Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
WHITEHALL — The rain and cold did not make for the best of homecoming nights, but it was still a momentous occasion for Whitehall’s top-ranked football team on Friday.
With Whitehall’s 56-0 victory over Fremont, coupled with second-place Manistee’s loss at Montague, the Vikings clinched the outright West Michigan Conference Lakes Division title. It’s the third straight WMC title for Whitehall, which has won 17 straight regular-season games.
Furthermore, Whitehall senior quarterback Kyle Stratton’s 11-yard run that opened the scoring in the first quarter was the 100th TD of his three-year varsity career.
It was the fourth shutout in five divisional games for the Vikings, who are No. 1 in the Michigan Associated Press Division 4 poll.
Whitehall (8-0, 5-0 WMC Lakes) closes the regular season at home next Friday against Orchard View. Fremont (2-6, 0-5) wraps up its season next Friday with a divisional game at Manistee.
Check out this highlights and reaction video with clips shot by CatchMark SportsNet student reporter Myles Welch:
Here are more details and notables from the game:
- Whitehall senior Trannon Aylor had another big night. After Stratton opened the scoring with his 100th career TD, Aylor had the next three scores. Aylor connected with Stratton on 42- and 13-yard TD passes, then Aylor picked off a pass and returned it 73 yards for another score.
- It was the second straight week Whitehall had a pick-6. In last week’s 48-0 victory at Ludington, junior Camden Thompson intercepted a pass and returned it 79 yards for a TD.
- Whitehall junior Brock Morningstar got into the scoring act late in the first half when he was credited with a safety.
- Moments later, Stratton scored his second rushing TD of the game on a 7-yard run. That made it 35-0 at the halftime break.
- Whitehall senior Malcolm Earvin added another TD to the board on his 31-yard scoring run in the third quarter.
- Later in the third, Thompson put up a TD on a 1-yard run.
- Whitehall junior Abram Stoudt recorded his first varsity TD on an 8-yard run in the fourth quarter to complete the game’s scoring.
- Whitehall dominated statistically, outgaining Fremont 370-57 in total offense. That count included 254-6 in rushing yards.
- Whitehall had 18 first downs to six for Fremont.
- Stratton finished 5-of-9 passing for 116 yards with the two TDs and no interceptions. He also led Whitehall’s rushing game with 79 yards on 10 carries.
- Whitehall junior Nate Betz was next in line in rushing yards with 50 on just four carries. Earvin had 47 yards on four carries.
- Aylor paced Whitehall’s receivers with 55 yards on two catches. Thompson had 41 yards on two receptions, while senior Ca’Mar Ready made one grab for 20 yards.
- Defensively, Whitehall was paced by junior Parker Mott, who had five solo tackles and eight assists.
- Whitehall senior Lavar Dean chipped in with four solo tackles.
- Whitehall senior Trenton TenBrock made his presence felt with three solo tackles, four assists, two tackles for loss, and one interception.
- Fremont sophomore QB Talen Reichert-Slater went 6-of-14 passing for 52 yards and two interceptions.
- Fremont junior Tritan Corrigan made four receptions for 37 yards.
- Defensively, Fremont was led by senior Owen Hertel with 10 tackles.
- Fremont senior Connor Pettis notched eight tackles, while junior Asa Barnhard and senior Quin Farrell made four stops apiece.
CHECK OUT THIS TIKTOK
