Five
questions for Trojans' football
Thu, Aug 28, 2008 
to del.icio.us
BY NATE THOMPSON
nthompson@grandhaventribune.com
Editor's Note: The Grand Haven Tribune has featured five critical questions and answers for each of the three area football teams and prospects for their upcoming seasons. Today's final installment looks at Fruitport.
1. Will Fruitport's offense once again live and die with the Wing-T? Yes and no. Coach Steve Wilson won't be sending out a three-wide-receiver set anytime soon, but expect the Trojans to open the offense up a little more. Quarterback Nick Brezina should surely attempt more than 33 passes like he did in '07, and there will also be more sweeps. Fruitport doesn't have a big bruising fullback to turn to on evert third-and-5, but does have more speedy backs to keep teams off-balanced. But more times than not, Wilson will rely on his bread-and-butter of the dive or trap between the tackles.
2. Who will get a majority of the carries? Injuries have thrown some question marks into that area, as Dylan Clarke (torn ACL), and Brandon Jamison and DeAngelo Beane (broken wrists), will either miss the entire season, or large chucks of it. But Wilson is confident with the talents of fullback Blake Kelly, who is undersized but attacks the hole hard for extra yardage. Jake Wolfe was also recently moved to the backfield, and Wilson said he's picked it up quickly and is a talented athlete.
3. Who will replace Patrick Arntson and Andrew Harig on defense? Those two departed seniors were the heart and soul of the Trojans' 'D' last season, but the cupboard is not bare. Wolfe, a junior, and senior Kevin McCauley were third and fourth, respectively, in total tackles on the team last season, and those two have all-conference potential. Harig's quickness will be tough to match at defensive tackle, but Mark Bigelow, Mike Hall and Dexter Kilgore's size will plug a lot of running lanes.
4. Will Fruitport run the table in the Lakes 8 again? Wilson said it will be extremely difficult, because the target is squarely on their backs. Orchard View, Fremont or even improved squads such as Spring Lake or Ludington could easily spring an upset, snapping the Trojans' 14-game win streak in the 2-year-old league. Even if running the question might be too much to ask, Fruitport is still the hands down favorite to win a third-straight league title.
5. Can a long playoff run be expected? It was expected last season, but Cedar Springs ended Fruitport's run early. If the Trojans can clinch another home playoff game, expect at least a first-round victory. Hopefully, they can find a way to avoid two-time defending state champion East Grand Rapids early on in the Division 3 playoffs.
