

Of course Smith doesn’t like to see his defense giving up huge chunks of real estate, but he would rather give up points through big plays than long drives, because big plays are the result of defensive errors that can be corrected.

“Their first touchdown was the result of our execution error,” he said. “We had a stunt called and one guy didn’t execute it. If he did, I don’t think they score on that play.

“I think the guys realize that they were not outmatched physically, but mentally. Those mental mistakes are much easier to overcome than giving up long drives when we are missing tackles and consistently getting pounded. I think we will fix those.”

Easton Fett and Jackson led the Trojan defense against Big Rapids with seven tackles apiece.

The boys are back

A big reason for optimism this week is the anticipated return Campbell and Teeter.

Together they form one of the most promising offensive backfields in the area.

Campbell, only a sophomore, rushed for 715 yards last season, even though he spent the first few weeks at the junior varsity level before he was called up.

Teeter is another great running back option for the Trojans, after gaining 253 yards last season.

Teeter also plays a huge rule on defense, leading the team with 64 tackles from his safety position last year.

Both were sorely missed in the first two weeks of the season.

Teeter injured a knee during Fruitport’s scrimmage and has yet to see any game action. Cambell injured an ankle early in the Spring Lake game, had to come out, and did not play against Big Rapids.

Both are expected to be back on Friday in Kelloggsville, although Teeter may be limited to defensive duty for one game.

There is no doubt that the Trojans are a more formidable team when they are playing.

“They are tremendous, not just in their abilities, but in their knowledge of what we are trying to do,” Smith said. “Sometimes backups are limited in knowing what to do in different situations. With guys like Teeter and Campbell, they know their assignments and what adjustments they have to make if things don’t go as planned.

“From a play-calling standpoint, our options are much greater with them than without them.

“I expect them to play a significant number of snaps on Friday might. Campbell for sure is 100 percent. Teeter says he’s 99 percent, and we will find out this week. Our plan is to push him and see how he looks. We anticipate him playing a lot of snaps, particularly on defense, then as he gains confidence we will expand his role.”