SPRING LAKE- One of the hardest feats in basketball is beating the same team three times in a season – and it’s even harder when that team happens to be your neighborhood rival.

Yet Camden Thompson and the Whitehall Vikings made it look easy on Friday night.

Thompson recorded an impressive double-double, with 15 points and 16 rebounds, to lead the Vikings to a 57-39 victory over Montague in the Division 2 district title game at Spring Lake High School.

It was the first district championship for the Whitehall boys since 2007, and sent them to Monday’s regional semifinals against Sparta on Monday at 5:30 p.m. at Forest Hills Eastern High School.

Whitehall’s Kyle Stratton shoots over Montague defender Tugg Nichols. Photo/Isaiah Winters

“You just expect different things every time,” Thompson about the difficulties of facing a good team three times in a season. “They just get better every time you play them, and you really just have to keep getting better yourselves.”

Whitehall coach Christian Subdon was impressed with his team’s effort in the victory.

“They played their absolute butts off,” Subdon said about his players. “It’s hard to beat a team three times, especially a team like Montague. We had some shots fall, that’s part of the reason that the score ended the way it did, but I’m so proud of my kids.”

Though the Vikings won by 18 points, and led by 20 at seveal points throughout the game, the contest looked like it was going to be a scrappy, low-scoring affair at the start.

Whitehall’s Red Watson (1) drives to the basket. Photo/Isaiah Winters

The Vikings led just 9-6 after one quarter, with neither team able to find its range offensively.

But the Vikings exploded in the second quarter, scoring 22 points, with Thompson leading the way with six. He got four of those points in impressive fashion with 3:40 remaining, when he nailed a bucket, stole the inbound pass, then scored again to put his team up by eight.

Whitehall led 31-14 at halftime,

“He’s a phenomenal player, and he’s only going to get better is the scary part,” said Subdon about Thompson’s play. “We have three more years out of him, and he’s going to be scary good. I’m super proud of him, he does all the things that people don’t talk about.”

The Vikings outscored Montague 15-14 in the third quarter, moving the lead to 46-28 entering the fourth.

Montague’s Isaiah Atchison lets go of a shot over Whitehall’s Kyle Stratton. Photo/Isaiah Winters

Both teams notched 11 points in the fourth quarter, and Whitehall put a bow on its district championship with six consecutive free throws by sophomore Kyle Stratton.

Red Watson had a good night for the Vikings, with 11 points and five assists.

“It means everything,” Subdon said about the district title, after his team also won the West Michigan Conference championship this year. “We set goals, and we’re checking them off.”

Leading the Wildcats in their loss was Owen Raeth and Colton Blankstrom, who both had nine points. Despite being contained on offense, sophomore Isaiah Atchison pulled down an impressive 13 rebounds.