FRUITPORT – The Fruitport football team’s offense has been winning the “Battle for 4” on a pretty consistent basis lately.
That term, coined by head coach John Shipley, simply means having more plays that gain at least four yards than the other team, which means the offense is moving pretty steadily down the field.
Last Friday that “Battle for 4” turned into more than 400, which meant another big win for the Trojans.
Fruitport’s running backs ran for a collective total of 417 yards on 43 carries, for an average of nearly 9.6 yards per carry, in a convincing 39-14 victory over Holland in O-K Silver conference play.
The 417 rushing yards were a season high for the Trojans., and obviously a point of pride for the Fruitport ball-carriers.
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But it was also a big feather in the cap of the rapidly improving offensive line, which has been popping open holes for the Trojans’ very potent rushing attack all year.
Senior guard Dylan Avery has been in the middle of the battle in the trenches for three seasons now, and said the line has never been better than it is now.
He serves in the O-line trenches with fellow starters Colton Smith, Bryson Cena, Ashton Kemp, Mason Armstrong and Hunter Meister.
“Not right way, but I am not surprised we could do that,” Avery said when asked if he heard about the 417 yard total after the game. “We are communicating better, getting things done physically, just doing what we have to do. And we have a great line coach, (Devin Eekhoff), who pushes us and believes in us.”
Avery said the linemen don’t mind the running backs getting the limelight and credit, because they are proud of their teammates’ accomplishments – and because they are satisfied with knowing what they were able to do.
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“We’re happy to see them get their names out there, and we’re proud of ourselves,” he said.
Avery admits he takes special pride in pass blocking for his close friend, Fruitport quarterback and fellow senior Brady Hanson, who also gets a lot of attention for his exploits on the field.
“That’s my brother,” Avery said about Hanson. “I never spent more time with anybody else in my life. He has always been there for me, and I would put my life on the line for him.”
Fruitport head coach John Shipley is really proud of the O-line, and has a lot of good things to say about Avery and the effort he’s put forth this season.
‘He’s a great young man, high character, selfless,” said Shipley, who noted that Avery was elected by his teammates as a co-captain this year, due to their respect for him. “He’s great with his technique, fundamentals and attention to detail on the little things. Coach Eekhoff has done a great job with him, and he has absorbed things like a sponge. He has a good grasp of what we’re doing.
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“He is more of a grinder leader. He sets the tone with his work ethic and positive attitude.”
Avery’s role with the Trojans has increased exponentially this season, after two years of mostly playing offense.
He was called up to varsity midway through his sophomore season and immediately became a starter on the O-line.
He injured his left knee working out in the gym during the season, however, and eventually had to have surgery, which forced him to miss half of his junior season.
“I didn’t know exactly what it was at first, so I tried to keep playing on it and it kept getting worse,” he said.
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Even after he returned to the line in he middle of last season. Avery did not feel like he was at his best.
“Not at all,” he said. “I knew I had a lot more in me.”
The injury and the missed time on the field inspired Avery to push himself extra hard to prepare for his senior season.
“I only missed one day of offseason lifting, because my car got stuck, but that was it,” he said.
This year Avery reported to the team in great shape, and his hard work and effectiveness on the field earned him a promotion of sorts. After two seasons of just starting on the O-line, suddenly he was pulling two-day duty while also starting on the defensive line.
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Avery has been on the field for about 95 percent of the plays this season, according to Shipley.
He admits the new role is tiring, but the fire he feels in his gut every game has been keeping him going.
‘I mean, it gets pretty exhausting, but when I think about what I am doing it for, it settles down,” he said. “Thinking about our journey together, and our goals, pushes me to go even harder.”
The Trojans are well on their way to attaining their goal of making the state playoffs, after posting a 3-5 record two years ago, in Avery’s first varsity season, then a 4-5 mark last year, when they missed the postseason due to a close, heartbreaking loss in the final game.
This year they are 4-2 and are currently riding a three-game winning streak, heading into Friday’s O-K Silver conference game at Calvin Christian.
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Another win or two will likely nail down a playoff spot for Fruitport for the first time since 2022.
Avery is excited about that prospect, but not surprised.
“It’s very exciting, but I knew it was going to happen,” he said. “We worked our butts off the entire offseason. You can’t be too surprised when you put in that kind of hard work.”
He is also wary about talking too much about the playoffs, or really any game beyond Friday’s. That’s in keeping with the Trojans’ main philosophy this year, to just focus on improving every day and every week, and not think beyond the next opponent.
“We’re not trying to look too far forward,” he said. “If we keep working we will get there. One step at a time.”
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