Defense holds key to Linn-Mar turnaround

MARION — Ryan Schmidt played in giant stadiums, in pressure situations this summer.

Flinging the football in front of big-time college coaches, yeah, that's pressure.

'They had us throwing, one guy at a time, in front of everybody,' said Schmidt, a senior at Linn-Mar who toured the Midwest and beyond at about a dozen quarterback camps.

'But it was fun. It really helped with my footwork. My favorite place was Michigan Stadium. That was awesome.'

Schmidt is home now, trying to help turn around a program that has fallen hard in the past two seasons.

After an undefeated regular season in 2011, Linn-Mar fell to 3-6 in 2012, then 2-7 last year.

'A couple down years,' Coach Bob Forsyth acknowledged. 'We're working hard to get back to that level where we need to be.

'The good thing is, we've got 27 seniors, and when you have a good, big senior class, you have a chance.'

For real progress, this much is certain: The defense absolutely must get better. Much better.

Linn-Mar surrendered 42 points per game last season, a figure that ranked 45th of the state's 48 Class 4A teams.

In their final three games, the Lions gave up 63 points to Cedar Rapids Prairie, 42 to Iowa City High, 44 to Cedar Rapids Xavier.

'We have to be way better,' said defensive end Tylor Newhouse. 'We have to be more physical. We struggled with that last year.'

Logan Benter said the linebacking unit 'has changed some things as far as our reads.'

'We couldn't stop the run at all,' he said. 'Some teams would put up 500 yards on us. That has to stop.'

Benter has put on 20 pounds, up to an even 200, and said the rest of the linebacking crew has done likewise.

'We found out last year that the jump from sophomore ball to varsity is huge. When you have a lot of juniors starting in the (Mississippi Valley Conference), that can be a bad thing,' he said.

'We're seniors now, more mature. I think we can win some games.'

Scoring points shouldn't be a problem. The Lions compiled a healthy 27 per game last year and have some weapons back.

Schmidt should be one of the best 4A quarterbacks around. He completed 56 percent of his passes last year for 1,716 yards and 12 touchdowns (against eight interceptions).

'He had a great summer,' Forsyth said. 'The camp circuit generated a lot of interest in him. He's throwing the ball better, and he's got some savvy to him.'

Top returners in the receiving corps include Andrew Gassmann, Trevor Noble and Garett Evans.

And Perrion Scott, who rushed for 305 yards and six touchdowns last year, provides speed on the corner.

The MVC has gone by the wayside in football, but the Lions' new league (4A District 5) has an MVC-centric look. The six-team district consists of three Metros (Linn-Mar, Kennedy and Jefferson) and the three Waterloo/Cedar Falls teams.

'We have the talent to be better — a lot better,' Newhouse said. 'If we work hard and do what the coaches tell us, we can do big things.'

Linn-Mar opens at Prairie in a non-district game Friday.

LINN-MAR LIONS

Coach: Bob Forsyth (7th year at Linn-Mar, 35-25)

Last year: 2-7 (did not qualify for playoffs)

Key returners: QB Ryan Schmidt, RB/LB Logan Benter, LB Logan Nelsen, TE/LB Trevor Long, RB Perrion Scott

Key losses: RB Ross Lembeck, WR Griffin Breunecke, OL/DL Andrew Holladay

Key to making playoffs: Drastically improve a defense that allowed 42 points per game last season.

Games to watch: at Cedar Rapids Prairie (Aug. 29), at Cedar Rapids Kennedy (Oct. 2).

Schedule

Aug. 29 — at CR Prairie

Sept. 5 — Pleasant Valley

Sept. 12 — at Clinton

Sept. 19 — CR Washington

Sept. 26 — Waterloo, East

Oct. 2 — at CR Kennedy

Oct. 10 — Cedar Falls

Oct. 17 — at Waterloo West

Oct. 24 — CR Jefferson

Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@sourcemedia.net