Linn-Mar looks to end losing streak

MARION - Ten wins in a row followed by four losses in a row. The Linn-Mar Lions know exactly who started this bad streak.Those darned Warriors from Cedar Rapids Washington.“Yeah, we noticed that,” Linn-Mar Coach Bob Forsyth said. “We kind of brought that up (the other day).”It's been an unfamiliar start to the 2012 prep football season for the Lions, who take on Washington Friday night at Linn-Mar. The game will be televised live on KCRG-9.2 (approximately 7:30 kickoff).A 27-14 loss last week to Waterloo West made Linn-Mar 0-3 and in dire need of a victory. You expected somewhat of a down season, considering so much talent graduated from last year's unbeaten Mississippi Valley Conference championship team, but oh-fer has been an unpleasant surprise.“It's certainly a different feeling for us,” Forsyth said. “We're frustrated by it. But the reality is we haven't won a game. We're trying to remain positive.“We're learning hard lessons right now. But I don't know if we're panicking or anything.”Linn-Mar lost its opener to Class 4A third-ranked Iowa City West, 49-14. That was kind of expected.But back-to-back defeats to Dubuque Senior and Waterloo West have followed. The Senior loss came in triple-overtime, 39-36.“I felt like we took a step back last week,” Forsyth said. “I still think we're getting better and getting closer. The kids are hanging in there.”Forsyth said fixing the defense is the first priority. Linn-Mar has allowed 115 points in its first three games, after allowing just 93 in nine regular-season games last season.“No question about that,” Forsyth said. “Last season, we were first in offense and first in defense in the Valley. We've fallen quite aways from that defensively.”Senior quarterback Rhys Davis leads the team in passing and rushing, with five overall touchdowns. Senior Nick Trabucco, one of the few returnees who played a lot in 2012, has a pair of TDs and leads Linn-Mar in tackles.Washington (1-2) has lost two straight going into this one. The Warriors stunned Linn-Mar in the second round of the 4A playoffs last season with a last-second touchdown, 28-26.That follows the pattern of games between these rivals in the last few years. Linn-Mar won the 2010 regular-season game, 42-35, and the 2009 game, 41-38.“I think it's something like three of the last five games between us have been decided on the last play of the game,” Forsyth said. “We're looking forward to the challenge.”