Trojans tired of close calls

Sat, Oct 3, 2009    to del.icio.us

FRUITPORT — Again, it was close but no cigar for the Fruitport Trojans' varsity football team.

Steve Wilson hopes that isn't the same case for the team's playoff chances.

With its 19-13 setback to visiting Orchard View on Friday, Fruitport dropped its third straight decision, a streak that hasn't occurred at the school since 2000. Fruitport falls to 3-3 overall with three games to play.

The Trojans will likely have to win out — including a victory over state-ranked Mount Pleasant in their regular season-finale — to clinch a berth to the Division 3 state playoffs.

"We're going to come back next week and see if this group still wants to play their hearts out every week," Wilson said. "I think that answer is yes."

"The way it's shaping up, Week 9 may be our playoff game, but we feel we still have a chance to get in."

Much like it's contest last Friday at Fremont, Fruitport had to rally from a double-digit deficit against OV, but narrowly pulled it out. The Trojans had two potential scoring drives snuffed out on failed fourth down conversions in the second half, the last which would have put them in the lead.

The second key Orchard View defensive stop obviously stung the Trojans the most.

Fruitport put together a solid 16-play drive that brought it down to the 5-yard line with 2 minutes, 15 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. But on third-and-goal from the 5, Trojans' running back Brandon Jamison was stuffed for no gain, and Fruitport then committed a false start penalty, creating a passing situation.

Senior quarterback Mario Flores couldn't dodge a heavy Orchard View pass rush, and his off-balanced heave fell well short of tight end Cody Bayle in the corner of the end zone.

Orchard View regained possession and was able to run out the final 1:53 to improve to 4-2 this season.

Behind its offensive line that averaged 250 pounds, the Cardinals were able to pound the Trojans at the line of scrimmage in the first half. OV built a 16-0 lead on a pair of D'andre Stedman touchdown runs, continuing a frustrating trend for the Trojans. They trailed Fremont 28-0 last week before rallying in the fourth quarter in an eventual 42-35 loss.

"They were big and powerful on the line of scrimmage, but they were also quick," Wilson said of the Cardinals' offense.

The Trojans answered late in the second quarter, cashing in their 10-play, 69-yard drive with a 2-yard plunge from junior fullback Bobby Steinman, cutting their halftime deficit to 16-6.

It was Fruitport that upped its intensity in the second half, with a shift in dominating blocking at the line of scrimmage going their way, while OV crippled itself with numerous penalties.

"We really challenged the whole team," Wilson said. "And I thought our kids really responded. Our defense stepped up and made things a little tougher for them, and our blocking was much better."

The Cardinals managed to extend their lead to 19-6 on an impressive 29-yard field goal from limping kicker Kody Harrell with 6:19 in the third. Harrell, who is also OV's quarterback, was banged up prior to the attempt, but still managed to split the uprights.

But the Trojans clawed back into the game because of workhorse junior Jamison, who put the team on his back. He carried the ball 15 times for 75 yards in the second half alone, and finished with 147 yards on the ground.

"He's really been big for us," Wilson said. "We found a way to consistently move the ball in the second half, and a lot of that was keep giving him the ball."

The Trojans were stopped a yard shy of a first down on fourth-and-2 with 2:55 remaining in the third, but an ensuing Stedman fumble — OV's lone turnover — gave the Trojans new life.

Fruitport also got a boost from seven Orchard View penalties, including two on the Trojans' scoring drive with 38 seconds left in the third, capped with a 1-yard Jamison scoring run.

The Cardinals were forced to punt two plays into the fourth quarter, and the Trojans' Wing-T offense went to work, driving 70 yards, but in the process, ate up a majority of the fourth quarter clock.

And when OV's defense held firm on fourth-and-7 with 1:53 to go, the Trojans didn't have enough time or timeouts to complete a comeback.

OV's pair of outstanding backs — Stedman and fullback Adam Ross, ran for 94 and 78 yards, respectively, but the Cardinals managed only 69 yards on the ground in the second half. Fruitport's linebackers stuffed running lanes much better, with senior Jake Wolfe leading the way with 18 tackles.

Wilson said his squad's next two games are "very winnable," with a trip to Grant next Friday, and then the Trojans' Homecoming contest against winless Newaygo.