Only one team on the Albert Lea football team’s schedule finished in the top four of the Big Nine Conference standings last season.

That team was Mankato West, and the Tigers started their season Thursday with a 74-14 loss against the Scarlets.

At the end of the first quarter, Mankato West led 30-0.

“We didn’t execute well at the beginning, and we had a hard time getting back into it,” said Albert Lea’s first-year head coach Kevin Armbrust. “We made a lot of mistakes that have been uncharacteristic for us up until this point.”

Jake Kilby led the Tigers by completing two passes and leading the team in rushing with 18 carries for 80 yards, including a 28-yard touchdown. Tim Christianson had 43 yards on 18 carries, and Sam Moyer added 21 yards on three carries.

“The guys played hard for four quarters, and I thought Kilby ran the ball well,” Armbrust said. “Christianson and Moyer also ran the ball well. There were a lot of positives there. We just got off to a poor start.”

Christianson led the Tigers defense by racking up eight solo tackles. Nick Kromminga, Sam Thompson and Moyer each had three solo tackles.

Last season, Mankato West won 64-14 at Albert Lea, and the Scarlets’ only loss of the regular season was a 24-21 home loss against Owatonna.

Next, Albert Lea will look to rebound in its home opener at 7 p.m. Sept. 5 against Austin at Jim Gustafson Field.

Statistics are in the Scoreboard: Aug. 28 post.