Orioles defeat Dells in final regular season game: Host Tri-Valley in Playoffs

The Lennox High School Orioles closed out their regular season on a high note, defeating Dell Rapids 34–14 on Thursday, Oct. 23 on the road. With the victory, Lennox secured momentum heading into the postseason and will now host Tri-Valley in the opening round of the Class 11A playoffs on Thursday, Oct. 30, with kickoff set for 6 p.m. The winner will advance to the semifinals, set for Nov. 7. 

Against Dell Rapids, Lennox’s offense came out firing early, as Ramsey Williams punched in a 12-yard touchdown run in the first quarter to give the Orioles a 7–0 lead. Quarterback Jhaimann Huntington added to that advantage in the second quarter with a 4-yard touchdown run, making it 14–0 after the extra point by Cloy McVey. 

Dell Rapids found some life midway through the quarter when Drake Eastman scored on a 1-yard run to cut the lead to 14–7, but Lennox quickly responded. Huntington connected with Tate Gerdes for a 61-yard touchdown pass, though the kick failed, Lennox still extended their the lead to 20–7. 

Dell Rapids answered before halftime on a 7-yard pass from Eastman to Karson Paye, making it 20–14 at the break.

The Orioles took control in the second half. Williams found the end zone again in the third quarter, this time on an 11-yard run, followed by a successful two-point conversion pass from Drake Mikkelsen to push the lead to 28–14. In the fourth, Huntington struck again, connecting with Brennen Juffer on a 16-yard touchdown pass to seal the 34–14 win.

In the air, Huntington completed 15 of 19 passes for 319 yards and two touchdowns. Cayden Huls added two completions for 28 yards. Gerdes led all receivers with five catches for 187 yards and a touchdown, while Juffer hauled in six receptions for 109 yards and another score. Mikkelsen had three catches for 36 yards and Talen Eich grabbed three passes for 15 yards. 

On the ground, Williams carried the ball 12 times for 40 yards and two touchdowns, while Huntington added 21 yards and one rushing score. Gerdes had 15 yards on four carries. 

Defensively, Jevyn Lefers led the team with ten tackles and two assists, while Cole Spieler contributed seven tackles and two tackles for loss. Williams also grabbed an interception on defense and had five tackles. Leif Karlson finished the night with four tackles and an assist. Max Weeldreyer also had four tackles on the night. 

As a team, Lennox out-gained Dell Rapids 422–175 in total yardage, with 347 of those yards coming through the air. The Orioles also converted on 64% of their third downs (7 of 11). 

The Orioles now turn their attention to the postseason, where they’ll look to carry their offensive momentum and balanced play into the first-round playoff match-up against Tri-Valley on their home field this Thursday, Oct. 30. In their previous match-up on Oct. 17, Lennox defeated Tri-Valley 41-0.