NOCKAMIXON TOWNSHIP - It was a long ride home for Jim Thorpe.

From the start, the Olympians couldn't get their offensive attack going and continued to struggle throughout the game as they dropped a 4-0 decision to host Palisades in an opening-round District 11 Class AA game.Ninth-seeded Jim Thorpe, which entered the game off an impressive 9-2 victory over North Schuylkill last Thursday to qualify for districts, fell behind eighth-seeded Palisades early and never recovered.After both teams spent the majority of the game's first 10 minutes at midfield, Palisades began to take control in the Olympians' end and broke through when Bobby McClintock banged home a loose ball past Thorpe goalie Phillip Struble high to his left shoulder with 12:16 left in the opening half.From there, the Pirates (10-9) continued to pepper Struble with a series of shots and increased their lead to 2-0 with the first of three consecutive goals from leading scorer Cooper Moyer, whose two goals six minutes apart gave Palisades a commanding 3-0 advantage.He added his final goal midway through the second half to close out the scoring on a rebound after Struble made the initial stop.In the opening half, Palisades outshot the Jim Thorpe, 13-3, as the Olympians couldn't mount a legitimate threat. They didn't register their first shot until the 29-minute mark."We knew they were a good team" said Jim Thorpe head coach Anthony Dixon. "They did a good job on us defensively and we had trouble moving the ball and getting people open. They were very aggressive offensively and we couldn't slow them down."In the second half, Jim Thorpe come out more aggressively and managed some strong rushes, but they managed only a few real threats on net."We were more aggressive," added Dixon. "We seemed to work better in the second half."It was a bittersweet night for Carter Rodriguez and Luke Morris, the lone seniors on the roster."It is a tough way to end the season," said Rodriguez. "We got behind and it took us a while to get into the game. The second half was the last 40 minutes I'll ever play, so I gave it everything I had. I wish I could do it over next with this team because they will be great."BIG GUNS SILENCED ... Leading scorers Luke Morris and Cody Geiser had difficulty getting their offensive games on track all night. For the game, Palisades outshot the Olympians, 19-5. Geiser was in position twice in the second half, but couldn't find the net. Carter Rodriguez was alone in front early in the second half, but his 15-footer was muffled.MORAL VICTORY ... Dixon was pleased with his team's play in the second half of the season and also that they qualified for post season play. "Anytime you make the (district) playoffs when you're playing in the Schuylkill League, it's good," he said.LOOKING AHEAD ... The Olympians (9-9-1) will lose only two seniors from their roster and will return a lot of players who will be seniors. "We have a lot of experience coming back next year and these guys have grown this season," stated Dixon.