FRUITPORT – The Fruitport football team hasn’t throw the ball a great deal in the past few years, but the Trojans know they have that option with senior Brady Hanson under center.

The Trojans’ fans know it, too.

They remember Hanson  creating some exciting moments last year, like in the first quarter of Fruitport’s home conference game against Comstock Park in the fifth week of the season.

With the help of a few turnovers, he went wild and threw three long touchdown passes in a span of less than three minutes – a 54-yard strike to DayDay Williams, a 23-yard pass to Williams, and a 17-yard pass to Blair Zimmer – helping the Trojans jump out to a huge 29-0 lead.

“In the moment it just seemed like everything was going right,” Hanson said about the best game of his varsity career, as least so far. “The receivers were getting open, the O-line was blocking well, I was connecting pretty good. It was electric.”

That hot start turned into a 35-14 victory, the Trojans’ third straight, and Hanson and his teammates were excited. Suddenly they were 3-2 after an 0-2 start, and a chance to make the state playoffs for the first time in three  years seemed very much within reach.

“It was definitely exciting,” Hanson said. “The thoughts were kind of in our heads – we’re doing this now and maybe we can see the playoffs.”

Unfortunately the wheels came off for Fruitport after that.

The Trojans lost by a big margin to powerful Belding the next week, then squandered a big lead and lost 31-30 to Godwin Heights.

They bounced back with a big victory over Holland in Week 8, however, and a win in the final regular season game might have put then into the postseason.

That win very nearly happened. Fruitport trailed Hopkins 12-0 after three quarters before Hanson threw a six-yard TD pass to Kalan Teeter with 4:58 remaining, and the extra point made the score 12-7.

On the next Hopkins possession, Fruitport’s David Johnson-Jimenez intercepted a pass, giving the Trojans the ball at the Vikings’ 24-yard line with 3:31 left. The opportunity to steal a late victory was right in front of them.

But the Fruitport offense failed to convert, turning the ball over on downs on four plays. Minutes later the Trojans ended their season with a 4-5 record, and the dream of getting into the postseason was gone.

“It was really devastating – we were so close,” Hanson said. “I missed an open guy on that last drive, on second or third down. I felt really bad. It left a bad taste in our mouths, for sure.”

As it turns out, Hanson and the Trojans will get a quick opportunity to get some revenge for that painful loss. While the Hopkins game was in Week 9 last year, it’s in Week 1 this season, and the Vikings will be coming to Fruitport’s Doc Pierce Stadium for the season opener on Thursday.

“Just knowing that I could have done better in that game, and given us a better chance to make the playoffs, is a big motivation,” Hanson said. “I can’t wait for Thursday. I have been waiting all offseason for the chance to get out there again.”

New season, new challenges

New Fruitport head coach John Shipley was not around last season, and had no role in the Week 9 loss to Hopkins.

He just knows his team is starting fresh this year, and he’s happy to know he has an experienced, talented senior under center in his first year.

“He’s a workhorse,” Shipley said about Hanson. “He’s one of our captains, and I am proud of the leader he’s become. He’s a good decision-maker, and he has a good feel for the game and the offense we’re installing. I am excited for his senior year.”

Hanson has been a quarterback for the vast majority of his football career. It was not his original choice for a position, but he’s grown the love the responsibility and challenge that comes with leading the offense.

“I think I started playing football in the first grade, and I remember the first day I went to practice I really wanted to be a wide receiver, but the coach said he thought I was going to play quarterback instead,” he said. “I was disappointed at first, but I’m really glad now. I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

Hanson became a starting varsity quarterback a little early, midway through his sophomore season. He started sharing the QB duties in Week 3 of that year and was the full-time starter by midseason.

He did well, completing 16 of 32 passes for 600 yards and seven touchdowns.

He followed that up with a very nice season last year, completing 42 of 65 throws for 738 yards and nine touchdowns.

Now Hanson is very pumped to have a big senior year, using all the weapons he has in his arsenal. Of course that  includes his ability to connect on long touchdown passes.

He did it a lot last year, even in games when the Trojans did not pass very much. He threw a 91-yard touchdown pass against Big Rapids, a 33-yarder against Kelloggsville, a 44-yarder against Napoleon and a 57-yarder against Holland.

““The deep ball is my favorite,” Hanson said. “I can’t hold myself back if I see a guy open out there.”

Shipley is  very aware that Hanson can sling the ball a long way, but he wants him to recognize other opportunities this year and completing more short passes, to keep the ball moving steadily down the field.

“He’s got an arm, but we’re trying to get him to take the easy short stuff, too, and not fall too much in love with the deep ball,” the coach said. “We’re also rolling him out of the pocket more for throws. He’s got great arm strength, even when he’s rolling out to his non-dominant side.”

Hanson wants to get better at all of the above.

“I am an aggressive type of player, and sometimes I go for it all instead of making the easier choice,” he said. “This year I think I’m doing a better job of that. It comes with experience, making the right decisions all the time. This year I want to hit the open guy and not try to force things.

“We’re really just trying to win games, and whatever it takes, I am all for that. If we have to run more quick screens or quick slants, we will do that.”

Hanson also realizes that Fruitport has some great running backs, like Josh Eppard, Liam Campbell and Alan Jackson, so the Trojans won’t have an overly pass-happy offense.

He’s fine with that, because he loves to be the leader that keeps the offense moving, regardless of what plays are called.

“That’s always been a big thing in my game – I like to get everybody on the same page and really get the offense going,” he said.

Hanson and his teammates want to pile up as many wins as possible, of course, and get the team in the playoffs for the first time since 2022.

Shipley and his staff are not pounding the idea of win, win, win, however. They believe the important thing is for the players to grow and improve every daily and weekly, in a steady progression, and the wins will take care of themselves.

Hanson is buying into that idea, even if he is dying to get out there and get some victories.

“(Winning) is a big deal, but we are trying to get better every day, and once you do that, the wins will come,” he said. “If we do everything up to our standards, that playoff appearance will come. It all builds from there.”