FRUITPORT – The Fruitport football team was probably still feeling a little snake-bitten when it reported back to practice this week.

The Trojans had to come to terms with a season-opening loss that ended in a final-minute heartbreak, after they led for much of the contest and had a chance to clinch a victory.

The game was tied, and they had the ball deep in Hopkins  territory on first down with 1:04 left on the clock.

Then came the one play that everyone will remember, when Hopkins’ Jackson Iciek intercepted a pass and returned it 76 yards for the decisive touchdown with 49 seconds left.

The final score was 35-28 in favor of Hopkins, and the Trojans were devastated.

For new head coach John Shipley, however, it was just one game with a disappointing ending, following an otherwise pretty positive performance against a very good opponent.

The fact is that Fruitport never trailed, at least until the painful final minute of the game.  The Trojan offense moved the ball and scored all night, staying one step ahead of the Vikings through nearly four quarters.

Shipley was disappointed, of course, but he saw the Trojans do a lot of impressive things on the field, and saw the potential for a lot of growth and improvement.

“The boys worked really hard in the offseason, put in a lot of time in the weight room, and they finally got a chance to go out there and compete,” the coach said. “They competed hard against a really good Hopkins team, and it didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but we saw a lot of good things.”

Recurring nightmare…

For many of the Fruitport players, the outcome probably brought back memories of the final weeks of last season, when they lost two very big games in a similar fashion.

They obviously remember Week 9, when they trailed the same Hopkins squad 12-0 at halftime, got a touchdown in the second half to make the score 12-7, then intercepted a pass and had the ball at the Viking 34-yard line with 3:31 remaining.

Unfortunately the Trojans failed to move the ball, turned it over on downs, and lost the chance at a victory that could have put them in the state playoffs.

That followed another big letdown two weeks earlier, when they led Godwin Heights by 18 points in the second quarter, then allowed the Wolverines to claw their way back and pull out a 31-30 victory with a field goal that barely snuck over the crossbar with one second remaining.

None of that was all that long ago, and last Thursday’s outcome was pretty similar.

But Shipley was not around for anything last year, so he’s not troubled by any of it. All he knows is that his new team played well enough to win, and now their challenge is to keep building on the things they did well, continue to improve, and finish the job the next time victory is within their grasp.

“We were in control for 47 minutes of that game, the entire game until that final minute,” he said. “Our message to the kids is that one game, one play does not define us. This is a true character test, and our character will show up when we get back to work.

“They need to know that through discomfort comes healing. It’s the same message we had all summer – if you make mistakes and fail, it’s okay, that’s how you grow. The main point is to move forward, respond to it, embrace it and heal it. And you need to finish and play a full 48 minutes, not 47.”

The Trojans can score 

The Trojans moved the ball consistently on Thursday, and the offense showed a great deal of poise, answering Hopkins touchdown-for-touchdown and keeping the team from falling behind, at least until the end.

The first score of the game came on a 64-yard punt return by Fruitport’s Johnnie Kempker, then Hopkins answered with a touchdown.

The second score was a two-yard TD run by Fruitport’s Josh Eppard, before Hopkins answered again,

The Trojans pulled ahead again when quarterback Brady Hanson connected with his younger brother, Jayce Hansen, for a 33-yard touchdown strike. Hopkins responded with another touchdown but missed the extra point, leaving Fruitport up 21-20.

A nine-yard scoring run by Fruitport’s Alan Jackson put the Trojans ahead 28-20, before Hopkins scored another touchdown and tied the game with a two-point conversion.

Then came the final pick-six, which ended the scoring.

Overall the Trojans had 249 yards in total offense and 11 first downs.

“I was really happy with the offensive line,” Shipley said. “It all starts up front for us. Bryson Cena, Dylan Avery, Colton Smith, all had great nights up front. Josh Eppard was a workhorse in the backfield, with help from Kempker and Jackson.

“I would say we executed. There were some little mistakes in there, just a lot of things we can coach up and fix. You usually see the biggest growth from Week 1 to Week 2. Overall I was proud of the way we responded.”

Shipley had big words of praise for Brady Hanson, who did a lot of things right in the game before throwing the fateful interception at the end.

“Brady made great plays and great throws all game long,” the coach said. “I am extremely proud of the game he played. He’s a great young man and a great leader. It was a special moment when he threw the touchdown pass to his younger brother. It was a big moment for them.

“Brady is our captain and the guys will rally around him. He’s always been there for other guys, and now we will be there for him.”

On to Godwin Heights…

Now the Trojans have to turn their attention to another Thursday night matchup, on the road against Godwin Heights in another O-K Silver Conference clash.

Fruitport has had very bad luck against the Wolverines in the two years they have been playing them as conference opponents. Both games came down to the final seconds, and Godwin Heights won 15-12 in 2024 and 31-30 last year.

The Wolverines seem to be the same type of team they have been in recent seasons – fast-paced, explosive and high-scoring, following their 58-38 win over Holland in Week 1.

The really scary part is that Godwin Heights rallied from a 24-0 first-quarter deficit to win the game, which says something about its ability to score quickly and often.

Wolverines quarterback Martellis Forest accounted for four touchdowns and 273 total yards in the victory.

“They have very fast and very good skill position players,” Shipley said. “Their quarterback has a great arm and great legs. They are very physical, they get the ball out quickly, and their running back is good at hitting his speed in space.

“We are going to have to be disciplined and play our style of game, instead of being lured into their tempo. Our best defense is going to be sustaining our drives and keeping their offense off the field.”