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Whitehall boys basketball looks to repeat as conference champ under new coach in 2021-22

Vikings will feature a lot of fresh faces this season.

Media day photos by Cody Ottinger and Kara Raeth | CatchMark

Whitehall’s 2021-22 boys basketball team attended the VanDyk Mortgage West Michigan Conference media day on Wednesday, Nov. 24, at the Viking Athletic Center (VAC) in Whitehall.

Whitehall posted an 11-0 record en route to winning the West Michigan Conference title in the shortened 2020-21 season. Above are photos of the Vikings and below is a season preview.

COACH: Christian Subdon (1st season).

LAST YEAR’S RECORDS: 14-4 overall (11-0 West Michigan Conference, 1st place).

RETURNING STARTER: Red Watson (Senior, Guard, 5-8).

KEY RETURNEES: Brodie Fogus (Senior, Forward, 6-4); Jackson Stoudt (Senior, Guard, 5-10).

NEW PROSPECTS: Isaac DeHart (Senior, Guard, 5-10); Nate Bolley (Junior, Guard, 5-10); Jack Houtteman (Junior, Guard, 5-10); Camden Thompson (Freshman, Guard/Forward, 6-3); Kyle Stratton (Sophomore, Guard, 5-9).

STRENGTHS: The Vikings will rely on their speed, athleticism and toughness to compete in every game this season.

WEAKNESSES: A minimal amount of varsity experience could create potential obstacles for Whitehall. The Vikings return only two players from last season.

SEASON OUTLOOK: The reigning conference champions will work to defend their title with a team that looks almost entirely different than last year’s. Under first-year coach Christian Subdon, the Vikings are using the elevated competition in the league to drive their work ethic.

Subdon moved from his junior varsity position at Whitehall to take over for coach Nate Aardema, who is now at Reeths-Puffer High School. The two still have a great relationship.

“It didn’t feel real at first. For me, (this opportunity) was a great feeling. I get to the be with the kids I’ve been with for the last two years,” Subdon said.

Although the Vikings suffer from a lack of varsity experience, they will dress a young squad that has been unified through other sports teams leading up to this season.

Fall workouts and repetition have been a primary focus for Whitehall.

“We determined in the offseason that we needed to address our shooting,” Subdon said. “The kids bought in and every kid on our team came in and worked during the fall.

“The conference is loaded. I tell the guys every day, before we might’ve said, ‘All right, we might be able to take a breath that game.’ This year, we take a breath, we are going to end up on the wrong side of the score.”

Lead writer for CatchMark SportsNet and Web Services leader for CatchMark Technologies.

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