ALLENDALE — Two different times this year, the Fruitport football team let the chance for really big wins slip away in the closing seconds of big games.
It happened in Week 1 against Hopkins, and again last week against powerful Belding.
After each of those gut-wrenching losses, nobody would have been shocked if the Trojans had come out a little groggy and uninspired the following week.
But both times the Trojans demonstrated that bad fortune can’t keep them down.
They Trojans bounced back and beat Godwin Heights after the Hopkins stunner, and on Friday they rebounded with a convincing 21-3 win over host Allendale to get back on the winning track.
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They scored 21 unanswered points and kept Allendale out of the end zone, giving first-year head coach John Shipley a win on his 36th birthday.
Fruitport improved to 2-2 on the season.
“There’s no better gift,” Shipley said. “There’s nowhere I’d rather be than Allendale, Michigan right now with these coaches and with our team. It’s a brotherhood, it’s a family, and I’m just grateful to be a part of it.”
Fruitport’s defense continued the momentum it built last week against Belding, holding Allendale scoreless over the final 33 minutes of the game. The Falcons reached Fruitport territory repeatedly, but finished with four turnovers on downs and lost a fumble on their final possession.
“We just stuck to our jobs and continued to make offenses earn everything,” Shipley said about his defense. “They did a good job of making them earn every yard and making them finish drives.”
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This week’s game started a little like last week’s, when Belding scored a 68-yard touchdown on its first play from scrimmage.
Allendale senior quarterback Ryan Holstege broke a 28-yard run on the Falcons’ opening possession, but Fruitport’s defense eventually forced an incomplete pass on fourth-and-6 to end the seven-play drive.
The Falcons put together their best sustained drive on their second possession. Holstege repeatedly used his legs to extend the series, including runs of nine and 17 yards, while connecting with senior receiver Kingsten Fuller for 12 yards.
But Fruitport stiffened near the goal line. Senior defensive end Colton Smith dropped running back Cayden Pattison for a 3-yard loss, and Allendale settled for a 27-yard field goal with 9:08 remaining in the second quarter to take a 3-0 lead.
That was the last time Allendale scored.
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Fruitport responded on its next possession. Quarterback Brady Hanson connected with Johnnie Kempker on a 34-yard pass on third down, before the Trojans faced fourth-and-5 at the Allendale 25.
Instead of settling for a field-goal attempt, Fruitport went for it.
Hanson executed a play-action pass and found sophomore Owen Doctor on a corner route for a 25-yard touchdown strike with 5:11 remaining in the half. The two-point attempt failed, but Fruitport had its first lead, 6-3.
After forcing an Allendale punt, Fruitport’s offense struck again.
Starting at its own 11-yard line with 2:47 remaining, Hanson completed a 25-yard pass to Liam Campbell. Senior running back Josh Eppard followed with consecutive runs of 18 and 11 yards, before Kempker broke loose for 32 yards.
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Eppard finished the five-play drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 1:16 remaining in the first half, then powered in the two-point conversion to extend Fruitport’s advantage to 14-3.
Senior linebacker Alan Jackson sacked Holstege for a 4-yard loss on Allendale’s ensuing possession, helping to force another punt, and Fruitport entered halftime with an 11-point advantage.
That lead grew immediately after the break.
Kempker returned the opening kickoff 21 yards to the Fruitport 41, and Eppard took over from there. He broke a 34-yard run before adding consecutive 9-yard carries as the Trojans marched deep into Allendale territory.
With the ball at the Falcons’ 11, Jackson took a pitch into the end zone for an 11-yard touchdown run with 7:54 remaining in the third quarter. Junior Ethan Deephouse converted the extra point, pushing Fruitport’s lead to 21-3.
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Fruitport did not score again, but it didn’t need to.
Allendale drove from its own 46 to Fruitport’s 23 on the next possession, but came away with no points after Holstege’s fourth-down pass fell incomplete.
The Falcons threatened again on their next possession, converting twice on fourth down to move deep into Fruitport territory, but again the Trojan defense refused to break.
Allendale received another opportunity with 6:21 remaining, after a Fruitport offsides penalty and pass interference call helped move the Falcons to the Fruitport 32.
But Mason DeVries broke up a second-down pass before Houston knocked away another throw on third down. Holstege’s fourth-down attempt fell incomplete, marking Allendale’s third turnover on downs of the second half.
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“Our defense did a phenomenal job tonight, and picked us up when we had some mistakes,” Shipley said. “We were able to get them into some third and fourth-and-longs when they got close to the red zone, and our boys just executed down the stretch.”
Eppard led Fruitport’s rushing attack with 23 carries for 130 yards and a touchdown. Hanson completed 5 of 8 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown.
Kempker caught two passes for 62 yards and rushed four times for 32 yards. Campbell caught two passes for 61 yards, while Doctor’s lone reception went for the 25-yard touchdown.
Jackson contributed on both sides of the ball with an 11-yard rushing touchdown and a sack.
DeVries had eight tackles for the Trojans, Hanson added seven, Brylon Houston had six, Kempker had five and Smith totaled four.
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