Linn-Mar brushes past Cedar Rapids Prairie, 28-13, to clinch Class 5A playoff berth

CEDAR RAPIDS — Don’t leave it to some sort of mathematical equation to determine if you’re truly in the playoffs. Just control your controllables, as they say.

Win.

Which is exactly what Linn-Mar’s football team did Friday night at John Wall Field, topping Cedar Rapids Prairie, 28-13, to clinch a spot in the Class 5A postseason.

“We knew we needed a win,” said Linn-Mar’s Carter Henderson. “Our defense had an amazing game, held them down to a low score. Our preparation this week was really good. We had really good practices all throughout the week. We knew we had to play fast and physical because they’re a good football team. This is what we needed to do.”

Linn-Mar (6-3) came into this week with a RPI of 10. The top 16 teams in 5A using the Iowa High School Athletics Association’s ratings formula get playoff berths.

A loss here would have made things a bit too tenuous for the Lions. Even if they’d gotten in, they likely would have been pitted in the first round next week against and at one of 5A’s biggies, such as top-ranked Ankeny, second-ranked West Des Moines Dowling or No. 4 Southeast Polk, last year’s state champ.

No need to worry about that.

“The conversation was this was a playoff game,” a highly emotional Linn-Mar Coach Tim Lovell said. “You win, you’re in. You lose, you’re out. That was the mentality we had because, quite frankly, you lose and you’re going to Des Moines to play Polk or Dowling.”

Linn-Mar might even end up getting a first-round home game now. Pairings are expected to be released Saturday morning.

Prairie (6-3), meanwhile, likely saw a first-round home game go out the window. The Hawks came into this week with a RPI of 5 and definitely should be playoff bound.

That’s a bit of consolation here.

“We’ve still got season left,” said Prairie Coach Mark Bliss. “At times, we just couldn’t get out of our own way tonight. Some penalties on crucial downs, which is not good.”

Henderson rushed 24 times for 119 yards and three touchdowns, as Linn-Mar played heads up on both sides of the line of scrimmage against a larger Prairie team. His 11-yard scoring run early in the third quarter provided an important two-score spread of 22-13.

Jackson Severson’s interception of a desperation fourth-down flip by Prairie quarterback Cal Sullivan in his own end zone went for a clinching touchdown with 3:18 left. Severson caught the ball despite having a large cast on his left hand that’s safeguarding a broken hand.

“I’ve got a club on,” he said with a smile. “The ball just came right to me, and I’ve got to make the play.”

Sullivan scored both Prairie touchdowns on short runs. Makelle Taylor had 111 yards rushing on 20 carries, though the Hawks’ usually dominant run game was slowed down overall.

Prairie finished with 226 total yards to Linn-Mar’s 211. This will be Linn-Mar’s second straight playoff appearance under Lovell, who came over from Marion for the 2021 season.

“We knew we could play tough and physical,” Lovell said. “We hadn’t put together four quarters. This is a testament to the kids buying into what we’re doing and where we’re going. I’m almost speechless because I’m so proud of just the way they fought.

“We struggled a little bit in the second half, but nobody had their head down at all. It was just ‘We got this, we got this, we got this.’ I’m not shocked, I’m not in awe because I knew our guys were capable of this. I’m so elated that they showed what they can do and what they’re capable of. The best is truly yet to come.”

Linn-Mar 28, Cedar Rapids Prairie 13

AT JOHN WALL FIELD

Linn-Mar 8 7 7 6-28

C.R. Prairie 7 6 0 0-13

Team Statistics

First Downs – Linn-Mar 13, Prairie 14. Rushing Yards – Linn-Mar 32-129, Prairie 42-162. Passing – Linn-Mar 8-14-0-86, Prairie 9-22-1-64. Total Yards – Linn-Mar 211, Prairie 226. Punts-Avg. – Linn-Mar 2-31.5, Prairie 3-27.0. Penalties-Yards – Linn-Mar 4-35, Prairie 8-72. Fumbles-Lost – Linn-Mar 2-2, Prairie 1-1.

Individual Statistics

Rushing – Linn-Mar: Carter Henderson 24-119, Keaton Roskop 1-9, Aidan Mesch 1-6, Austin Waller 3-(minus) 4, Team 1-(minus) 3, Dylan Muszynski 2-(minus) 2. Prairie: Makelle Taylor 20-111, Cal Sullivan 15-38, Casey Kelley 3-11, Cade Stout 1-3, Sawyer Slezak 1-2, Jack Wagemester 2-(minus) 1.

Passing – Linn-Mar: Austin Waller 8-12-0-86, Dylan Muszynski 0-2-0-0. Prairie: Cal Sullivan 9-22-1-64.

Receiving – Linn-Mar: Dylan Muszynski 2-50, T.J. Jackson 2-20, Tayden Ferguson 1-12, Keaton Roskop 2-11, Carter Henderson 2-(minus) 7. Prairie: Apollo Payne 4-35, Makelle Taylor 3-15, Casey Kelley 1-10, Caden Stout 1-4.

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