Linn-Mar defense much-improved as Lions stomp Prairie

CEDAR RAPIDS - Most improved football team in the Metro? Through one week, it's the Linn-Mar Lions.

Gotta be.

'Thank you for saying that,” said quarterback Ryan Schmidt, after his four touchdowns (three rushing, one passing) helped Linn-Mar past mistake-prone Cedar Rapids Prairie, 35-9, on a long and rainy Friday night at John Wall Field. 'I think we have improved a lot since last year, just having a lot more seniors out here. We've really been getting after it over the summer, had a great week of practice this week. We were just hungry for a win.”

They got it, though it took until about 11 p.m. Good things come to those who wait.

The game began roughly a half hour later than it should have because of lightning while the sophomores played. With 2:01 left in the first half, more lightning (and a downpour) delayed things again for another 50 minutes.

Mercifully, it was decided once things resumed, the second half would begin immediately after those final two first-half minutes were played.

'This was a really tough game to win,” said Linn-Mar Coach Bob Forsyth. 'Not only because of the opponent and everything, but for all the things the kids had to go through. This is tough on high-school kids, to have to go up and wait, then come back (and play). We spent all week talking about it, trying to prepare once I found out the weather was maybe going to be iffy.”

Linn-Mar went just 2-7 last season and couldn't stop anyone defensively, which made this victory and the way it was achieved so encouraging. This was the complete opposite of last season's game between the teams, in which Prairie ran for over 500 yards in a 63-17 blowout.

This time, Prairie had four turnovers and a dropped punt snap, with Linn-Mar scoring touchdowns after three of those miscues. And the Hawks, despite having 6-foot-6, 285-pound Iowa State recruit Bryce Meeker up front, could only manage 68 yards on the ground.

'I don't think I ever mentioned (last season) to them,” Forsyth said, with a Cheshire-cat smile.

'We knew last year we got it handed to us,” said linebacker Logan Nelsen. 'We came out here tonight with a sense of urgency. A sense of unrelenting urgency. '

The Lions stuffed a Keagan Pinter 4th-and-1 run at their 27 on the opening possession of the game, which really represented all you needed to know about the improved defense. They then drove 73 yards offensively for a touchdown and early lead.

Schmidt hit Trevor Noble for 33 yards on a huge 3rd-and-14 pass play near midfield, then took a read option keeper 11 yards for the TD two plays later. Sean Zimmerman's extra point made it 7-0 with 6:33 left.

Prairie again penetrated deep into Linn-Mar territory early in the second but had to settle for a 25-yard Sam Drysdale field goal. Back-to-back deadly mistakes by Prairie created a multiple-touchdown spread.

Punter Jomaryon Simpson dropped a punt snap, eating the football at his own 11, with a Schmidt keeper on the next play producing the TD and a 14-3 lead. On Prairie's very next offensive play, quarterback Trey Beckman was picked off over the middle by linebacker Logan Benter, who returned the interception to the Hawks 22.

A 2-yard Schmidt keeper from behind center made it a 21-3 game. He finished with 59 yards rushing and 130 passing.

After the weather delay, Pinter ran 50 yards for a touchdown on a draw play to make it 21-9. The Hawks had momentum, driving to the Linn-Mar 31 on their next possession, only to have Beckman fumble the ball away.

Linn-Mar countered with another long march, punctuated by a Perrion Scott 10-yard TD run.

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com