WHITEHALL – It was apparent from a young age that Kyle Stratton possessed athleticism and talent on the football field, and he knew it. He played quarterback and he was the alpha.
Now a senior at Whitehall High School, Stratton still possesses those traits, packed into a smaller but strong and durable 5-foot-9, 175-pound frame.
The third-year varsity starting QB and unquestioned team leader for the Vikings’ unbeaten football team is elusive and tough, zig-zagging around the field like Johnny Manziel did for Texas A&M. That’s who he likes to watch, even wearing jersey No. 2.
Stratton is a gamer. Call it swagger or supreme confidence, he believes in himself and he has but one focus in his final football season at Whitehall: Leading the Vikings to the school’s first state championship. They were very close last fall, finishing 11-1 after a heartbreaking 28-21 loss to eventual Division 4 state champ Grand Rapids South Christian in the regional finals.
“I don’t really care about anything else,” said Stratton, whose team is now 6-0 overall, has won 15 straight regular-season games dating back to 2022, and is ranked No. 1 in the latest Associated Press Michigan high school football Division 4 poll.
“I don’t really care about after high school right now. I don’t care about basketball or baseball. (A state title is) all I’m set on.”
Photos by Scott DeCamp and Shayla Hardy | CatchMark
Stratton is a three-sport standout at Whitehall. He’s point guard on the basketball squad and shortstop/pitcher/leadoff hitter on the baseball team. He earned Division 2 second-team all-state honors in baseball in 2023.
In the classroom, he carries a 3.79 GPA.
The 18-year-old son of Jodi and Keith Stratton is the baby of the family, but he’s grown into an impressive young man. He’s equal parts of his parents: Jodi’s kindness and consideration, and Keith’s mental toughness and competitiveness.
Many people see Kyle Stratton the football player, and he certainly does it all. He darts all over the field, running and passing for touchdowns from his QB spot. He makes big plays from his starting cornerback position. He returns punts and, yes, he even long snaps.
“Honestly, he can do everything,” said Whitehall senior Trannon Aylor, a big-play receiver, safety, and return man for the Vikings and also one of Stratton’s closest friends. “I mean, if we threw him in anywhere, he’s going to play his heart out and he’s going to do whatever it takes for the team. That’s where Kyle is just one of the most valuable players.”
Photos by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
Fewer people see Stratton’s softer side.
“Kyle has taken after (his mother) and we’ve talked about it — Kyle doesn’t see deficiencies in people, he doesn’t see abnormalities in people,” said Keith Stratton, a retired police detective, who brings emotion and intensity to his role as Whitehall’s defensive coordinator.
Kyle Stratton has grown physically and in terms of his maturity throughout his time as Whitehall’s QB.
He’s worked in the weight room, joining the 1,000-pound club with max lifts of 250 pounds in bench press, 395 in squat, and 405 in deadlift.
He worked a summer job with DeRose Builders, the company owned by Whitehall line coach Matt DeRose. Stratton took some of his earnings and purchased a Sea-Doo, which he enjoyed taking out on White Lake during his relaxation time.
He’s worked on himself. While Stratton is not consumed with how others view him, he is cognizant of the image that he reflects.
“That’s one thing I’ve had to work on because I’ve had people in my life say that I’m too cocky,” Stratton said. “I believe in myself as much as I can, but I try to stay humble about it. That’s just something my parents have taught me — my mom, with all her kindness.
“My saying to myself is, ‘If you don’t believe in yourself, who’s going to?’”
Opponents should be believers in Stratton after playing Whitehall. The two-year team captain is a true dual-threat QB.
Through six games, Stratton is 67-of-94 passing for 1,262 yards with 19 touchdowns and only two interceptions. He’s carried the ball 77 times for 592 yards (7.7 per carry) and eight TDs. In Games 2 and 3 this season against Tecumseh and Hastings, respectively, Stratton has passed for more than 200 yards and rushed for more than 100 in both of them.
Defensively, Stratton is a heady playmaker from his cornerback position. Against Montague, he came through with his second career pick-6.
Last season, Stratton completed 72 of 112 passes for 1,362 yards and 24 TDs, plus he ran 99 times for 802 yards and 14 TDs.
When a play needs to be made, you can expect to see Stratton trying to make something happen.
Photo by Scott DeCamp | CatchMark
“He’s not afraid to be seen,” Keith Stratton said. “He’s one of these odd characters who embraces pressure – loves pressure. He’s not afraid of the fact that in the South Christian game, we had to score in 56 seconds. That was not a worry to him. He’s not afraid of an 0-2 count in baseball. He’s not afraid of, in basketball, a press or whatever. He enjoys being that guy. He’s found a way to find peace among the havoc or among the storm.”
After high school, Stratton intends on playing football in college. Taylor University, an NAIA school in Indiana, has shown a lot of interest in him as a quarterback.
Stratton has shown interest in studying criminal justice, following in his father’s footsteps, or potentially pursuing education and coaching. Whitehall head football coach Tony Sigmon and especially offensive coordinator CJ Van Wieren have been mentors for Stratton, who is an extension of the coaching staff on the field.
“A lot of leadership as far as those types of things, keeping the guys in check,” Sigmon said. “Like (in the game at Manistee), he was getting the guys mentally right and everything. He does a really good job of that. Kids respond to him and that’s the important thing. The leadership is authentic.”
Stratton said he appreciates Whitehall’s coaches taking a chance on him as a sophomore starting QB.
In Stratton’s mind, he didn’t play as well as he would have liked, even though the Vikings did finish 8-3 that season with a share of the West Michigan Conference title.
Stratton believes he’s elevated each of his three seasons.
“Last year the game slowed down a lot. I got some confidence,” he said. “This year, I kind of knew everything that’s been in front of us for so long is right there. Everything I’ve ever really dreamed about since I was a little kid is right there – my last chance to do it with the guys I love the most. It’s all falling into perfect place and it’s just up to us if we’re going to go do it.”
On a cold November night at East Kentwood’s Falcon Stadium, Whitehall went toe-to-toe with South Christian. The Vikings were oh, so close to capturing the school’s first regional football title and continuing their path toward Ford Field.
Whitehall players were devastated with the outcome despite their record-setting season. Stratton can’t shake the vision of a highly emotion locker room after that loss.
He’s been a key cog during a special run for Whitehall’s football program, but Stratton has time to reflect on that later. He is hyper-focused on addressing some unfinished business.
“I want to work so hard to where I never, ever have to sit in a locker and cry with my team and watch everybody, like, real-life broken-hearted,” he said. “That fuels me every day to work hard so I don’t have to see people like that again.”
