Linn-Mar claims divisional championship

MARION -- Linn-Mar forced Iowa City High into some uncommon activities.

The Lions forced the Little Hawks to pass. And to punt. And, ultimately, to concede a league championship.

Class 4A third-ranked Linn-Mar wrapped up the Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division title Friday night, holding Ronald Thompson to 68 yards in a 17-12 victory at Linn-Mar Stadium.

"This is such a monumental win for our program," said quarterback/linebacker Mark Atwater. "Our defense has been the missing link the last two years. I think we've got it now."

Linn-Mar (8-0 overall, 6-0 Mississippi Division) held the fifth-rated Little Hawks (6-2, 4-2) out of the end zone until Amos Lavela got loose for a 77-yard run with 4:21 to go.

The Lions killed the rest of the clock on their final drive, picking up four first downs to clinch their first win over City High since 1994.

"It was just a great effort by our kids," said Linn-Mar Coach Bob Forsyth, a 1980 City High graduate. "There was no magic scheme (by our defense). The kids were just motivated."

City High Coach Dan Sabers noticed.

"There's no doubt in my mind that their kids wanted it more than we did," Sabers said. "I don't think we matched their level of intensity."

Thompson entered the game as the leading rusher in Class 4A (with 1,496 yards) but managed just 68 Friday on 19 carries. Instead, the Little Hawks were forced to pass 10 times and punt four times -- both figures are more than they would like.

"We had 11 guys to the ball," Atwater said. "We got after it."

While the Lions slowed Thompson, Linn-Mar's Mitch Wantock enjoyed a big night on the ground.

Wantock rambled for 201 yards on 26 carries.

"Our defense did a great job and gave the offense some opportunities," Wantock said. "This is incredible. Our program took a big step tonight."

City High drove inside the Linn-Mar 10 on its first two possessions, but had to settle for a pair of Drew Cornwell field goals.

"To me, that's the whole game," Forsyth said.

Atwater more than neutralized the two field goals, scoring on a 6-yard run late in the first quarter, and the Lions took a 7-6 lead into the locker room.

After throwing an interception on the first possession of the second half, Atwater bounced right back. He drilled Andy Henry on a crossing pattern, and Henry did the rest for a 28-yard touchdown catch-and-run that made it 14-6.

Quinn Treiber connected on a 42-yard field goal into a stiff wind to extend the margin to 17-6 early in the fourth quarter. The Lions were in control, though Lavela's scamper made them sweat a bit at the end.

Lavela was bottled up at the line of scrimmage, escaped, then sprinted past the pursuit.

After a touchback gave the Lions the ball at the 20, they marched steadily downfield to chew up the remaining time. A fourth-and-8 completion from Atwater to Henry netted 13 yards and ended the Little Hawks' hopes.

Linn-Mar closes the regular season next week at Cedar Rapids Xavier. A victory probably will mean a No. 1 seed for the playoffs.

"Tonight, it's a great win for our kids," Forsyth said. "Now, it depends ... where do we go from here?"

City High hosts Cedar Rapids Prairie next week.

TEAM STATISTICS

IC City High

Linn-Mar

First downs

11

19

Rushes-yards

36 - 201

51 - 325

Passing yards

63

79

Comp-Att-Int

2 - 10 - 0

5 - 13 - 1

Total yards

264

404

Fumbles-lost

0 - 0

0 - 0

Punts-average

4 - 39.3

2 - 36.0

Penalties-yards

0 - 0

5 - 38

Rushing:

 IC City High –

Amos Lavela 6-102 ,

Ronald Thompson 19-68 ,

Jasper Washington 9-25 ,

Jeremy Johnson 2-6

 Linn-Mar –

Mitch Wantock 26-201 ,

Nick Trabucco 8-70 ,

Mark Atwater 14-49 ,

Andy Henry 1-7 ,

Team 2--2

Passing:

 IC City High –

Washington 2-10-0-63

 Linn-Mar –

Atwater 5-13-1-79

Receiving:

 IC City High –

Javon Duarte 1-56 ,

Thompson 1-7

 Linn-Mar –

Henry 4-70 ,

Wantock 1-9

IC City High

3

3

6

–

12

Linn-Mar

7

7

3

–

17

ICH - Drew Cornwell FG 20

LM - Mark Atwater 6 run (Quinn Treiber kick)

ICH - Cornwell FG 23

LM - Andy Henry 28 pass from Atwater (Treiber kick)

LM - Treiber FG 42

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ICH - Amos Lavela 77 run (pass failed)