Linn-Mar's Nick Trabucco puts pressure on Clinton quarterback Will Carr during a first round Class 4A state playoff game at Linn-Mar High School in Marion on Wednesday, October 26, 2011. (Cliff Jette/SourceMedia Group)

By Mike Condon, correspondent

MARION – If Clinton had any thoughts of upsetting No. 2 Linn-Mar last night those thoughts vanished about 20 seconds into the game.

Senior quarterback Mark Atwater took off on a 66-yard scoring run on the first play from scrimmage and the Lions poured it on from there, rolling to an easy 47-0 win in the opening round of the Class 4A playoffs Wednesday night at Linn-Mar Stadium.

The Lions (10-0) will host crosstown rival Cedar Rapids Washington in a second-round game Monday night in a rematch of a regular-season contest that Linn-Mar won 56-7. The Warriors advanced with a 38-35 win over Davenport Assumption last night in Davenport.

Linn-Mar was without top rusher Mitch Wantock, who broke his ankle in the regular-season finale at Xavier. Wantock’s loss was hardly noticed as the Lions scored at will in the first half against an overmatched River Kings’ unit that closed at 3-7.

Linn-Mar's AJ Garcia blocks for Zach Martins as he heads into the end zone for a touchdown in the first quarter during a first round Class 4A state playoff game at Linn-Mar High School in Marion on Wednesday, October 26, 2011. (Cliff Jette/SourceMedia Group)

“We always expect a dogfight no matter who we play,” said Linn-Mar Coach Bob Forsyth. “But we just exploded in the first quarter and it was a tough situation for them.”

Linn-Mar’s defense held Clinton to 108 total yards, many coming in the second half against the Lion reserves. Clinton mustered a pair of first downs in the first half, but the Lion offense was flying high. Two plays after stopping Clinton’s opening drive, the Lions were in the end zone again, this time on an 11-yard Zach Martins run.

After another 3-and-out, the Lions needed just four plays to score. Atwater hit Andy Henry on a 21-yard strike, Henry’s 18th of the season. Before the first quarter ended, Linn-Mar scored again, this time on a 20-yard run from Atwater.

That ended the night for the Lion QB and several other starters, including linebacker Tommy Feller.

“I played about a quarter,” said the Lions’ senior linebacker. “I would have liked to play more, but it was good to get some reps for the other guys.”

The Lion offense kept it going in the second quarter and got an assist from the special teams as Dakota Digmann blocked a punt and recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Quinn Treiber booted a pair of field goals and sophomore Ross Lembeck capped the scoring with a 5-yard TD run just before halftime. Lembeck led the Lions in rushing with 92 yards on 10 carries.

With Wantock out of action, Forsyth started senior Brandon Ophoff, who ran for 58 yards, but had a long scoring run called back because of a penalty.

“We started with Ophoff and then we got a chance to look at our sophomore (Lembeck) a little bit,” Forsyth said. “I thought overall we executed pretty well”

Forsyth knows Washington will be a better team than the one the Lions routed in the regular season.

“I think it will be a great football game,” he said. “I don’t think you can take much out of the earlier game. We will have to be ready to play.”