Despite crucial injuries, Linn-Mar runs away from Cedar Rapids Washington

CEDAR RAPIDS — There’s just got to be this feeling of absolute power in football when you know you’re going to run the football offensively, the opponent knows you’re going to run the football offensively but still can’t stop you.

So it was Friday night at Kingston Stadium for the Linn-Mar Lions.

Injuries to its starting quarterback and highly regarded tight end in the second quarter made Linn-Mar way one dimensional. But that one dimension still was mighty good in a 49-7 win over Cedar Rapids Washington.

Tailback Dylan Muszynski rushed for 178 yards and three touchdowns and fullback Tyree Alons added 161 yards and two TDs as Class 5A’s sixth-ranked team grinded its opponent into oblivion.

“The credit goes to my O-line, of course,” Muszynski said. “The holes they gave me were pretty huge. Our quarterback is my best friend, so I knew I had to do it for him. Seeing him go down gave me motivation to go out there and finish what he started.”

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Photos: Cedar Rapids Washington vs. Linn-Mar

Linn-Mar junior QB Austin Waller was hurt on a sack late in the second quarter that resulted in Washington’s only points, a Brock Davis 85-yard fumble return for touchdown. That made it a 7-7 game with 3:02 left until halftime.

Linn-Mar Coach Tim Lovell said Waller injured his shoulder. Tight end/linebacker Keaton Roskop, an Iowa State commit, went out earlier in the game with a knee injury for Linn-Mar (2-0), spending the rest of the night on the sideline and on crutches.

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But the Lions were still able to pull away, and do it before halftime. Alons, who has speed better than some tailbacks, ran a trap play 64 yards on Linn-Mar’s ensuing possession to give his team a 14-7 lead right back.

After a Washington punt, Muszynski went into motion from a wingback position, ran up the middle, broke free from a scrum of players, then ran through two Warriors defenders at about the Wash 15 for a lightning-like 67-yard touchdown. Just like that a 21-7 game at the break.

“I think we played really good,” said Alons, who switched to fullback over the summer. “Our O-line helped with their blocking. Me and Dylan back there, I think we were an unstoppable force. Our O-line gave us big holes, us being able to read the field with vision. Then our defense, they just shut them down.”

A short field and back-to-back runs from Alons and Muszynski produced another Linn-Mar touchdown (Muszynski from 18 yards out) to officially seal the deal early in the third quarter. Both Alons and Muszynski run hard, with Muszynski’s incredibly quick feet a handful on the perimeter, making defenses have to go sideline to sideline.

By the way, backup quarterback Stone Morgan did end up throwing two passes, completing one.

“I tell you what, our kids really battled,” Lovell said. “It was 7-7, but our kids really battled. What a response before half ... A great response from our team. Couldn’t be prouder of our O-line, Tyree, Dylan and Stone Morgan for stepping in. Just a tremendous job.”

While Linn-Mar produced 390 yards on the ground, Washington (0-2) had just 80 overall, minus-5 rushing. Sophomore quarterback Grady McGuire completed 11 of 26 passes for the Warriors for 84 yards and threw two interceptions.

“We didn’t make enough plays to give ourselves a chance,” said Washington Coach Mo Blue.

Blue said he was discouraged by Linn-Mar’s ability to run the football so effectively when Waller and Roskop went out.

“We knew who was getting the ball, and we still couldn’t stop them,” Blue said.

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Linn-Mar 49, Cedar Rapids Washington 7

Linn-Mar 7 14 14 14-35

C.R. Washington 0 7 0 0- 7

Team Statistics

First Downs - Linn-Mar 22, Washington 5. Rushes-Yards - Linn-Mar 43-390, Washington 13-(minus) 4. Passing (Completions-Attempts-Interceptions-Yards) - Linn-Mar 6-12-0-89, Washington 11-27-2-84. Total Yards - Linn-Mar 489, Washington 80. Punts-Average - Linn-Mar 2-36.0, Washington 4-29.3. Penalties - Linn-Mar 7-62, Washington 6-45. Fumbles-Lost - Linn-Mar 3-2, Washington 0-0.

Individual Statistics

Rushing - Linn-Mar: Dylan Muszynski 21-178, Tyree Alons 9-161, Talan Sivertsen 7-56, Austin Waller 6-(minus) 5. Washington: Mason Bahls 2-4, Will Barnes 3-3, Carter Patterson 2-3, Nicholas Riley 2-2, Team 1-(minus) 5, Grady McGuire 3-(minus 11).

Passing - Linn-Mar: Austin Waller 4-8-0-50, Stone Morgan 2-2-0-39, Dylan Muszynski 0-2-0-0. Washington: Grady McGuire 11-26-0-84, David Fason 0-1-0-0.

Receiving - Linn-Mar: Kade Jesse 2-69, Dylan Muszynski 4-20. Washington: J.J. Willis 3-25, Brock Davis 2-18, Landyn Mitvalsky 1-17, Mason Bahls 2-9, Colton Carver 1-7, Aaron Butikofer 1-6, Caiden Buonadonna 1-2.

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com