Warriors pounce on Linn-Mar

MARION — On paper, the battle of unbeatens Cedar Rapids Washington and Linn-Mar had the potential to be an intense, highly competitive classic.

But reality set in on the turf.

Third-ranked Washington exploded for 36 points in the second quarter to pull away and posted a 43-3 victory over No. 9 Linn-Mar in a Class 4A non-district game last night at Linn-Mar Stadium.

'I'm honestly surprised,' said Warriors running back Johnny Dobbs, who ran for two touchdowns. 'We worked so hard.'

Washington's potent offense wasn't the Warriors' biggest point producer. The defense and special teams wreaked havoc on the Lions, scoring three touchdowns and helping Washington take control early.

'It's a luxury to call on different aspects of your team,' Washington Coach Paul James said. 'If we see something we can do, we can get it done usually.'

The Warriors forced the Lions to punt on its first possession and O'Rien Vance made his presence felt. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound linebacker rushed and reached out to block the punt, forcing a scramble for the ball. Washington teammate Tavian Patrick grabbed the ball and rumbled about 20 yards for the touchdown.

Vance said he was surprised to break free and knew the Warriors had to capitalize with points. While fighting for the ball, he flipped it to Patrick to finish the play for a 7-0 lead.

'As soon as I saw him, I tapped it to him,' Vance said. 'I knew I wasn't going to be able to get it.'

Vance continued to make an impact, recovering a fumble on a pitch from Linn-Mar quarterback Ryan Schmidt to running back Perrion Scott. The turnover resulted in a 38-yard Patrick run, making it 21-3 in the second.

'It was fun,' Vance said. 'Coach told us to come out, play hard (and) play physical. That's what we came out to do.'

Things got worse for the Lions, who drove to the Washington 32 but had to punt near midfield. The punt snap was bobbled, giving Vance enough time to tip the ball and crush the Lions' punter. The ball lofted in the air and landed in the hands of Isaiah Nimmers, who bolted for 54 yards to put Washington ahead 28-3.

'Scoring first was big, but the special team plays were huge,' James said. 'Those really had a huge effect on changing the momentum.'

James said the schemes and coverage allowed one of the Warrior linebackers to get free, and this time it was Vance.

'He's strong, quick and rangy,' James said. 'He's an excellent athlete.'

Dobbs had touchdown runs of 2 and 1 yard. Long runs by Landen Akers (73 yards) and Snitker (47) to the Linn-Mar 1-yard line set the table for him.

l Comments: (319) 368-8679; kj.pilcher@thegazette.com