Lennox High School kicked off their football season with an impressive 48-13 victory over Vermillion. The Orioles took the lead early, finishing the first quarter up 12-0 and extending their lead to 20-7 by halftime. Despite Vermillion’s efforts, Lennox continued to control the game, leading 24-13 at the end of the third quarter before scoring 14 points in the fourth to seal the win.
Coach Shawn Flanagan praised his team’s effort and highlighted the contributions of new players.
“We had some simple mistakes that can be corrected,” Flanagan said. “Players played with a lot of effort. It was a great team win, with a lot of new players stepping up and contributing. We did a great job running the ball and stopping the run.”
Lennox’s offense was clicking. Quarterback Boston Katzer led the offense with 269 passing yards, completing 13 of 28 passes. Running back Tate Gerdes rushed for 81 yards on 11 carries, scoring two touchdowns.
Corbin Hanneman contributed with seven carries for 29 yards and one touchdown. Katzer also added to the rushing game with 28 yards and a touchdown on seven carries and Ramsey Williams had seven carries for 25 yards, scoring one rushing touchdown.
In the air, wide receiver Drake Mikkelsen was a standout, catching eight passes for 174 yards, including one touchdown. Other notable receivers included Hanneman with a 25-yard catch, Chase Faulds with a 23-yard reception, Layton Smith with a 13-yard catch, and Gerdes with a 12-yard reception.
Lennox’s offense racked up 432 total yards — 269 through the air and 263 on the ground. In contrast, Vermillion was held to just 225 total yards, with 166 passing and 59 rushing. Both teams threw two interceptions during the game.
Defensively, Jevyn Lefers led the Lennox defense with seven tackles, followed by Ramsey Williams with six and Boston Katzer with five. Braeden Harmelink added four tackles, with Max Weeldreyer and Nolan Spielman each contributing three. Several other players, including Hanneman, Shayden Olean, Emory Lefers, Journey Noisy-Hawk Ellis, Talen Eich, Aiden Hanssen, Brennen Juffer, and Jyler Antoine, also made key tackles.
Nate Haar made his presence felt with two sacks, while Aiden Hanssen added one interception.
A highlight of the game was Tate Gerdes’ kickoff return for a touchdown.
The Orioles will host Custer this Friday, Sept. 6 in their home opener. Custer is coming off a 20-13 loss to Tri-Valley last week. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.