Orioles enter 2025 season with depth, experience, and high expectations: Season tips-off this Friday at home

The Lennox High School boys’ basketball team enters the 2025 season with confidence and a strong returning core under the leadership of Head Coach Jacob Hinker, who begins his second year at the helm. A former Lennox standout himself, Hinker spent four years guiding the JV program before taking over the varsity role. His playing career includes time with the Orioles as well as collegiate experience at Dakota Wesleyan University.

Supporting him on the sidelines this season are assistant coaches Kyle Johnston, Grant Fodness, and Trey Manitz.

The Orioles graduated key contributors Boston Katzer, Layton Smith, and Cade Sherard, but the roster remains deep with experience. Returning letterwinners include Tate Gerdes, Teegan Musser, Cole Spieler, Talen Eich, Aiden Hanssen, Drake Mikkelsen, Eli Plank, Brennen Juffer, Chase Lundquist, and Jevyn Lefers.

This depth, combined with athleticism across the board, is expected to be one of Lennox’s greatest strengths. The team brings balance on both ends of the court and the ability to rotate multiple players without losing momentum.

Last season the Orioles posted a 16–4 regular season record and finished 20–6 overall, culminating in a fourth-place finish at the Class A State Tournament. One of the program’s most memorable moments came during the opening round at State, when Lennox knocked off rival West Central.

With that success still fresh, the Orioles enter the new season looking to elevate even further.

The team faces a demanding schedule with several tough stretches packed with high-level competition.

“We play a tough schedule that has areas with multiple tough games in a row. A big question mark will be how we respond to adversity throughout tough stretches of the season,” said Hinker.

In the conference, Sioux Falls Christian, West Central, and Vermillion are expected to contend once again, with Sioux Falls Christian and Vermillion also posing challenges within the region.

Hinker said the goal is clear: compete as one of the best teams in South Dakota.

“We want to compete as one of the best teams in the state. We have a group of athletes that have high expectations of themselves to compete at a high level and get better every day,” he said. “We will have an identity of toughness and togetherness.”

The 2025 Lennox High School boys’ basketball team members are as follows (returning letterwinners marked with an *):

Talen Eich*

Tate Gerdes*

Eli Highum

Elijah Johnson

Teegan Musser*

Cole Spieler*

Kaden Bullert

Aiden Hanssen*

Aden Hodgen

Wyatt Holland

Brennen Juffer*

Wyatt Kirschgasler

Chase Lundquist*

Drake Mikkelsen*

Eli Plank*

Andrew Stensaas

Justin Butler

Cayden Huls

Blayze Spielman

Mavrick Stockwell

Isaac Vietor

Lance Aesheim

Charley Bittner

Chase Flanagan

Zack Hardy

Emmitt Johnson

Jaxson Johnson

Carter Larson

Connor McCready

Cohen Soukup

Landon Strasser

Rodney Volesky

Avandre Baarts

The Orioles kick off their season on Friday, Dec. 12, against Sioux Falls Christian at home. This will be a doubleheader with the LHS girls. The boys are slated to tip off at approximately 8 p.m., the girls at 6:30 p.m.

On Thursday, Dec. 18 the Orioles will host Madison in another double header with the LHS girls.