Led by three players from Whitehall, seven local boys basketball stars earned all-conference first team mention this season after great performances.
The Vikings were co-champions of the West Michigan Conference Lakes, their third straight year bringing home a league championship. Camden Thompson, Jack Houtteman and Kal Koehler earned first team all-WMC.
Thompson’s inclusion was a no-brainer after a record-setting campaign. The sophomore set school single-season marks in both scoring and rebounding, piling up nearly 500 total points and just over 300 boards. His per-game averages were 23.6 points and 14.4 rebounds, as well as 3.4 assists.
Thompson will almost certainly be an all-state pick again after earning honorable mention from the Associated Press and being named to the coaches’ all-state team a year ago as a freshman. His magnum opus was a 36-point, 18-rebound explosion to carry the Vikings past Ludington in a win that secured a share of the conference title.
Houtteman started the season slowly, but gained confidence in his shot as the season progressed and became a vital long-distance weapon for the team. In one stretch, he scored double-digit points in seven of eight games, ending the campaign averaging 8.3 points per game.
Koehler was the team’s last all-league pick. The sophomore flashed at times, especially when Thompson missed a few games with an injury during the season. A 26-point showing against Montague early in the campaign showed what Koehler is capable of, and he averaged 9.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game.
Montague placed Owen Raeth and Isaiah Atchison onto the all-WMC Lakes first team. The duo formed an effective outside-inside tandem for the Wildcats. Raeth led the team in scoring with 10.4 points per game and was also a perimeter defensive threat, stealing the ball nearly twice per game. Atchison, of course, is known throughout the area for his shot-blocking prowess and swatted 2.5 shots per night. He also nearly averaged a double-double, with 9.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game.
Reeths-Puffer’s own dynamic duo, Travis Ambrose and Jaxson Whitaker, were named to the first team in the O-K Green Conference after outstanding statistical seasons. Ambrose put up another year of great numbers despite a preseason hernia surgery that hampered him early in the campaign. He had 16.8 points and 9.1 rebounds per game for the season and also swatted over two shots per night. Ambrose ended the season with a string of 20-plus point games and nearly led the Rockets past Muskegon in the district finals.
Whitaker was the player looked to for increased production when Ambrose was limited early, and he delivered in huge fashion. The junior led his team in scoring for the season with 19 points per game and became the Rockets’ all-time leader in three-pointers; he’s now at 168. His nine-triple, 35-point barrage against Kenowa Hills in the district tournament won’t soon be forgotten, but he was a consistent threat from deep all season long.
Ca’Mar Ready picked up honorable mention honors in the WMC Lakes. An unsung hero for the Vikings, Ready did almost everything well this season and filled in any gaps that came up. Ready had 8.1 points and 4.3 rebounds for the season, playing good defense and proving to be one of the team’s best in transition.