Whitehall’s season comes to a sudden end with 28-27 loss to Big Rapids in Division 4 district finals

 

HOLTON – The pain from Friday night’s loss is going to linger for quite a while for the Whitehall Vikings.

After another banner season in which the Vikings won its first 10 games, the season came to an end in a 28-27 setback to the inspired Big Rapids Cardinals.

The Cardinals (10-1) used an overloaded left side of the line to break through and block a 32-yard field goal attempt on the last play of the game and sent the Cardinal sideline into a wild celebration.

That means Big Rapids will travel to Grand Rapids South Christian for a regional contest next weekend. South Christian defeated Forest Hills Eastern 22-14 on Friday night.

“We’ve had a nice season and everything, but right now the guys are hurting and they are allowed to hurt,” Whitehall coach Tony Sigmon said. “We love them and it’s really tough right now because this is the first time our seniors are going to have to deal with ‘goodbye.’

“I just wish we could have done a few more things here to keep playing, but hats off to them, they are an excellent football team.”

It was a battle from start to finish that saw Big Rapids score the game’s first touchdown and showed they came to play on the turf at Holton High School. Whitehall led 21-14 at the half and 27-21 until the last minute of the game.

“They made enough plays and we didn’t,” Sigmon said. “That’s just reality and, like I said, our kids are allowed to hurt right now.”

Under the direction of senior quarterback Riley Vennix, the Cardinals turned a fumble into the first points of the game on an 11-yard touchdown pass. The drive started on the Viking 25 after a fumble, and four plays later, Vennix hit Garret Foster for the game’s first score.


Whitehall came right back on the ensuing drive and needed six plays to cover 65 yards. A key play on the drive was a 35-yard pass completion from Kyle Stratton to Trannon Aylor. Several plays later, Stratton darted into the end zone from 3 yards out.

The Cardinals regained the lead near the midpoint of the second quarter when Vennix hit Kaleb Dubowski for a 2-yard touchdown pass.

Whitehall scored twice in the final four minutes of the first half. Stratton ran one in from 5 yards out with 3:59 remaining in the half and Malcolm Earvin scored from a yard out with 14 seconds left before halftime.

Big Rapids made a key stop on Whitehall’s first drive after the half when they stopped Stratton on a fourth down and 1 from the 24.

“Giving up a score right before half was huge where we didn’t let it bother us,” Big Rapids coach Mike Selzer said. “We came right back out and got a stop on the next possession and drove right down and scored.”

On that drive, the Cardinals drove 76 yards for the tying touchdown, an 11-yard pass from Vennix to Foster. The PAT was good and it was 21-all.

Whitehall drove to the Cardinal 6, but an illegal block and an incomplete pass on fourth down halted that scoring chance.

The Vikings were able to reclaim the lead on its next drive that culminated with a 23-yard pass from Stratton to Earvin with 5:37 remaining in the final quarter. The kick for the extra point failed and Whitehall led 27-21.

Big Rapids then began what proved to be the game-winning drive, which started at its own 12.

The drive included a key fourth down and 6 from the Viking 42. Vennix hit Foster for a 27-yard gain and the Cardinals were perched on the Viking 15 with 1:14 remaining. Two plays later, Vennix rolled out to the left, kept the ball and dove into the end zone. Jace Heck added his fourth PAT and the visitors were up 28-27.

The Vikings moved the ball from its 16 to the Cardinal 15, but the attempt at a game-winning field goal was blocked and the Viking season came to an end.

“There’s going to be one team in each division that wins it all and everyone else is going to feel like this at some point and tonight it’s our turn to feel this way,” Sigmon said.

Big Rapids, which lost to Paw Paw in the season opener, takes a 10-game winning streak into regional action.

“It was a heckuva game,” Selzer said. “We know how tough they are and we know what they’ve done all season and last season. Our kids know who they are. I’m so proud of our kids, they did not falter at the task.”

Check out more photos shot by Leo Valdez.