FRUITPORT — History was made on both sides of Wednesday night’s Division 2 boys district basketball semifinal thriller between Whitehall and Fruitport.
In a packed Fruitport gym and before an ear-splitting crowd, it was indeed a game for the ages.
Fruitport outlasted Whitehall in the overtime classic, 77-69, as the host Trojans wiped out a seven-point deficit with less than three minutes remaining in regulation.
Trailing 60-58 with less than 10 seconds left, Fruitport senior Paschal Jolman came up with a loose ball off a Whitehall turnover in its backcourt and fed it to brother Collin Jolman for the tying bucket.
Paschal Jolman, who signed with Grand Valley State University for football, scored seven of the Trojans’ 17 points in OT to put it away.
Photos by Emily Vanderstelt for CatchMark
With the win, Fruitport (15-9) set a program record for most victories in a season. The Trojans advance to Friday’s 7 p.m. district final against neighboring rival Spring Lake (13-8), which defeated Oakridge in Wednesday’s earlier district semifinal, 74-39.
Whitehall closes its season with a 17-6 record. Sophomore Camden Thompson set the Vikings’ single-season scoring record with 496 points in 21 games played. The 6-foot-5 wing averaged 23.6 points, 14.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.2 blocks in a monster campaign.
Here are more details and notables from the game:
- Thompson led all players Wednesday night with 27 points to go with 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals and five blocks.
- Whitehall junior Ca’Mar Ready had 12 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, plus four rebounds.
- Whitehall senior Jack Houtteman scored 12 points and grabbed three rebounds.
- Whitehall sophomore Kal Koehler added seven points and three rebounds.
- Whitehall junior DJ Jamison chipped in four points and three boards.
- Whitehall graduates five seniors from the team, including Houtteman, Jack McDowell, Nate Bolley, Tyler Manzo and Maddox Varela.
- Whitehall shared the West Michigan Conference Lakes Division title with Ludington, both with 11-1 divisional records.
- Aside from Thompson, Fruitport freshman DayDay Williams was the star of the game. The 5-foot-10 guard was poised and clutch, getting to the bucket seemingly at will. He finished with a team-high 22 points, including a crucial three-point play when the Trojans trailed 57-50 with about 2 1/2 minutes left. He followed with a big 3-pointer to give Fruitport a chance down the stretch. Williams made four 3s.
- Paschal Jolman made some big shots as well for Fruitport. He finished with 15 points.
- Fruitport senior Andrew Spyke was an important paint presence, scoring 10 points with six of them coming in the first quarter.
- Fruitport sophomore Grade Anspach scored nine points and helped stabilize things in the backcourt.
- Fruitport junior Kyle Burke added seven points, five of them coming in overtime, including a big 3 in front of the Trojans’ student section.
- Fruitport’s win over Whitehall avenged an early-season loss. The Trojans lost on the road to the Vikings, 57-53, on Dec. 9.
- Fruitport shot 59 percent (28-of-47) compared to 38 percent (23-of-59) for Whitehall.
- Neither team shot free throws particularly well. Whitehall was 15-of-24 (62 percent), while Fruitport was 15-of-27 (55 percent).
- Perhaps the best aspect of the night was beloved, retired Fruitport athletic director Ken Erny sitting courtside as son Steve Erny coached the Trojans to the big program win. Ken Erny is battling ALS and it’s getting more difficult for him to attend games such as Wednesday’s, but he was smiling a lot and shared an emotional embrace with Steve after the game. Below is an interview CatchMark conducted with Steve after the game about his father and that moment.
- In another special moment, Fruitport’s Paschal Jolman and Whitehall’s Nate Bolley hugged it out after the game. Rivals on the football field and basketball court, Jolman and Bolley have become really good friends. Watch the video below to see their heartwarming display of sportsmanship.
- Finally, the atmosphere inside Fruitport’s gymnasium was next level. It made for a fantastic high school sports environment. The Trojans’ student section showed up in a major way both in numbers and noise. Watch the TikTok below:
