Metro Sports Report

Lions enjoy homecoming romp, 42-17

Linn-Mar’s defense has been much-maligned through the first half of the season. An undersized group, the Lion defenders have given up huge chunks of yards to some quality opponents.

In Friday night’s homecoming game with Dubuque Wahlert, the defense was front and center.

The Lions held the Golden Eagles to 184 total yards, 45 in the first half, and the offense was its usual explosive self in a 42-17 win at Linn-Mar Stadium.

For a team that was giving up more than 40 points a contest, Linn-Mar was stingy all night. The Golden Eagles could never get a sustained attack going against a swarming Lions’ defense.

Marion rises up and smites Benton

Hold that obituary on the Marion football team's playoff life. The rebuilt Indians roared back into playoff contention Friday night with a must-win, 41-0, victory over a stuck-in-the-mud Benton Community team at Thomas Park.

Looking like a completely different team from the lethargic, mistake-prone crew of the past two weeks, the Indians got back on track with a emphatic home  blowout win. From the opening kickoff to the running clock pronouncement, this was Marion (3-3, 2-1 Class 3A District 6) at its near best. And as a result, the Indians are back in play big time for a playoff berth.

Marion's retracking began on the offensive line.

RoughRiders 'dance' by Youngstown, 4-3

The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders did a little dancing Friday after they earned their first home win of the season, 4-3, over Youngstown at The Stable in Cedar Rapids.

Andrew Poturalski hit the game-winner with 1 minute and 14 seconds left to the delight of the home crowd, and the RoughRiders celebrated afterward with their victory song, "23", by pop star Miley Cyrus.

"It's our team win song we all decided on," Poturalski said.

Miley Cyrus?

"We all like it," he said.

Rocha gives J-Hawks special weapon

Nick Rocha kicked a 46-yard field goal for the Jefferson J-Hawks in their 37-20 victory over Waterloo East last Friday and nobody was surprised.

"I'm not exaggerating," Jefferson Coach Brian Webb said Thursday. "He kicks them 60 to 65 yards in practice."

Actually, Webb short-changed his man by two yards.

"My longest in practice is 67," Rocha said. "I had a decent breeze, but it wasn't much. There was a lot of strength behind that one."

Think about that for a second: Rocha was standing at the "other" 43 yard line - on the "other" side of the 50 - when he booted that 67-yarder.

Incredible. And here's something else that's incredible. He's transformed himself into one of the best place-kickers in the state without any special help.