The Lennox High School Oriole football team took to the field in a high-stakes battle against Sioux Falls Christian on Thursday, Oct. 19, marking the culmination of their regular season. Unfortunately, the outcome was less than ideal for the Oriole faithful as they succumbed to a 42-14 loss against their opponents.
In the late stages of the third quarter, a glimmer of hope emerged for Lennox when Tate Gerdes, hauled in a well-executed pass from Boston Katzer, who evaded tackles to get the pass off. However, the two-point conversion attempt that followed proved unsuccessful, leaving Lennox with an uphill battle.
With a mere three and a half minutes remaining in the game, Corbin Hanneman proved to be a beacon of resilience for Lennox. Breaking through a couple of tackles, he managed to secure a much-needed touchdown for his squad. Ashton Bach came through with a successful two-point conversion. Unfortunately, time was not on their side, and the scoreboard ultimately favored their opponents, sealing their fate at 42-14.
Throughout the game, Katzer went 9 for 16 in passing attempts, accumulating a total of 104 yards in the air for Lennox. The Orioles’ ground game also made its presence felt, rushing for 108 yards on 17 carries.
As the regular season comes to a close, the Lennox High School Oriole football team now sets its sights on the upcoming playoffs, scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7 p.m. In this pivotal showdown, Lennox will hit the road to face the formidable C-Hawks of Canton, who stand at 7-2 on the season. Lennox enters the 11A playoffs as the 6th seed, while their opponents, Canton, occupy the third seed. The winner of this clash will advance to the next round, facing off against the winner of the West Central/Chamberlain match-up on Friday, Nov. 3. The ultimate goal for these determined teams is the State Championship game, slated to take place on Friday, Nov. 10, at the DakotaDome in Vermillion, with kick-off scheduled for 2 p.m.