The Lake Country Lutheran boys basketball team has been a commanding presence over the course of its first 12 games, maintaining a perfect record to put the team first in the Midwest Classic, and snagging impressive wins over HOPE Christian and Waukesha South in the past week. Led by UW-Madison commit Luke Haertle, Noah Howard, and John Nehls (averaging 23.8, 16.1, and 15.6 points, respectively), the boys have picked up exactly where they left off last season, if not stronger. Last Wednesday, for example, the Lightning faced the 9-1, second-in-conference HOPE Christian Hawks at home, dominating them 87-41. As if that win wasn’t significant enough, LCL marched to Brookfield Central on Saturday to face non–conference Waukesha South, sitting at first in the Classic Eight. South went down as well, 79-71, and the Lightning momentum now keeps rolling. Up next, on Wednesday, LCL faces the 6-5 St. Francis Mariners at home, striving to go 13-0.