FRUITPORT — DayDay Williams caught a pass, dribbled to his left, pulled up for a mid-range jumper from the left elbow and – as he’s done so many times in his Fruitport career – buried it.
It’s a shot Williams has made countless times. On Friday night, it was a special one, because it put his name into the Fruitport record book as he registered his 1,000th career point.
Williams, a four-year varsity standout, needed eight points against Comstock Park to reach 1,000, and did so with two minutes left in the first quarter. He’s the third player in Trojans history to reach 1,000 points.
Williams ended the night with 22 points, helping to lead the Trojans to an 89-52 win, the team’s 12th straight victory.
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“They were in a high press, when I saw they trapped and (Wyatt Fielstra) passed it to me, I already knew I was going to attack for the pull-up,” Williams said of his milestone basket. “It’s an honor, especially to know there’s only three people at Fruitport to do it.
“It’s just great being part of that group, knowing I put in the hard work and it paid off.”
In addition to being one of the most prolific scorers in Fruitport history, Williams has also been one of the most successful, with the Trojans winning a record number of games over his four-year varsity career.
The combination of personal and team success puts Williams among the program’s greats, according to Fruitport head coach Steve Erny.
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“To put it generally, DayDay is going to go down as one of the most important and best players in Fruitport history,” Erny said. “He means so much to our team. He has the respect of everybody, everybody loves him. He’s a hard-working kid and he’s hyper-focused right now on ending his time with Fruitport well.”
Hitting 1,000 points during a home game, and on Youth Night, was meaningful for Williams. The Trojans called a time out after his 1,000th point to celebrate, with members of the student section revealing signs and banners to mark the occasion.
After the game, Williams posed for photos with teammates, classmates and community members.
“The community showed love,” he said. “The little kids, because it was Youth Night, it was just great. It was fun all around.”
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Erny agreed, saying he hopes the game leaves an impression on the young fans in the stands.
“Hopefully it will be a memory not only for our players, but for all the young kids who were here tonight,” he said. “I love Fruitport. It’s been a long time coming to have gyms like this, to have games like this.”
Friday’s win marks 12 in a row for Fruitport, which is now 14-2 overall on the season. The Trojans are now 8-0 in the O-K Silver and remain atop the conference standings.
Going forward, the Trojans know every team will give them their best shot, and they’re ready for the challenge.
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“We know going into all of these games that teams are going to be scouting us and keying on our best players to try to have a strategy to keep up with us,” said Fruitport sophomore Dexter Lillmars. “We’re just going to keep coming in with the same mentality, to play our game and do what we do.”
Fruitport took control of the game late in the first quarter and never looked back. The Trojans used a 13-0 run, which included eight points from Williams and ended with his milestone bucket, to turn an early deficit into a 20-10 lead.
The Trojans closed the first quarter up 23-13. Hudson Hazekamp scored nine points – the team’s first nine of the game – and Williams scored eight to lead the way.
A 22-13 edge in the second extended the lead to 45-26 at halftime. After a quiet first quarter with just one point, Lillmars exploded for 16 points and four steals in the second.
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Fruitport outscored Comstock Park 18-15 in the third quarter, behind six points from Lillmars, to take a 63-41 lead to the fourth.
The Trojans had a 26-11 edge in the final quarter, led by eight points from Williams and five from Rodney Robinson.
Lillmars led the Trojans with 26 points, followed by Williams with 22 and Hazekamp with 15. Brady Hanson and Garrett Olson scored six apiece, Robinson had five, David Johnson-Jimenez had four, Gavin Wilson scored three and Wyatt Fielstra added two.
Fruitport will next host Godwin Heights in a makeup game on Monday at 7 p.m.
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