Prairie rolls to 63-17 win over Linn-Mar

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Run the ball and stop the run. That's all Cedar Rapids Prairie needed to do.

Quarterback Trey Beckman and running back Mitch Christensen each rushed for three touchdowns as the Hawks racked up nearly 500 rushing yards to roll to a 63-17 win over Linn-Mar last night in a MVC Valley Division game at John Wall Field.

Prairie (4-3, 3-1) has won three straight games to earn a share of first place in the Valley Division with two games left.

'We're working in the right direction,' Prairie Coach Mike Morrissey said. 'We have to get back on track next week and back to work and not rely on what we've done the last few weeks.'

Linn-Mar (2-5, 2-3) finished with minus-10 rushing yards. The Lions mustered only six first downs for the game.

'We knew that when they came in motion most of the time they were going to hand it off,' Prairie linebacker JoJo Simpson said. 'We just read our keys, got to the man and got him behind the line.'

Prairie totaled 499 rushing yards and 20 first downs. Christensen, Beckman and Keagan Pinter each eclipsed the 100-yard plateau.

Beckman had rushed for a total of 146 yards in Prairie's first six games. The junior ran for 137 yards against the Lions – all in the first half.

Beckman's 5-yard touchdown run put the Hawks on the board. He added scoring runs of 37 and 77 yards in the second quarter.

'He's a whole lot faster than what he looks,' Morrissey said. 'He'd love to rack up the passing yards and do those things, but he does what he's asked to do. He never complains.'

Linn-Mar took advantage of an interception in the first half with quarterback Ryan Schmidt's 14-yard touchdown pass to Griffin Brennecke. That score cut Prairie's lead to 14-7 with nine minutes left in the first half.

The Hawks responded with 21 unanswered points on runs from Beckman and Christensen to lead 35-10 at halftime. The Lions never got closer than that.