The top-seeded Grand Meadow football team came out swinging in a 48-14 win over No. 8 Lyle/Pacelli in the first round the nine-man playoffs in GM Tuesday.

The Superlarks (8-1 overall) led 42-6 at the half and quarterback Caleb Leichtnam ran for three scores in the first quarter, while Michael Gehling added two more long runs.

“They’re speed was the difference in the game,” L/P head coach Mark Buntje said. “Leichtnam and Gehling are faster than any of our kids.”

The Superlarks pulled their starters in the second half, but suffered a scare early in the third quarter when junior lineman Phillip Schlee was rushed to the hospital with a head or neck injury.

“ It looks like he’s going to be okay,” GM head coach Gary Sloan said.

The Superlarks will host No. 5 Alden/Conger Saturday at 7 p.m.

The loss ends the season for L/P (1-8 overall).

“It was tough year,” Buntje said. “We had a lot of different distractions and we never came together.”

STATS

LP 0 6 8 0 — 14

GM 21 21 0 6 — 48

GM stats

Rushing: Caleb Leichtnam, 4-for-99, 3 TD; Michael Gehling, 7-for-72, 2 TD

L/P stats

Rushing: Brady Stier, 8-for-55; Garrett Jenkins, 8-for-36; Passing: Stier, 12-for-32, 125, TD, 2 INT; Ryan Rust, 5-for-57; Carter Guthmiller, 4-for-38, TD; Colton Scherer, 2-for-25; Jenkins, 1-for-1