DUBUQUE - Linn-Mar Coach Bob Forsyth could have trouble picking an Offensive Player of the Week for his ballclub after all the fireworks in Dubuque Friday night.

The eighth-ranked Lions broke a school record with 514 yards rushing, smashed another school mark with 656 yards of total offense and rolled up 54 points.

Here's an idea: Give an award to everyone.

Linn-Mar roared back from a halftime deficit and smashed Dubuque Wahlert, 54-22, in an entertaining Mississippi Valley Conference game at the Rock Bowl.

The Lions trailed, 16-14, at intermission and appeared in a speck of trouble, but they scored four touchdowns in the third period and put the game out of reach.

"We came out and exploded like we knew we can," said quarterback Mark Atwater, who rushed for 194 yards. "We ran the ball really well tonight. A lot of things clicked tonight."

Tailback Mitch Wantock galloped for 182 yards as he and Atwater ran wild. Both of them could have cracked 200 yards if Forsyth hadn't sent in the subs with 8 minutes left in the game.

"It's easy to run for a lot of yards when the linemen make big holes," Wantock remarked. "They gave me a lot of room."

Atwater passed for three touchdowns and ran for two scores, all in the second half as the Lions (3-0) exploded for 40 points. He was too big, too strong and too fast for the Golden Eagles (2-1).

"He's a great football player," Forsyth said. "He's a once-in-a-while kid."

Atwater gave Linn-Mar a 20-16 lead early in the third quarter when he shook loose for a 68-yard touchdown, then he tossed three straight TD passes in the period as the Lions built a 41-22 advantage.

Atwater broke loose for an 85-yard touchdown in the fourth period, but it was nullified by a penalty. Unperturbed, he asked the coaches to call his number again and ran for a 65-yard TD four plays later.

"I told them, 'Give me the ball back. It's open. Just let me run,'" he said.

Dubuque Wahlert jumped to a 10-0 lead in the first half, and only a staunch goal-line stand by the Lions kept the deficit from reaching 14-0 in the second quarter. Wahlert quarterback Riley McCarron completed his first nine passes and gave Linn-Mar fits.

Wahlert scored on its first play from scrimmage on an 80-yard pass play from McCarron to John Burgmeier, putting the Lions on their heels. "That McCarron kid is an outstanding athlete," Forsyth said.

Linn-Mar enjoyed a fast start in its 42-14 rout of Kennedy last week in the first game at new Linn-Mar Stadium, but Forsyth was not happy with the way his team played in the first half against Wahlert.

"We were flat-footed, maybe from the hangover from Kennedy. I don't know," he said. "We tried to tell the kids all week, 'Hey, it's not going to be the same,' but you try telling 17- and 18-year-old kids, you know what I mean?

"I told them at halftime, there's not much I can help you with. You seniors, if this is important to you, you'll come out winning. Atwater and some of those guys just took over and willed us to win."

Wantock kept Linn-Mar alive in the first half when he rushed for 150 yards and two touchdowns. "Mitch was just running like a freight train," Forsyth said. "He's a hard runner."

Wantock has big shoes to fill this season, succeeding Jer Garman at tailback after Garman broke numerous school records for a running back. Wantock has rushed for 340 yards in three games, giving the Lions another potent weapon.

"I'm not trying to be a legend (like Garman) or anything," he said. "I'm just trying to help the team."

Andy Henry had another big game for Linn-Mar with five catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns, including a twisting catch for a 59-yard TD strike from Atwater. He also did a good job of downfield blocking on several long runs.

Atwater, Wantock and Henry all deserved awards for their work, but maybe the Offensive Players of the Week should be the offensive line of Justin Green, A.J. Garcia, Jack Halupnik, Brady MacNider, Dustin Smith and tight end Jacob Hutchins.

"It was a great job," Forsyth said. "We've got some hard running backs and the kids did a good job."

Dubuque Wahlert collected 448 yards of total offense, putting the grand total for both teams at 1,104 yards.

Atwater completed 7 of 11 passes for 136 yards, giving him 330 yards of total offense.

LINN-MAR 54, WAHLERT 22

L-M         DW

First Downs      20       16
Rushes           42-514   32-171
Passing          8-12-1   13-22-2
Passing Yards    142      277
Punts            1-32.0   4-35.0
Fumbles/Lost     0/0      1/0
Penalties        6-50     6-30

Linn-Mar     0   14   27   13 -- 54
Wahlert      7    9    6    0 -- 22

Scoring Plays

DW - John Burgmeier 80 pass from Riley McCarron (Sam Koenig PAT)
DW - Koenig 18 FG
LM - Mitch Wantock 20 run (Quinn Treiber PAT)
DW - Koenig 34 FG
LM - Wantock 2 run
DW - Koenig 50 FG
LM - Atwater 68 run (kick blocked)
LM - Andy Henry 4 pass from Atwater (Treiber PAT)
LM - Colton Sanchez 7 pass from Atwater (Treiber PAT)
DW - Nick Nemmers 70 pass from McCarron (run failed)
LM - Henry 59 pass from Atwater (Treiber PAT)
LM - Atwater 65 run (pass failed)
LM - Brandon Ophoff 7 yard run (Treiber PAT)

Individual Statistics

Linn-Mar

Rushing: Atwater 11-194, Wantock 15-182, Trabucco 5-31, Ophoff 3-22, Darden 2-28, Luerkens 1-26, Jeffries 1-20, Schirmer 2-8, Kvach 1-4, Team - 1-minus 1.

Passing: Atwater 7-11-1, 136; Luerkens 1-1-0, 6.

Receiving: Henry 5-130, Sanchez 1-7, Hutchins 1-6, Redmond 1-minus 1.

Wahlert

Rushing: Koenig 18-112, McCarron 9-45, Decker 3-16, Burgmeier 2-minus 2.

Passing: McCarron 13-22-2, 277.

Receiving: Williams 4-69, Burgmeier 3-102, Tranel 3-23, Steines 2-13, Nemmers 1-70.

Sophomore Game: Wahlert 27, Linn-Mar 14