First off, huge thanks to our SportsNuts, Mia Milner and Jay Courtland. Jay was our video and live-posting guy—he handled all the clips you saw and kept our fans locked in throughout the game. Mia was our photo connoisseur, capturing all the amazing shots you’ll see below. We couldn’t do what we do without them, and we’re beyond grateful for the work they put in to make nights like this possible.
It was a special night Friday at EG Townsend Field. One huge community came together for the annual Pink Out game, honoring and supporting those battling breast cancer.
However—the story was more than pink. It was red vs. blue. Whitehall vs. Montague. The Battle for the Bell...
When the two teams took the field, it felt less like a football game and more like a prizefight under the lights. Make no mistake: this is the rivalry in our coverage area. Muskegon vs. Shores might win out by sheer enrollment numbers, but when it comes to tradition, history, and emotion, nothing quite matches Whitehall-Montague.
Montague walked into the rivalry tilt fresh off a much-needed bounce-back win over Orchard View, trying to shake off a 1-2 start that included tough losses to Forest Hills Eastern and Oakridge. Whitehall, meanwhile, was riding high. Just one week earlier, the Vikings shocked West Michigan by taking down last year’s Division 3 state champion Zeeland West. (And yes, if you checked our Friday Night Forecast predictions, we all picked Zeeland West—hand up, accountability taken). Momentum was the word. Montague chasing it, Whitehall protecting it. Both sides just a little bit more hungry then the other.
Whitehall struck first. With just under two minutes to go in the opening quarter, Hunter Osborne electrified the crowd with a punt return touchdown.
Montague countered early in the second, when Cole Moss bulldozed into the end zone at the 11:47 mark. The PAT was no good, though, leaving Whitehall clinging to a 7-6 edge. But the Vikings weren’t done in the half. Osborne, again, came up clutch—hauling in his second score of the night with just over three minutes to play in the second quarter. Halftime: Whitehall 13, Montague 6.
From there, the game became a defensive slugfest. Both squads traded stops, but neither could punch in another score. Whitehall’s lead held, and when the clock hit zero, the Bell stayed with the Vikings for the sixth straight year. Final: Whitehall 13, Montague 6.
This one carried extra weight. Not only did Whitehall improve to 3-1, but the victory cemented Tony Sigmon as the winningest head football coach in Whitehall history. Full feature here – catchmarksports.com/with-win-over-rival-montague-tony-sigmon-cements-himself-as-whitehalls-all-time-winning-est-football-coach
Devlin Dean paced the Wildcats’ ground game with 54 yards on 12 carries, while Fletch Thommen chipped in six rushes for 28 yards and Eli Petersen added 16 yards on six attempts. Through the air, Petersen went 3-of-11 for 74 yards. Defensively, Thommen and linebacker Caleb Schmidt led Montague with five tackles each, and Dylan Bailey added four stops.
For Whitehall, Essebaggers carried nine times for 52 yards and completed 3-of-7 passes for 59 yards. Liam Leeke, fresh off a 240-yard explosion against Zeeland West, was bottled up to just 51 yards on 18 carries. On defense, Anderson led the Vikings with six tackles and a pass breakup, Osborne contributed five tackles and an interception, and Essebaggers added five stops of his own.
Next up, Whitehall heads north to face Manistee during the Chippewas’ Military Appreciation night. Montague, now 1-3, returns home to host league leader Ludington during the annual Wildcat Salute.
At the end of the day…
The Bell stays red and the rivalry burns on...
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