No. 3 Linn-Mar shows it's for real in 56-7 romp over Wash

 CEDAR RAPIDS - They really hadn't played anyone, so you didn't really know how legit they were.

Settle down, Linn-Mar football fans. Facts are facts.

Going into Friday night, the Lions were unbeaten and ranked third in Class 4A, but their six opponents had won eight games. A combined 8-28 record is called playing a favorable schedule.

But a 56-7 obliteration of Cedar Rapids Washington at Kingston Stadium should sway the skeptics.

“We've handled the things we can,” said quarterback-linebacker Mark Atwater. “We don't make the schedule. We play who we play. The next man up is what we always say. This was the next game, and we came out here and showed what we can do.”

What they did was score a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter, never letting off the throttle against a Wash club that appeared to have left most of its game in Iowa City. The Warriors (4-3) ended Iowa City High's 33-game regular-season win streak last week with a last-second touchdown.

But this was definitely a different week. Wide receiver Andy Henry caught three TD passes and ran home a punt return. Running back Mitch Wantock also scored twice for Linn-Mar (7-0), which hosts City High next week.

“I couldn't change our schedule from what it was,” Henry said. “I know that people have said stuff. But it shouldn't take away from as good a team as we have.”

It was only a 14-7 game late in the second quarter, when two huge Wash mistakes (a muffed punt and fumble) paved the way for Linn-Mar touchdowns 24 seconds apart that made it 28-7 at halftime and began this blowout. Three more TDs in the third quarter got the continuous clock rolling.

Atwater completed 6 of 9 passes for 169 yards and added 45 yards rushing. Henry caught four balls for 129.

“I don't know about making a statement,” said Linn-Mar Coach Bob Forsyth. “We just want to go out and play the best we can.”

Washington's offense never got anything going, other than a second-quarter drive capped by a Will Griffin 1-yard TD run. The Warriors were limited to 115 total yards, just eight through the air.

Linn-Mar's defensive ends harassed Wash quarterback Braedon Tovey most of the game, as he went 3 for 16 with an interception.

“I've been saying we've improved defensively every week,” Atwater said. “We've got some kids that just really like to bring it out there ... The biggest (thing) for us was when we kicked the ball off to them to start the second half and got a stop. That really set the tone for the rest of the second half."

Here's the game boxscore:

TEAM STATISTICS

Linn-Mar

CR Wash.

First downs

19

10

Rushes-yards

35 - 191

38 - 107

Passing yards

169

8

Comp-Att-Int

6 - 9 - 0

3 - 16 - 1

Total yards

360

115

Fumbles-lost

1 - 0

1 - 1

Punts-average

7 - 43.7

3 - 42.0

Penalties-yards

5 - 40

4 - 58

Rushing:

 Linn-Mar –

Mitch Wantock 15-102 ,

Mark Atwater 12-45 ,

Brandon Ophoff 5-29 ,

Michael Redmond 1-13 ,

John Conner 1-7 ,

Travis Kvach 1--7

 CR Wash. –

Mitch Bredeson 12-47 ,

Will Griffin 16-26 ,

David Tann 6-16 ,

Braedon Tovey 2-15 ,

Flynn Heald 2-3

Passing:

 Linn-Mar –

Mark Atwater 6-9-0-169

 CR Wash. –

Braedon Tovey 3-16-1-8

Receiving:

 Linn-Mar –

Andy Henry 4-129 ,

Jacob Hutchins 2-40

 CR Wash. –

Mitch Blades 1-8 ,

Ryan Cain 1-3 ,

David Tann 1--3

Linn-Mar

14

14

21

7

–

56

CR Wash.

7

–

7

LM-Mitch Wantock 26 run (Quinn Treiber kick)

LM-Mark Atwater 19 run (Treiber kick)

CRW-Will Griffin 1 run (Michael Daughtery kick)

LM-Andy Henry 41 punt return (Treiber kick)

LM-Henry 18 pass from Atwater (Treiber kick)

LM-Wantock 5 run (Treiber kick)

LM-Henry 18 pass from Atwater (Treiber kick)

LM-Henry 49 pass from Atwater (Treiber kick)

LM-Brandon Ophoff 33 run (Treiber kick)

Here's a quick video interview with Atwater, talking first about his possible college choices, which include Iowa, Northern Iowa, Illinois State and Coe, where his father, Larry, is defensive coordinator, and brother Jordan, is a defensive back.

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