LUDINGTON – Once the state playoffs roll around, every team wants to create its own championship story, and the Fruitport football team seemed well on its way to completing the first chapter.
But then the Trojans’ season came to a sudden and shocking end in a painful and all too familiar way.
Fruitport led 15-13 with just under a minute remaining in a Division 4 playoff game in Ludington, but failed to convert on a fourth down play at the Orioles’ 33-yard line.
That gave Ludington the ball and one final opportunity with 43 seconds left, and the home team took full advantage.
The Orioles went to the air and needed only a handful of plays to score the go-ahead touchdown, when quarterback Asher Forfinski found Taj Williams for a 13-yard scoring pass with 16 seconds left.
[1]
[2]
The Trojans had one more possession, but could not answer, and were left with a stunning 19-15 loss in their first playoff appearance since 2022.
They ended the season with an impressive 7-3 record, but that didn’t seem to matter much in the minutes after the game.
The Trojans milled around an end zone with tears in their eyes, hugging each other, their coaches and their fans, trying to come to terms with the fact that a very big game that was seemingly in hand somehow slipped away.
“I love these guys,” said Fruitport senior quarterback Brady Hanson, who had just played his final game after spending 2 ½ seasons as the Trojans’ starting quarterback. “We had a good thing going here and – I just don’t have a lot of words right now. But these guys worked really hard and I am proud of them. Proud of what we did.
When asked to sum up the entire season, which included a six-game winning streak to earn a playoff berth, Hanson said, “It was good. I am really proud of how hard we worked, but you know, we obviously wanted to accomplish more. But I think the future is bright for this program.”
[3]
[4]
Friday’s loss was painfully reminiscent of the Trojans’ other two losses, which also ended with final minute heartbreaks.
In Week 1, the Trojans were driving for the go-head score late in the game against Hopkins when they allowed a pick-six interception with 49 seconds left and lost 34-28.
In Week 3. Belding scored on a touchdown pass with 13 seconds remaining and beat the Trojans 19-14.
The best part about those tough losses was how the Trojans bounced back from a 1-2 record and still had a great season, and now the players who are returning next season can follow that example, according to Fruitport head coach John Shipley.
“If our seniors taught the underclassmen anything, it’s the ability to bounce back,” the coach said. “They showed the ability to lean into adversity and get back to work. We will use this as fuel in the offseason and get right back to this spot,”
[5]
[6]
The game started out quietly for both teams. Fruitport was forced to punt on its opening possession before Bryson Cena picked up an Oriole fumble to give the ball back to the Trojans.
On the ensuing possession, the Trojans marched 63-yards over 11 plays and took an 8-0 lead when sophomore Johnnie Kempker scored on a three-yard touchdown run with 3:49 left in the first.
On the point after attempt, a bad snap left Brady Hanson in a tough spot, but the pulled the play together and completed a pass to his brother, sophomore Jayce Hanson, for a successful two-point conversion.
Ludington answered 11 seconds into the second quarter when Williams punched in a four-yard touchdown run, and the extra point cut the Fruitport lead to 8-7.
The Trojans wasted no time extending that lead. Just five plays later, Kempker scored his second touchdown of the night when he broke loose for a 47-yard touchdown run, and the PAT left the score 15-7 at halftime.
[7]
[8]
Ludington started the second half with a 12-play, 74-yard touchdown drive, capped by a 12-yard scoring run by Williams. The ensuing two-point attempt was no good, leaving Fruitport clinging to a 15-13 lead.
The fourth quarter began with Ludington in the middle of a long drive. On the 13th play, Ludington faced a fourth-and-five from the Fruitport 34.
The Orioles ran the ball and came up just short, turning the ball over to Fruitport with 7:23 remaining in the game.
The Trojans seemingly widened their lead on a long touchdown run by Kempker, but it was called back due to a holding penalty, leaving the Trojans in a third-and-five situation.
Brady Hanson found Jayce Hanson on a screen pass to gain the first down and allow the Trojans to kill more clock.
[9]
[10]
Fruitport picked up another first down near midfield on a fourth-and-two play with three minutes left.
But four plays later, the Trojans failed to convert on fourth-and-nine, giving the ball back to Ludington with 43 seconds left.
Forfinski completed a 21-yard pass to Williams, then spiked the ball to stop the clock. Ludington tried another pass that fell incomplete, but Fruitport was called for pass interference, giving Ludington the ball at the Trojan 36.
Forfinski then completed another pass to Williams to the 13-yard line, before throwing him the game-winning touchdown pass.
“You have to give Ludington credit for executing down the stretch,” said Shipley about the tough final plays. “We just didn’t make those plays down the stretch.”
[11]
[12]
The Trojans will say goodbye to nine seniors who battled until the end to keep their championship dreams alive.
“I’m so proud of them,” said Shipley about the impact the seniors had on his first season as head coach. “I’m so happy that I got to coach them this season. They did great things and not just on the field, but off it as well. All of them are going to be successful in their future endeavors.”
Kempker finished with 123 yards rushing on 21 carries. Josh Eppard had 10 carries for 43 yards.
Hanson completed 5 of 13 passes for 66 yards. Jayce Hanson totaled three catches for 39 yards.
Eppard led the Fruitport defense with 10 tackles and two assists. Alan Jackson had eight tackles and one assist while Mason DeVries totaled six tackles and three assists.
[13]
[14]
[15]
[16]
[17]
[18]
[19]
[20]
[21]