Carr, Blythe selected as offensive, defensive POYs

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Alex Carr broke the season into very short segments.

"I put it in my mind that I had to go hard for six seconds, then the play was over with," said the running back from Cedar Rapids Washington.

Six seconds at a time. Seven yards at a time.

Carr is the selection as offensive player of the year of the 2010 SourceMedia Group News all-area football team.

The senior running back compiled 1,687 rushing yards on 241 carries, scoring 23 touchdowns as Washington finished 6-4.

It wasn't the numbers in which Carr was most proud.

"To be honest, I don't think my best skills are on the field," he said late in the season.

"My best skill is being a leader and bringing everybody on the team up. Whatever the team needs. I just like football, and as much as I love football, I want to be on the field."

He was on the field a lot, offensively and defensively. He was the Warriors' workhorse, their heart and soul.

"It's been an honor to watch him grow up the last four years, the way he turned into a leader for us," said Washington Coach Tony Lombardi.

The 32-man team represented 20 schools in the SourceMedia coverage area. Class 2A state champion Iowa City Regina and 4A runner-up Iowa City High had three players selected apiece.

Regina's Marv Cook was tabbed the coach of the year after the Regals rolled to a 14-0 season.

The only team to push them was Solon (13-1), which bounced back from the 21-15 defeat in Week 2 to rattled off 12 straight wins and win its fourth consecutive championship, its first in 3A after three straight in 2A.

Brendon Boerm of North Tama, who kept spectators aghast with a triple-triple -- more than 100 yards in rushing, passing and receiving -- in the Redhawks' come-from-behind 43-34 win over Madrid in the Class A state final, was selected as the player of the year. Boerm accounted for 53 touchdowns as the Redhawks went 14-0.

Lombardi is an assistant coach in boys' track, and that's where he first witnessed Carr's competitive streak.

"Put him in a 100-yard dash, and there are going to be people that beat him," Lombardi said. "Put him in a 4-by-100 relay and give him the stick behind some of those same kids, and he'll find a way to beat them."

Williamsburg's Austin Blythe is the defensive player of the year.

Blythe collected 66 tackles, 17 for loss, as the Raiders finished 10-2. Blythe has signed with the University of Iowa.

"He's able to go sideline to sideline to make plays. He's very solid against the run, and he gets some pressure on passing downs," said Raiders Coach Curt Ritchie.

"Austin got to play earlier than most kids in our program, starting in Week 9 of his freshman season. He continued to keep setting goals to get better and better."