FRUITPORT – Fruitport’s Brady and Jayce Hanson grew up playing football together all the time, in all the normal ways.
The brothers spent countless hours in their back yard, tossing a ball around together. They joined neighborhood friends on Saturday mornings for pickup games, pretending they were the college football stars they would be watching later that day on television.
But when it came time to put on the pads, their football experiences were always separate. Neither imagined ever joining forces to help the Fruitport football team reach the state playoffs for the first time since 2022.
That’s because Brady, now a senior, is two years older and always played one level ahead of Jayce.
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He played one full year of junior varsity football as a freshman, then a few more games with the JV as a sophomore, before he was called up to become the starting varsity quarterback.
Jayce was in the eighth grade when Brady started calling the signals for the Fruitport varsity.
For a long time, before and during high school, the brothers were limited to watching each other play. Jayce would serve as a water boy or ball boy at Brady’s games, and Brady would help their dad coach Jayce’s games
“It was always a big question mark,” Brady said about the possibility of ever becoming teammates with his brother “It’s cool that it worked out how it did.”
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It worked out this fall because Jayce, now a sophomore, kept working to improve his game, and got the chance to work out and practice with the Fruitport varsity in the offseason. By the time the first game rolled around, he was on the team as a starting wide receiver.
Their dad, Fruitport assistant coach Josh Hanson, said Jayce’s promotion was not automatic.
“He had to earn it and work for it,” he said. “There wasn’t even really much talk about it (among the coaches) until we had to make some decisions.”
Suddenly the Hanson brothers were playing catch with a football in games that really mattered, and it has worked out really well for the Trojans.
Instant success
Their varsity connection started right away, in Fruitport’s first game of the season in August against Hopkins. Brady delivered a 33-yard touchdown pass to Jayce in the second quarter, giving Fruitport a 21-14 advantage heading into halftime.
“It kind of brought me back to the days when we were playing together in the back yard,” Brady said. “It’s just bread and butter.”
“That was a pretty sweet touchdown,” Jayce said. “We were both pretty pumped for that. It got the season rolling, and that was a pretty big moment for both of us.”
Their successful on-the-field connection has continued since then.
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Brady has completed 33 of 57 passes for 509 yards and three touchdowns in eight games this season. Jayce has become the Trojans’ top receiver with 12 receptions for 177 yards and the one touchdown.
While the Fruitport offense is mainly built around its powerful ground game, the passing game has added an extra element to the attack. Besides his brother, Brady has also completed a lot of passes to Liam Campbell, Johnnie Kempker and Owen Doctor.
“Brady and I have a lot of chemistry,” Jayce said. “We’re always throwing together, whether in the offseason or at practice every single day. We know each other pretty well, and we have a lot of trust with each other.”
Jayce said he likes catching passes from Brady, because the throws are always accurate.
“I can trust him to put it in the spot, and I just have to go make the play after that,” he said.
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Brady, in turn, said Jayce understands what he’s supposed to do and where he’s supposed to be as a receiver.
“He’s technical with his routes, and I can trust that he’s going to run them to the right depth and get to the right spot,” he said.
Does that mean Jayce has become his brother’s favorite rec3iver?
“I don’t have favorites,” Brady said with a straight face.
Normal brothers
Fruitport head coach John Shipley believes the brothers’ success goes beyond their natural chemistry, pointing to their work ethic, commitment and willingness to put the team first.
He said both attended nearly every offseason workout, and Brady, a three-sport athlete and team captain, really impressed him by attending 6 a.m. weightlifting sessions even while playing basketball last winter.
“They’re both selfless, they’re both highly competitive,” Shipley said. “They both love the process.”
While the Hansons obviously have a lot in common, they are also like normal brothers in a lot of ways.
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They admit they have their share of disagreements, particularly when their competitive personalities collide.
Brady recalled a moment during a recent game when he became frustrated with Jayce during a conversation shortly before halftime. What initially seemed like a disagreement turned out to be a misunderstanding, and the brothers worked through it in the locker room.
“It was just some miscommunication,” Brady said.
Jayce said their relationship has matured, and they understand the difference between brotherly spats and their responsibilities as teammates.
“Whatever happens at home, if we get in a fight or an argument, it’s got to drop when we come here,” Jayce said. “We got each other’s backs, and it’s time to play football.”
They also clearly care for and appreciate each other.
“This dude’s goofy,” Brady said, when asked to share something about his brother. “He’ll just start singing, saying random words, and he’s just goofy to be around. He’s funny.”
Jayce pointed to something more personal about his older brother.
“I can always count on him,” Jayce said. “If I’m in trouble or need something, he’s the first guy I’d call.”
Not done yet
The Hansons and the rest of the Trojans managed to overcome a shaky 1-2 start to the season, and have built a five-game winning streak heading into their final regular season game on Friday night, at home against NorthPointe Christian.
Win or lose, Fruitport seems very likely to have a playoff spot secured when the first round district pairings are announced by the Michigan High School Athletic Association on Sunday.
Neither of the Hansons get too excited when asked about the playoffs, probably because Shipley constantly stresses the importance of taking things one game a a time, and the Trojans have one more regular season game on Friday.
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“It’s exciting,” Brady said. “It kind of shows that we are accomplishing what we’ve worked for, but we’re definitely not done yet.”
“It’s definitely cool, but we can’t hang our hat on that,” Jayce said. “We have to keep going.”
The brothers are equally reserved when they are asked how great it has been to share a successful season of high school football together, before they are separated by graduation.
They admit, however, that the shared experience will probably turn into some great memories as the years go by.
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“It’s definitely a good thing to have him here by my side,” Brady said. “We are going to have some cool things to talk about some day. It will be a big thing in our lives to talk about with our families.”
“‘It’s awesome to be able to share this together, especially with our dad as a coach,” Jayce said. “We will probably realize it more when we’re not playing any more.”
Their dad fully understands how great it is to have both of his sons on a team together for the first time, for sentimental and practical reasons. He has coached them both a different levels over the years, which involved a lot of careful planning, not to mention driving.
“My whole heart is here, together with them, working toward the common goal,” Coach Hanson said. “It’s also nice when it comes to rides, ride share, all of that logistical stuff. It’s just fantastic to have them both here.”
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