Linn-Mar turns attention to securing home-field advantage with playoff bid likely

MARION — The first goal has likely already been secured for the Linn-Mar football team.

With Friday night’s 55-6 demolition of winless Davenport West at Linn-Mar Stadium, the sixth-ranked Lions (6-1) likely have secured a spot in the Class 5A playoffs.

The next goal: Securing a first-round home game in the playoffs.

Due to an overall lack of schedule strength among their opponents, Linn-Mar was only ranked No. 8 in the IHSAA's latest RPI rankings. The top eight in the RPI get to host in the opening round.

Linn-Mar’s strength of schedule gets a boost over the next two weeks. The Lions host Iowa City High (5-2) next Friday, then finish the regular season with a stern road test against No. 4 Pleasant Valley (6-1).

“The mindset the entire season is to get a playoff game,” said senior linebacker Parker Gasper, who was in on five tackles in Friday's win. “It would be amazing to get one here. I love our student section, I love our crowd. It's what you dream about, getting to play in Week 10 or Week 11 at home.”

It would have been easy for the Lions to overlook a West team that came in not only short on wins, but short on numbers due to a rash of injuries. Linn-Mar Co-Coach Chad Tompkins said that was not the case.

“We talked (with the players) about every day that we step on the field is an opportunity to get better,” Tompkins said. “We not only talked about our goals for this week, but for the rest of the season.

“I thought the boys responded really well to that. We had a great practice on Wednesday and hopefully we can continue to do that over the next two weeks.”

There was little suspense involved in Friday's game. On Linn-Mar's second offensive play, senior Dylan Muszynski broke loose on a 55-yard scoring run. By the end of the first quarter, the Lions had built a 28-0 lead with a 46-yard interception return from Kain Polniak, a 42-yard run from Tyree Alons and a 26-yard scoring pass from Stone Morgan to Chase Bradley.

And when Muszynski escaped numerous Falcon defenders along the West sideline and finished off a 49-yard scoring run early in the second quarter, the lead moved to 35-0 and the game was played the rest of the way under a continuous clock.

Muszynski had just three carries in the game, but gained 116 yards, pushing his season total to 1,122.

Carson Luense had a 7-yard interception return for a score and Alex Thurm's 34-yard TD run just before the half pushed the Lion lead to 49-0 at intermission.

The second half belonged to the Lion reserves. The only score came late in the fourth quarter when Gasper's brother Emerson carried the ball in from the 1.

“I was more hyped up about that than anything all night,” Parker Gasper said about his brother's TD. “It was awesome to see him score.”

Tompkins was impressed with the overall play of his reserves.

“It was nice to see those kids who are usually scout team kids get their opportunity on a Friday night,” he said. “I thought our starters did a really good job of coaching them in the second half. They had the iPads, helping kids out with reads and things they needed to fix. It was a real positive thing.”

The level of competition kicks up a notch next Friday with City High, and its high-flying offense led by quarterback Bobby Bacon. The Little Hawks downed Davenport North, 56-27, on Friday night

“We don't want to get too far ahead of ourselves, but obviously we put ourselves in (a good) position to get a home playoff game,” Tompkins said. “The kids will enjoy this tonight, then it is right on to City High and we'll start getting ready for that one.”

Davenport West will play next Friday night at home against Dubuque Hempstead.