VERMILLION — Lennox leaned on Boston Katzer, a stout defense and a third-quarter surge to stun Sioux Falls Christian for the Class 11A state championship. 

Lennox (10-2) won its first state championship since 1982 on Saturday, spoiling Sioux Falls Christian’s shot at a perfect season at the DakotaDome. Lennox’s 14-6 win over the Chargers snapped a three-game losing skid to its Dak-XII Conference foe, and gave the program its first state title in 42 years. 

“That’s one thing we talked about all week is bringing something home and we got it,” said Lennox’s Nathaniel Haar, who was named the Most Outstanding Lineman. “We brought it home.”

Katzer, who was the Joe Robbie MVP and Outstanding Back, shook off two early interceptions and powered the Orioles to the win. He completed 18-of-27 passes for 187 yards and two passing touchdowns. A 6-foot-3, 210-pound quarterback, Katzer added 58 yards rushing. 

“He’s a great player, great leader, great kid,” Lennox coach Shawn Flanagan said. “He checks all the boxes. That’s for sure.”

Katzer also contributed to Lennox’s defense, which again was instrumental in its victory. The Orioles had pitched two shutouts through the first two playoff games, and Sioux Falls Christian’s lone TD was on a halfback pass in the second quarter. 

“Our defense did great,” Flanagan said. “It’s tough to shut out Sioux Falls Christian, and stop their run game. They have some big guys up front. They are physical and our D-line did a tremendous job, and so did our secondary. You talk about team defense.” 

The Chargers (11-1) managed just nine rushing yards on 21 carries, and Lennox intercepted four passes. Katzer picked off two passes, while Ramsey Williams and Tate Gerdes both had picks. 

“Our D-line and linebackers shut down the run,” Katzer said. “So (Sioux Falls Christian quarterback Lincoln Prins) had to put the ball in the air and I believe in every single one of our DBs to go down and make a play. We’ve had some injuries at our DB level, but it felt so good to go out and be rewarded.” 

After a scoreless first quarter, Sioux Falls Christian running back Brayden Witte tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Cole Snyder on a halfback pass. The blocked PAT kept the score at 6-0, the halftime score. 

On Lennox’s first possession of the second half, Katzer drove the Lennox offense into Sioux Falls Christian territory. On 4th-and-10, Katzer scrambled and connected with Drake Mikkelsen for a 30-yard touchdown strike. 

The Orioles kept the momentum on their side, with Katzer intercepting a Prins pass on Sioux Falls Christian’s next possession. The Lennox signal caller again moved the offense in scoring position, capping off the drive with a 14-yard touchdown toss to Chase Faulds. 

“At first I struggled, but then I knew I had to rely on my receivers to come grab the ball and they had holes in their zone that they were running,” Katzer said. “So I knew I had to trust my receivers would be there and I just let it fly.” 

Armed with a 14-6 lead, Lennox’s defense continued to stop Sioux Falls Christian’s offense and Williams’ fourth-quarter interception sealed the victory. 

“Our defense has been amazing,” Haar said. “It’s been great. It’s been fun to play on this side of the ball. To put up two scoreless games (in the playoffs) and play the best team in the division and have them put up six in four quarters is pretty amazing.”

The Orioles dropped a 19-8 decision against Sioux Falls Christian on Sept. 13. But Flanagan said Lennox cleaned up its miscues from the previous meeting. 

“We did some good things,” Flanagan said. “We just didn’t finish in the red zone against a tough defense. It’s tough to run against those guys. We just corrected some mistakes and we’ve gotten better throughout the season.”

It culminated with a state football championship, and Flanagan said it's a result of the team’s buy-in.

“It was awesome the effort the players played with, and kept on battling through all of it,” Flanagan said. “It was awesome.”