Lennox rolls past Dakota Valley
The Lennox High School football team put together a strong offensive performance Friday, Oct. 9, defeating Dakota Valley 44-13 in Lennox. The Orioles finished with 444 yards of total offense, including 223 through the air and 221 on the ground.
Quarterback Cayden Huls led the way for Lennox, throwing four touchdown passes and adding another score on the ground. Huls completed nine of 17 passes for 215 yards and rushed nine times for a team-high 127 yards.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Orioles broke the game open with 22 unanswered points in the second.
Huls connected with Drake Mikkelsen on a 53 yard touchdown pass to put Lennox on the board. A successful two-point conversion gave the Orioles an 8-0 advantage. Huls then broke free for a 51 yard touchdown run, and another successful two-point conversion extended the lead to 16-0.
The Huls-to-Mikkelsen connection struck again later in the quarter, this time on a 27 yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion attempt failed, leaving Lennox ahead 22-0.
Dakota Valley got on the scoreboard before halftime on a 29 yard touchdown pass. The extra point was good, sending the teams into the break with Lennox leading 22-7.
The Panthers narrowed the gap in the third quarter on a five-yard touchdown pass. The missed extra point brought Dakota Valley within nine points at 22-13.
Lennox answered with another big play through the air as Huls connected with Brennen Juffer for a 38 yard touchdown. The Orioles added the two-point conversion to push their advantage to 30-13 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Orioles continued to pull away in the final period. Shayden Olean scored on a 19 yard run to extend the lead to 36-13 before Huls connected with Bennett Hanssen on a 60 yard touchdown pass. A successful two-point conversion capped the scoring and secured the 44-13 victory.
Mikkelsen led Lennox receivers with four catches for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Juffer added two receptions for 52 yards and a score, while Hanssen recorded two receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown.
Olean provided another strong performance on the ground, carrying the ball 16 times for 101 yards and a touchdown.
Defensively, the Orioles limited Dakota Valley to 66 rushing yards and 278 yards of total offense despite the Panthers running 80 plays compared to Lennox’s 50.
Jevyn Lefers led the Lennox defense with 14 tackles. Nolyn Spielman added nine tackles and had two sacks in the game. Blayze Spielman recorded three tackles, and had a sack. Lief Karlson also contributed a sack.
The win improved the Orioles to 5-2 on the season. Lennox will travel to Belle Fourche this Friday, Oct. 16 for a 6 p.m. game. Belle Fourche sets at 1-6 on the season.
On Thursday, Oct. 22 the Orioles travel to Madison for the final regular season game. Playoffs are slated to begin on Thursday, Oct. 29.