Boys win season finale against Bolton

Bball SrsThe senior members of the Whitehall boy’s basketball team went out winners last Tuesday as they defeated Bolton behind the strong play of guards Justin Hoagland and Brian McLaughlin.

The duo combined for 44 points as the Railroaders cruised past Bolton 67-54 in the team’s season finale.

Justin Hoagland finished with 32 points and added seven assists and seven steals. McLaughlin netted 12 points.

But it was the seniors who took center stage.

Head coach Keith Redmond started all five seniors to open the game, including Josh Hoagland who recently underwent surgery to repair ligament damage in his right knee.

Although he won’t be fully recovered for a few months, Josh suited up and was on the floor for the opening tip. He was taken off the court afterwards but returned in the third quarter to shoot a foul shot following a Bolton technical.

Colby LaChapelle, Paxton DeLorme, Jordan Eggleston and Carl Rehm were also in the starting lineup and were honored before the game.

Those seniors were given an opportunity to speak before the game and what they said seemed to have an affect on their teammates as the team played one of its best all around games of the season.

“It was an emotional pep talk before the game started,” Redmond said. “The message was simple: it was a rocky road this winter but a lot of great friendships and memories were made that will never be forgotten. It was a fantastic end for a great group of seniors. These kids gave their all every night, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

Whitehall was aggressive defensively and were effective in transition as they broke out for 33 first half points, punctuated by Justin Hoagland’s buzzer beater at the end of the second quarter. Bolton’s offensive attack adjusted in the second half, but Whitehall was able to score 18 points in the fourth quarter to keep the game out of reach.

With the win, Whitehall finishes the season 4-12 in the Adirondack League and 4-13 overall.