Thanks to Luke Westerlund for the awesome pics! Interested in his pics, check them out here!
Fruitport just did something no team in program history has ever done—win a conference championship.
The Trojans wrapped up their historic run Friday night with a dominant 75-43 road win over Belding, officially locking up the first-ever O-K Silver championship. Thanks to NorthPointe Christian taking down Godwin Heights, Fruitport didn’t just share the title—they took it outright.
“It is a great feeling to win a conference championship, not only because it is the first one in the new O-K Silver, but because it’s the first one in our program’s history!” head coach Steve Erny said. “This team will always go down as the FIRST to do it.”
Now they didn’t just win the title… they did it in style. Hudson Hazekamp was on fire, dropping a career-high 20 points and drilling four triples. Trevor Rusnak had himself a night too, scoring a career-high 15 points with four 3-pointers of his own. Dexter Lillmars added 15, and DayDay Williams chipped in seven as the Trojans pulled away in the second half and never looked back.
“This season has been a fun ride,” Erny said. “Mainly because the group of players has come together, had great team chemistry, and has worked hard to accomplish our goals.”
Fruitport now shifts its focus to District 42, where they get a first-round bye and will take on the winner of Oakridge and Montague (who play tonight—stay tuned). The Trojans have already beaten both this season, taking down Oakridge 68-65 and Montague 62-43.
From there, things only get tougher. A potential matchup with either Spring Lake, Orchard View, or Whitehall looms next. Spring Lake is the only team that they have officially played, beating them by only three, early in the season, 46-43.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to play some really good teams in this tournament,” Erny said. “This time of year, it’s about leaving it all on the floor and focusing on the details. Fundamentals, team play, and defense will be the keys to having success in the state tournament.”
This group is built for the moment.
“We’ve got a lot of talent, a high basketball IQ, and a bunch of guys who flat-out refuse to lose,” Erny said. “There’s a lot of belief on this team, and it shows. We’re young—five of our top eight guys are underclassmen, including our three leading scorers. But we’ve also got a fantastic group of seniors who have made the team dynamic work so well. It’s a perfect blend of young, exciting talent and experienced leadership.”
Regardless of what happens next, Fruitport has put itself on the map this season. According to Erny, the best is still ahead.
“If you ask me personally what the future looks like for Fruitport basketball, I’d say it’s exciting,” he said. “We’ve got younger players coming through the program who work their tails off, and the guys returning to varsity next year are only going to get better. More and more families are seeing what it takes to be competitive on the basketball court, and I’m seeing the investment in basketball within our community grow.
“At the end of the day, I just want Fruitport Basketball to be a program our school and community can be proud of—not just by winning games, but by how our young men conduct themselves and represent Fruitport.”
The Trojans have been knocking on the door all season. This year, it looks like they might just finally kick it on down.
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