Metro roundup: Linn-Mar rolls over East, 54-0

Using a stout defense and opportunistic offense, Linn-Mar downed Waterloo East, 54-0, Friday night in the Class 4A District 5 opener for both teams at Waterloo Memorial Stadium.

Linn-Mar (2-3) got rushing touchdowns from Zach Luehring and Neme Siaway, plus a field goal from Alexy Boehm, to build a 17-0 lead at the break.

In the second half, Linn-Mar wasted no time sealing the game.

The Lions took the second-half kickoff down to the 1-yard line, where Siaway ran for the touchdown. On the next series for the Lions, Luehring ripped off a 70-yard run for a score, and it was 31-0.

Linn-Mar added a safety in the third quarter and capped off the night with two more TDs. Nolin Hollinger had a 7-yard rushing touchdown and Cevan Walton took an interception 37 yards for the final score of the night.

The Trojans (0-5) struggled to generate any offense. Their ground game finished the first half with minus-47 yards in 14 carries.

- Waterloo Courier

DEWITT CENTRAL 21, MARION 14

- Marion piled up 397 yards of offense, but couldn't come up with the one yard it needed in the final minute, dropping a Class 3A District 4 game in DeWitt.

A 39-yard catch by Blair Brooks moved the Indians to the Sabers' 1-yard line with 45 seconds remaining, but a pair of false start penalties, two short runs and a pair of incomplete passes allowed DeWitt to prevail in the match-up of previously winless teams.

Gage Fuller scored the game-deciding touchdown for DeWitt on a 5-yard pass from T.J. Sikkema to cap a 13-play, 70-yard drive and break a 14-14 tie with 8:27 remaining.

Isaak Hahn completed 7-of-24 passes for 177 yards for Marion (0-5, 0-2), and hit Owen Carstensen with a 22-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and tied the game at 14-14 with a 39-yard touchdown strike to Tylor Fairbanks with 2:10 to play in the third quarter.

Hahn rushed for 102 yards, an effort complemented by a 98-yard rushing performance by Kory Walsh.

Sikkema rushed for 124 yards, including a 6-yard score, and threw for two touchdowns for Central (1-4, 1-2).

- Steve Batterson, Quad City Times