We are entering the fifth season of what could be the greatest dynasty in Whitehall football’s history in 2025. Over the last four seasons, the Vikings have totaled 37 wins and just nine losses, and have seen some of their best athletes come through the pipeline. Though a team filled with seniors in 2024, there remain many question marks about the roster, but the biggest is the question of: Can Whitehall win its fifth straight WMC title? We’re going to dig deep into the team that head coach Tony Sigmon is fielding in the new campaign.
Coaching Staff
HC – Tony Sigmon (13th season)
OC – Casey Huizenga
DC – Kyle McGrew
Key Returners
Corde Anderson
Hunter Osborne
Cody Manzo
Jacob Alger
Jamison Jeffery
Hunter Peterson
Cole Essebaggers
Deep threat and power rusher off the edge, Corde Anderson is likely Whitehall’s most complete returner as he offers great athleticism on both sides of the ball. A season ago, Anderson totaled 348 yards on the perimeter while also notching a team-high eight tackles for loss and five sacks.
Hunter Osborne will serve as a true gadget receiver for the Vikings in 2025. Osborne hauled in 14 catches for 277 yards and eight total touchdowns, with three of them coming in the ground game. Much like Anderson, Osborne will likely take many snaps on the defensive side of the ball as well, mainly in the secondary.
Jacob Alger and Jamison Jeffery both return to anchor the offensive line, as both of them had solid 2024 seasons and have had great summers to this point. “Last year they did a wonderful job helping us win the conference for the 4th straight year and a district title,” Sigmon said.
Cody Manzo and Hunter Peterson will each have a big role in the Vikings’ defense — Manzo in the secondary and Peterson in the linebacker corps.
Cole Essebaggers has been tabbed for the starting quarterback spot, a position played by a couple of Viking legends the past few seasons in Kyle Stratton and Camden Thompson. Essebaggers, though with not much experience, has reportedly had an “excellent summer,” per coach Sigmon.
Incoming Talent / Breakout Candidates
Kolten Weiler
Ayden Mendoza
Liam Leeke
Judd Musk
Caden Bowyer
2025 Schedule
Aug. 28 – Unity Christian
Sept. 5 – Orchard View
Sept. 12 – @ Zeeland West
Sept. 19 – @ Montague
Sept. 26 – @ Manistee
Oct. 3 – Oakridge
Oct. 10 – @ Ludington
Oct. 17 – Fremont
Oct. 24 – Portland
Along with Ludington, Whitehall has a very difficult out-of-conference schedule with West Michigan powerhouses Unity Christian and Zeeland West, who won a state title last season. The Vikings also host Portland at the end of the season, a team they lost to 49-7 a year ago.
As for the league games, Orchard View in week two should be a good examiner of where we see Whitehall the rest of the season. They will then go on a three-week road trip that includes rival Montague and Manistee. Montague comes into its first season of the Phil Koops era and will look to take back the Battle of the Bell for the first time since 2020. The last notable regular-season game is on October 10 when the Vikings travel north to Ludington in a game that decided the conference winner last season.
“The most important message for this team is that the standard is the standard. They have done a wonderful job to this point. Now they have to continue to progress during fall practices,” Sigmon mentioned when asked about what needs to be done to be successful.
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