Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
TECUMSEH — Whitehall’s football team made a pit stop to the Grand Ledge Rest Area en route to Tecumseh on Thursday.
While at the rest area, a truck driver challenged one of Whitehall’s players to a rap-off. Turns out, that was the greatest challenge of the day for the Vikings. (See a TikTok on the rap-off below.)
Led by senior quarterback Kyle Stratton, Whitehall ran and passed all over Tecumseh while the Vikings’ defense played a punishing brand of ball en route to a 55-0 victory at Indian Stadium.
Watch all eight of Whitehall’s touchdowns in this video:
Here are more details and notables from the game:
- Whitehall made its six-plus-hour roundtrip journey to Tecumseh worthwhile. The Vikings put on a clinic, totaling 586 yards of offense compared to only 112 for the Indians despite holding a slight edge in total plays (56-49).
- Whitehall outrushed Tecumseh, 318-44. The Vikings outpassed the Indians, 268-68.
- Whitehall had 22 first downs to seven for Tecumseh.
- Whitehall built a 35-0 halftime lead, meaning the second half was played with a mercy-rule running clock.
- Stratton had a big night for Whitehall. The elusive and dazzling 5-foot-9, 175-pounder completed 10 of 13 passes for 268 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for a game-high 112 yards and two TDs on 12 carries. His TD runs covered 4 and 3 yards.
- Stratton found his two favorite targets, senior Trannon Aylor and junior Camden Thompson, for a pair of touchdowns apiece. Thompson caught five passes for 130 yards, while Aylor made four receptions for 123 yards. Thompson’s TD catches covered 15 and 24 yards, respectively, while Aylor’s covered 25 and 70 yards, respectively.
- Whitehall senior Malcolm Earvin rushed three times for 60 yards, highlighting by an electric 34-yard TD run in the second quarter.
- Whitehall sophomore Hunter Osborne scored his first TD as a Viking on a 25-yard run off an option pitch by junior reserve QB Ryan Goodrich. That score came in the game’s final moments.
- Goodrich also rushed for 60 yards on seven carries.
- Whitehall junior linebacker Parker Mott led the hard-hitting defense with five solo tackles, one of which caused a fumble recovered by senior Kadin Waller.
- Stratton notched four tackles, including one for lost yardage, from his cornerback spot.
- Osborne also had four tackles, including a TFL.
- Whitehall senior linebacker Trenton TenBrock had four solo tackles and three assists, including a sack.
- Aylor had four solo tackles and an assist, including a TFL, from his safety spot.
- Next up: Whitehall (2-0) hosts Hastings at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 8. It’s “Community Night” in Whitehall. Gates open at 3:30 p.m. for the junior varsity game. Events and activities include face painting, principal dunk tank, T-shirt cannon, mini-football give-away, and $1 entry for all Whitehall students.
DON’T FORGET THE TIKTOKS
Below is the aforementioned TikTok on the truck driver who challenged senior Everett Napier to a rap-off in the parking lot of the Grand Ledge Rest Area. Below that is a TikTok of Whitehall students who deserve props for making the six-hour-plus road trip to Tecumseh in support of their Vikings.
