For the first time in 42 years, the Lennox High School Orioles are football state champions once again, defeating Sioux Falls Christian 14-6 in the Class A State Football Championship on Saturday, Nov. 16. The victory marks only the second state title in school history, the last coming in 1982.
The game showcased the Orioles’ resilience and determination, qualities that have defined their historic season.
Lennox found themselves in a defensive battle, with the score 0-0 nearing halftime. Sioux Falls Christian broke the stalemate with just 43 seconds remaining in the second quarter, scoring the game’s first points. However, Lennox’s Emory Lefers blocked the extra point, limiting the damage and setting the stage for an exciting second half.
Head coach Shawn Flanagan emphasized the importance of staying focused during halftime, “We just had to go back to focusing on ourselves. You know, execution. We talked about a few things that weren’t going so well and what we were going to do to fix it,” said Flanagan. “It wasn’t a halftime ‘Rudy’ speech; it was about execution and honestly just what we had to do. Every halftime is the same—we are going to try to fix where we made mistakes and then go out there and play a better half.”
The Orioles responded to that challenge and came out strong in the third quarter. Quarterback Boston Katzer connected with Drake Mikkelsen for a 30-yard touchdown pass, and Cloy McVey’s successful extra point gave Lennox a narrow 7-6 lead with 7:46 left in the quarter.
“I don’t think that we ever wavered. I think after that first half, we adjusted, and we stayed true to ourselves. At halftime, we said we believed in each other, and that is exactly what we showed. That’s how we came out and got the job done in the second half,” said Katzer.
Momentum stayed with Lennox as Katzer struck again, this time finding Chase Faulds for a 14-yard touchdown later in the third quarter. McVey’s point-after extended the Orioles’ lead to 14-6.
“We knew we just had to keep fighting,” said Nate Haar, who was pivotal in the victory and in stopping Sioux Falls Christian’s run game. “We knew that when you give up, that’s when things start to go bad. If you keep your head in it and keep going, everything will turn out good. Our quarterback, he maybe had a rough first half, but he told us all he was going to come back. He had all of our backs, and that’s exactly what he did. He had a great second half.”
The Lennox defense took center stage in the final quarter, shutting down any hope of a Sioux Falls Christian comeback. Key defensive stops, forced fumbles, and four interceptions kept the Chargers’ previously undefeated offense off balance.
The Orioles held Sioux Falls Christian to just 152 total yards—143 passing and a mere nine rushing. In contrast, Lennox tallied 390 yards of offense, with 203 coming on the ground and 187 through the air. Flanagan pointed out that Sioux Falls Christian was bigger on both the offensive and defensive line, averaging 250 pounds up front on their offensive line and averaging 250 pounds on their defensive line. In contrast, Lennox averaged less than 200 pounds on their defensive line and 205 pounds on their offensive line.
Katzer’s standout performance earned him both the Outstanding Back and Most Valuable Player awards. He completed 18 of 27 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 58 yards on 12 carries. Defensively, Katzer contributed two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and three tackles.
After his outstanding performance, Katzer gave credit to his teammates in getting the job done.
“I expected a very good feeling but it’s nothing like this. This team, we fought through so much. It’s truly rewarding to know we came out, we fought hard. It wasn’t an easy game by any means, especially in the first half. They never gave up. We knew we had to give it our all on every play. Our motto for this week was ‘together.’ And that’s exactly what we did, and I couldn’t be prouder of my guys,” said Katzer.
Running back Ramsey Williams also shone, rushing for 83 hard-fought yards on 22 carries. Williams added an interception and six tackles to his stellar night. Tate Gerdes chipped in 68 rushing yards and 16 receiving yards. Mikkelsen caught five passes for 56 yards. Layton Smith grabbed four for 54 yards, and Faulds four for 46.
Defensively, Haar earned the Outstanding Lineman award for his efforts in shutting down Sioux Falls Christian’s run game. He credited his success to his coaches and teammates:
“A lot of it was coaches preparing me. I had a few disagreements with the coach all week about where I was playing, and he said, ‘I have a plan for you, and you execute it, and you’ll have a good game.’ And that’s exactly what happened. For my teammates, all week they’ve been saying, ‘I have your back, we love each other.’ And it’s true—we all do love each other and have each other’s backs.”
Other defensive highlights included interceptions by Williams, Gerdes, and Katzer; forced fumbles by Maxwell Weeldreyer and Jevyn Lefers; and fumble recoveries by Weston Richarz and Katzer. Leif Karlson also had a sack in the game. Braeden Harmelink and Weeldryer each had four tackles, Emory Lefers and Jevyn Lefers each had three tackles.
The victory brought pride to the Lennox community, with players, coaches, and fans celebrating a championship 42 years in the making. Flanagan praised his team’s grit and teamwork. When asked how proud he was of the team, Flannagan responded: “Tremendously. You know it’s hard to put into words. When a group of boys, I feel like, have developed into men, and they buy into something, and they put the team first, it’s hard to put that into words.”
For the Orioles, this season and championship game will be remembered not only for breaking a decades-long drought but also for exemplifying the heart and perseverance that define their team this season.
“It feels awesome. I’m super excited. I’ve just been trying to focus on football this week and preparing us for this game. You know, the boys did a great job of execution. They played for each other and the support from the community couldn’t have been any better,” said Flanagan.
As the final whistle blew and the team hoisted the state championship trophy, it wasn’t just a victory for the 2024 Orioles—it was a triumph for every player and fan who had waited 42 years for this moment.
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