The Lenawee Christian boys varsity basketball program is rich in tradition and has been home to monumental wins and championships over the past 30 years. District, regional, and Final Four banners adorn the white walls of the LCS gymnasium.

LCS brought the Class D state runners-up trophy to its Adrian campus in 2014.

“I would also say that most of our guys know the tradition and history of our program,” Coach Matt Summer said. “We have banners in the gym that remind us daily.”

Summer enters his seventh season on the LCS bench, fresh off a Division 4 quarterfinal berth last March.

As LCS enters the coming season, Summer returns only three players from last year’s 22-5 team, but those three bring experience, leadership, and playmaking skills to the court.

Senior Jaxon Salenbien, a 6-foot-4 guard, received the Associated Press’s Division 4 Player of the Year in 2025. Summer is expecting great things from him. “He is not only a massive contributor on the court, but has also developed into an incredible leader for us,” Summer said of Salenbien, who is on the verge of several career LCS records. 

Senior Dan Scrupsky, a 5-foot-10 guard, and junior Drew Kirkendall, a 6-foot-1 guard, join Salenbien in their quest for another championship or two in 2026. Scrupsky added 9.4 ppg and 2.8 spg for LCS, along with 61 three-pointers.

Summer said he expects this experienced trio to answer the challenge and put the Cougars in a position for another strong run in the state tournament.

“Our expectations are to compete for a conference championship and peak at the right time for a deep postseason run,” Summer said.

Addison: Second-year coach Sam Wozniak is ready for the upcoming season with Addison as he looks to leave last season in the rearview mirror and speed into the new year. 

“We expect to be openminded, ready to compete, and be encouraging teammates,” said Wozniak, whose team finished 10 in the deep Cascade Conference. 

Senior guard Austin Wilson joins senior forward-center Braylen Klein and senior forward Quincy Smith, who return for the Panthers.

“Our team works hard and expects to win,” said Wozniak, whose team hosts the district tournament next March. “The goal is to win districts this year on our home court.”

Adrian: The Maples graduated a talented senior class, including current University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee freshman and all-time county-leading scorer Stevie Elam (more than 2,000 points). Eighth-year coach Jordan Kelly likes the returning players and the newcomers to the team.

“I am really excited about the team this year,” Kelly said. “We graduated a large senior class that played a lot of games for us. But we have four returners that are ready to take the program over and continue the success we have had the last few years.”

Returning players include seniors Jaxson Francis, Calvin Polley, Lamont McKinney, and Jamari Jones-Buie.

“Leadership will be important as we have nine new players, including four sophomores,” said Kelly, whose team finished 21-5 and fell in the Division 2 regional final. “The team is working extremely hard and things are starting to come together as we expect.”

Blissfield: Blissfield enters the season with a mix of returning veterans and younger players joining the fray under third-year coach David DeVantier.

“We are really hoping to build chemistry and improve each game as the year goes on,” said DeVantier, whose team finished third in the Lenawee County Athletic Association.

“I expect Carson Bettis, Skyler Kimple, and Noah Sills to be leaders,” DeVantier added. “Those three were every-game players last year, and we are expecting all three to help us compete.”

Britton Deerfield: As an assistant coach of the Madison girls varsity basketball team last season, Robert Burciaga understands what it takes to win. He brings that knowledge to Britton Deerfield for the upcoming season.

“Although this is my first year, I plan to continue to build on an already successful program,” said Burciaga, who is familiar with many of the conference opponents. “I plan to compete for a TCC title and advance in the postseason.”

Senior center Alex Anspach returns as the lone starter off last year’s district final runner-up team. Liem Roe, Adam Scheurer, and Julyan Day join Anspach as projected leaders on the Britton Deerfield squad. Junior guard Cayden Allshouse is also expected to contribute throughout the season. 

Clinton: Second-year coach Andrew Davis leads Clinton into the new season with lofty goals.

“We have high expectations for this team,” said Davis, whose team finished fifth in the LCAA but lost in the Division 3 district final last March. “Even though we may be young on paper, we have a lot of boys who compete every single day.”

Point guard Ronan Stelzer and shooting guard Louie Della-Badia stood out last season for the Redwolves and return to lead the way this winter.

“We are hoping to build on last season and are excited about the potential that this group has,” Davis said. 

Hudson: Hudson enters the season looking to replace multiple players from its 13-10 team last season, as third-year coach Jeff Webster seeks improvement throughout the year.

“We lost eight seniors from last year’s team, so we will be a very inexperienced team,” said Webster, whose team finished fourth in the LCAA last winter. “We hope to keep improving throughout the season so that we can compete for a district championship at the end of the season.”

Senior Aiden Tedora returns along with juniors Qwaden Wallace and Koen Hinzman. Wallace was the team’s leading scorer (eighth best in the LCAA last winter), and he led his team in assists (third in assists in the league).

Madison: Coach Erik Thompson heads into the new season at Madison without the school’s all-time leading scorer, another who served as a leader on the court, and a reliable ballhandler. But the returning Trojan players are ready. 

“The six returners are willing and able to pick up the slack,” said Webster, whose team finished tied for first in the LCAA with Onsted. “Our incoming juniors were undefeated last year. We are bringing up some talented kids.”

Seniors Brian Dopp, a 5-foot-10 forward; Brooks Horwath, a 5-foot-10 forward; Junior Tillman, a 5-foot-8 guard; Cole Grof, a 6-foot guard; and Kason Snyder, a 6-foot-3 forward, join junior 5-foot-8 point guard Elijah Hiatton the court. 

Last year, Madison fell to Adrian in the Division 2 district semifinals. 

Morenci: Garrett Benjamin enters his third season at Morenci, looking to improve on their last-place finish in the TCC. Benjamin expects senior Talan Kruse to lead the way after a solid junior campaign. “He was our leading scorer and rebounder last year,” Benjamin said of Kruse, who averaged nearly 10 points and six rebounds per game.

Returning juniors Jonas Castillo (7.0 ppg) and Landon Wilkins (6.0 ppg) are looking to contribute more, specifically in the scoring category, Benjamin said. 

He sees potential with the strong athleticism of juniors Skyler Trent and Kylan Lester. And sophomore point guard Drew Joughin “brings a level of security with the basketball, along with passion that helps push us forward.” 

Onsted: Fresh off a 21-2 season and its fourth straight LCAA title, Onsted must replace its entire starting lineup, which resulted in 90 percent of its scoring. But coach Brad Maska believes his young squad is up to the task.

“We bring a lot of size and a lot of guys waiting for their opportunity to show what they can do,” said Maska, who enters his 19th season at the helm of the Onsted program and 21st season overall.

Seniors Rylan Henagan, Mason Chesser, Cole Wells, and Bryson Sutherland take the lead for the Wildcats as they head into the new season. 

Henagan is a four-year varsity performer who will lead the team. Wells should have a breakout season for the Wildcats, while Chesser and Sutherland bring athleticism and strength.

“Defense will be key this season for this team to be successful, and finding ways to score,” said Maska, who expects great things from his incoming players as they seek a fifth straight LCAA title. 

Sand Creek: The Aggies enter the new season with first-year coach Josh Sutherland, seeking better days after a last-place finish in the TCC last year. 

“We are working hard to make some big improvements from last year,” said Sutherland, whose team competes against some of the state’s toughest teams in the TCC. 

Improved play during the summer gives Sutherland hope for those better days this winter. Leading the charge is senior guard Andon Sutherland, who netted 37 three-pointers for the Aggies last year. He is joined in the backcourt by senior guard Ben Wheeler, who served as the defensive specialist on the team.

Guards Landon Carmody, Gavin Eack, Grady Hazelwood, forward Parker Strahan, and newcomer center Chase Vorhees are juniors expected to contribute to the rebuild.

Tecumseh: Coach Jamison Webster has a young Tecumseh squad, but that does not stop him from believing his team will challenge in the SEC and beyond this winter.

“We will be a team that gets better as the year goes on,” said Webster. 

“We are starting the year with very few guys that have varsity playing experience. The guys we do have back from last year’s team will play a big role early on with helping the others get up to speed at the varsity level.”

Webster expects senior Charlie Palmer and sophomore guard Gabe Abbott to help the others throughout the year.