The LOHS boys basketball program kicked off their season with a two-game road trip to Eugene on Dec. 13 and Dec. 14. The team picked up two wins over Sheldon and North Medford, with final scores of 66-48 and 52-48, respectively. The JV and Freshmen teams were equally successful, giving the program a 6-0 record overall.

“We were one of the last teams in the state to start playing games and there are some things we have to clean up, but otherwise I think we played pretty well for our first couple games against two really good teams,” said senior guard Noah Kniss.

Senior Kaden Wheeler agreed. “There were mistakes here and there, but we played pretty good defense, and the games went well overall,” he said.

The Lakers will play Jesuit for their home opener on Wednesday, Dec. 18, followed by an away game versus Central Catholic on Friday, Dec. 20. After that, they’ll play four games in the Les Schwab Invitational, a tournament that features two teams ranked in the top 15 nationally.

Senior Jake Archambo is already looking forward to the tournament. “I remember always going to Les Schwab as a freshman and having a great time, and now we get to be a part of that atmosphere,” Archambo said.

Following Les Schwab, the team will play in another tournament before beginning their league schedule Jan. 14 at Tualatin.

“We have a lot of potential. As long as we keep working hard and making strides in practice, I think we’ll have a great year,” Wheeler said.