Linn-Mar gets out fast and rolls Pleasant Valley

MARION - The Linn-Mar Lions came out at full speed and didn't release the throttle.Unfortunately, Pleasant Valley failed to get out of the way and got run over.The No. 8 Lions scored often and forced a continuous clock for the start of the second half, steamrolling Pleasant Valley, 63-14, in the first round of the Class 4A playoffs Wednesday night at Armstrong Field.Linn-Mar (8-2) did little wrong, dominating from the start in all aspects of the game.“The best thing we came out and started good, and that's what we've been trying to get them to do the last couple weeks,” Linn-Mar Coach Bob Forsyth said. “(We) got things going, kept our foot on the gas like we want to, so I'm pretty happy with everything we did.”The Lions were looking for the fast start and received exactly what they needed to get back into form.“It was great,” Mahmens said. “To get going like that, it felt like we were the old Lions again and we're here to stay. We're making a run for it.”The opening drives for each team were indicative of the entire game. Pleasant Valley (5-5) ran three plays for a loss of seven yards before a punt. The Lions took the snap on its first offensive play and watched quarterback Mark Atwater rumble 62 yards for a touchdown less then two minutes into the game.It was just the start as the Lions scored touchdowns on their first seven possessions. Five of those drives consisted of five plays or less. Linn-Mar amassed more than 360 total yards of offense while building a 49-0 halftime lead.Defensively, the Lions were even as dominant, limiting the Spartans to 170 total yards. Pleasant Valley only ran nine offensive plays for 40 yards in the second half.Domination might be an understatement.“A lot of stuff went right for us on offense,” Linn-Mar senior Jer Garman said. “Defense held their share too.”They controlled the line of scrimmage.“Coach (C.J.) McDonald preached to us all week we are better than them and we can move them around if we need to,” senior linemen Mac Mahmens  said. “Our D-Line coach (Matt) Bark told us day-in and day-out this week that they couldn't block us and they couldn't block us from the beginning.”Special teams made their own mark on the outcome as Ian McBrayer blocked a punt on Pleasant Valley's second possession. The 6-foot-4, 205-pound senior stretched out to knock down the kick, stumbled to the ball, scooped it up and ran 58 yards for the score and a 14-0 Linn-Mar lead with 6:17 left in the first. McBrayer, who finished with 51 receiving yards, hauled in a touchdown pass from Atwater in the second quarter, putting the Lions up, 35-0.Garman and Atwater ran all over the Spartans, rushing for 142 and 128 yards, respectively, despite not playing offense after halftime. They did enough damage before intermission.Garman put the Lions up 21-0 lead on a 38-yard run, bursting up the middle into open field where no one could come close to catching him. He followed that with a 4-yard rush, outrunning Spartans defenders to the corner of the end zone. Garman added touchdown two 34-yard touchdown runs. He broke about five tackles on the first 34-yard score.The continued dominance and impressive performance didn't surprise Garman.“Not really,” Garman said. “I know we're capable of big things. When we set our minds to it we can do a lot of good stuff. There's a lot of things we can do well. We're just hoping to do those things on the football field each week.”With the game safely in hand and a continuous clock, Linn-Mar reserves barely slowed down. Jake Luerkens hit Andy Henry on touchdown strikes of 46 and 50 yards. Henry also made an outstanding over-the-shoulder interception to stop a drive late.“I think just overall every position we had got off to a great start and just kept it going,” Forsyth said.Now the Lions will travel to Iowa City to face Iowa City High in the second round. The Little Hawks advanced with a win over Davenport Central. It will give the Lions a shot to avenge their first loss of the season.“It's a great opportunity for us,” Forsyth said. “It's a chance tom play a really good football team. That's the way it should be.”