After suffering a last-minute defeat in week one, the Lions were able to bounce back in a big way this week, beating a struggling Sickles squad for their first victory of the season 58-0. Fans may have been surprised by the defensive bounce back from the Lions after giving up 45 points in the home opener, but starting safety Braden Olsson remained confident in the defensive unit after the tough loss. 

“All we had to do was lock in on the practice field and make sure our Ps and Qs are buttoned up” said Olsson.

The Lions offensive unit took a different approach this week, leaning heavily on new starting quarterback Brock Joyce. Joyce, a junior, saw most of his snaps at running back just a season prior. However, Joyce didn’t let the position change break his stride as Joyce finished the game with 124 rushing yards and three touchdowns. While technically Joyce’s first start as a varsity quarterback, he has grown up playing multiple positions on the field and Quarterback is nothing new to him

“I felt very comfortable out there… having the ball in my hands is such a good feeling”

While Joyce was successful on the ground, the junior still remains unproven in the air, only attempting three passes on the night for 29 yards. While happy after his first start, Joyce remains as hungry as ever.

Joyce wasn’t the only player making his first start at a foreign position, as senior Evan Agress made his first career start at running back on a week’s notice after playing receiver for his entire career.  

“It was a little nerve-wracking…trying to learn a whole new playbook and different schemes in just a couple of practices,” said Agress.

While Agress might’ve been nervous on the inside it was impossible to tell on the field as the speedster rumbled for 89 yards on just 12 carries, leading the team in touches on the night. 

“After the first touch, the nerves started to settle down and I was able to just play,” said Agress

It wasn’t all bad for the Sickle Gryphons as after the Lions scored their final touchdown to put them up 58-0 in the third quarter, fans all around the stadium were told to “Call your rides in advance” as the Lions had gained such a substantial lead the referees were forced to run the clock giving the Gryphons an early escape from the disappointments of the night.

The Lion’s 58-point performance Friday night marked the 8th time the Lions have scored over 50 points in four years under the Odierno regime, in contrast to the four years prior to Odierno’s arrival where the Lions were only able to muster four 50-point performances.

This week the Lions come back home to John Courier field to face 1-1 Lake Brantley who will come into the matchup with some momentum after beating East River the week prior. Last season’s meeting saw the Lions come home with a 60-47 victory in a game that combined for 107 points. If this year’s match up is anything like last season, spectators can expect fireworks.