Season openers are always exciting for fans and players.

Aug. 30 was the start of the 2013-2014 football season for the Pattonville Pirates who are looking to improve from last year’s record of 1-8.

The Pirates (0-1) opened up their season hosting the defending Class 5 State Champion Kirkwood Pioneers (1-0).

A game like this takes a lot of preparation.

“We ran their offense against our defense and did nothing in practice but prepare for only them,” junior linebacker Kalen Riley said.

Preparing for a high school football game takes a lot of time and dedication. Teams spend countless hours watching film and studying their opponent for the upcoming week.

But in every game there is a winner and a loser, and unfortunately in Week 1, the Pirates fell to the Pioneers 49-31. In the 2012-2013 opener, Kirkwood kicked off its undefeated season beating Pattonville 38-10

Even with a loss, teams can take out good things. Riley thought the team did some things very well.

“The first half went really well, and we had a lot of 3-and-outs. We also scored a lot.”

In fact, the Pirates scored their most points in a game since playing Francis Howell North in a District Game on Oct. 14, 2011. The Pirates beat FHN 52-7. In Pattonville’s lone victory last year, the Pirates outscored Hazelwood West 22-14.

After the score against Kirkwood was tied at 21 apiece, sophomore Anthony Green said that the team lacked intensity when they started to trail in the game. Not just on the field, but on the sideline too.

With a tough loss, the Pirates have to stay focused on the next task ahead.

“We have to come back Monday and practice twice as hard to recover from the loss,” Green said.

Next week, the Pirates will try to put the loss in their rear view mirror as they hit the road and head to Lafayette. The game will be played at 7 p.m.