Prairie Football

Meeker made splash for Prairie as freshman

Prairie Coach Mike Morrissey knew Bryce Meeker was certainly big enough to play varsity football as a freshman last year, but he didn't know if he was tough enough.

Then he found out.

"It was during the summer, and I can pinpoint the moment when we knew we were going to be OK with it," Morrissey said Tuesday.

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Prairie wins 7-on-7 camp at Notre Dame

The Cedar Rapids Prairie football is accustomed to playing games on high school fields in Iowa, but the Hawks had a special experience at the 7-on-7 passing camp at the University of Notre Dame this past weekend.

Prairie defeated a team from El Paso, 29-28, in the championship game of the tournament in the famed Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind.

The Hawks compiled a 9-1 record in the camp. The only loss was to El Paso, which they avenged in the finals.

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Manternach will play football at Valpo

Cedar Rapids Prairie senior Sam Manternach has committed to play football at Valparaiso University in northwest Indiana.

Manternach, 6-foot-4, 230, was a second-team choice on the all-Metro and all-Mississippi Valley Conference teams last season for the Hawks as an offensive lineman.

Valparaiso finished 1-10 overall and 1-7 in the Pioneer Football League for Coach Dale Carlson last season. The Pioneer League is an NCAA Division I non-scholarship league whose members include Drake University.

Edmonds, Beyer 1st team All-Metro

Mark Atwater, who quarterbacked Linn-Mar to an unbeaten regular season and No. 2 ranking in the polls, is the Metro Football Player of the Year, according to voting by the Metro football coaches.

Atwater, a senior, completed nearly 4 percent of his passes for 1,715 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also ran for 808 yards and 12 touchdowns. He also started at linebacker for the Lions and had 53 tackles.

Atwater was one of three Lions named to the All-Metro first team offense. Senior wide receiver Andy Henry caught 53 passes for 1,020 yards and a Mississippi Valley Conference record 18 touchdowns. Senior Mitch Wantock rushed for 1,109 yards and nien touchdowns in nine games. He broke his ankle in Linn-Mar's regular season finale at Xavier and was unavailable for the Lions' two playoff games.

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