LYLE — The Lyle-Pacelli football team knew it’s season opener wouldn’t be easy and it sure wasn’t.

The Athletics, who had just a few weeks to learn a new offense under new head coach Jeremy Wilson, had to take on the defending SEC co-champs in Spring Grove and the Athletics fell short by a final score of 71-14 Friday night in Lyle.

The Lions (1-0 overall, 1-0 SEC) started out on the ground, and then they went deep. SG scored two early rushing TDs and then quarterback Kennan Siminski threw TD scores of 57- and 38-yards to make it 28-0 after one quarter.

The Lions finished the game with 344 yards on the ground and 249 yards in the air.

“That is more of a wide open attack compared to what I’d seen on tape of them in past years,” Wilson said. “I wasn’t expecting that, but we adjusted and we just had some breakdowns in the coverage.”

LP’s offense struggled out of the gates as it turned the ball over on its first two possessions. The Athletics (0-1 overall, 0-1 SEC) showed signs of big play capability as they missed on a couple of deep balls and came through with one when Jordan Hart hit Taylor Wobschall for a 37-yard gain on third and nine, but that drive stalled at SG’s 40-yard line.

“Under the circumstances they were playing under, I think, they did really well,” Wilson said. “In the first quarter we had some plays that could’ve made it a different game, but we had a couple of long plays that we didn’t compete.”

LP had just one turnover the rest of the game after its sluggish start, but the Lions’ offense was just too consistent for the Athletics to keep up with them.

LP is hoping to get better with each and every game and Wilson liked what he saw from his team in scrimmage over the past weekend.

“They just need to get more game experience running it and they need to get the timing down a little better against starting defenses, as opposed to our second string defense,” Wilson said.

SCORING SUMMARY

SG 28 22 13 8 — 71

LP 0 0 8 6 — 14

First quarter

(SG) Dustin Vickerman 5 run (run failed) (3 plays, 24 yards) 10:35

(SG) Vickerman 12 run (pass failed) (6 plays, 40 yards) 7:11

(SG) Chase Grinde 57 pass from Keenan Siminski (Kampschroer from Siminski) (3 plays, 78 yards) 4:06

(SG) Alex Engelhardt 38 pass from Siminski (Vickerman run) (1 play, 38 yards) 2:27

Second quarter

(SG) Vickerman 7 run (kick failed) (11 plays, 69 yards) 9:49

(SG) Vickerman 2 run (Vickerman run) (8 plays, 43 yards) 3:38

(SG) Damon Cody 20 pass from Siminski (Soum from Siminski) (1 play, 20 yards) :31

Third quarter

(SG) Vickerman 54 pass from Grinde (Jaster kick) (2 plays, 72 yards) 11:39

(SG) Grinde 35 run (pass failed) (3 plays, 48 yards) 3:57

(LP) Taylor Wobschall 21 pass from Jordan Hart (Cotter run) (7 plays, 60 yards) 1:20

Fourth quarter

(SG) Cullen Patterson 11 run (Patterson run) (6 plays, 60 yards) 9:22

(LP) Cotter 69 kick-off return (pass failed) (1 play, 69 yards) 9:09

LP STATS

Passing: Jordan Hart, 12-for-29, 101, TD, 2 INT; receiving: Taylor Wobschall, 3-for-88, TD; Brady Lester, 3-for-23; Daniel Bollingberg, 3-for-13; Braden Kocer, 2-for-(-2); Hart, 1-for-(-9); rushing: Hart, 4-for-28; Bollingberg, 11-for-28; Cotter, 3-for-5; sacks: Lukas Klabunde (1); interceptions: Cotter (1); penalties: 8-for-56

SG STATS

Rushing: 344; passing: 249; penalties: 7-for-60