WHITEHALL – After a series of wild playoff games last Friday, Whitehall is now the host of a regional final. Whitehall is the only team in the state of Michigan to play on the road during districts and then host a regional game.
The stage for this game was set when Whitehall defeated Big Rapids in the district final. (Post-game article here). Whitehall controlled the game by managing the clock to its advantage, while junior Hunter Osborne scored late and put the nail in the coffin.
South Christian, however, entered its district final as the heavy underdog. On paper, it was Unity Christian’s game to lose after beating South Christian 50-21 in Week 7.
South Christian led UC 29-22 at the start of the fourth quarter. A six-minute drive from Unity Christian resulted in a touchdown, but a failed 2-pt conversion kept the Sailors in the drivers seat. A final touchdown by South Christian gave them insurance and stunned UC 35-28.
If you’re not familiar with the Sailors’ game, here it is laid out. Offensively, South Christian runs mostly a spread offense with plenty of RPO looks.
South Christian started its season with four straight wins. Down the stretch, however, the Sailors lost its next four, which set them back to a .500 record (4-4).
A big-time win came in the regular season finale against Grand Rapids Catholic Central, who is also playing for a regional title this Friday in division five.
The Sailors have no shortage of playoff experience. South Christian has made the playoffs in 13 of the last 14 seasons. In 2022, South Christian went on a tear that ultimately led to a state championship.
That run included a win against Whitehall in the regional final, 28-21, adding some storyline to this week’s game.
The story for Whitehall is one word: brotherhood. After closing the regular season with a 49-7 loss to Portland, seniors (including the injured ones) stepped up and led the Vikings to back-to-back playoff wins and secured a district championship.
Senior Gavin Craner, who transferred from Belding two years ago, sat out last season but came into this season hungry. In the playoffs alone, Craner has accumulated over 200 yards and has become an explosive yet elusive back the Vikings can lean on down the stretch.
The big men up front have provided solid work all season and sometimes don’t get enough credit.
Senior Jack Ambrose, along with his counterpart senior Conner Nash, have both received all-conference honors. Ambrose and Nash dominate the left side of the line and seal off QB Camden Thompson’s blind side.
All-conference center Jamison Jeffrey, a junior, stepped into a big-time role at the beginning of the season. Between these three, along with Jacob Alger and Payton Ossenfort, Whitehall’s offensive line has become one of the best in the state.
Defensively, Whitehall presents a surplus of defenders with high motors.
Senior Brock Morningstar, along with junior Corde Anderson, round out the edges. The duo has a combined 15 TFLs and five sacks. Morningstar often plays a hybrid role, dropping back into coverage when needed.
The age-old saying, “the keys to the game are turnovers and penalties,” comes into effect in this one. In the win against Big Rapids, the Vikings had seven penalties that resulted in 60 total yards against them. Whitehall will need to clean up those mistakes going forward.
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Friday night. A regional title and the chance to keep both seasons alive are on the line.
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