Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The saying when it comes to playoff time is survive and advance.

Three area teams advanced to the state quarterfinals but not team survived more of a scare than fourth-ranked Regina.

Regina needed a goal line stop and a 10-yard touchdown run from Isaac Vollstedt on successive plays to sneak out a 27-21 double overtime win over South Winneshiek (6-4) in a Class 1A opening round matchup at Regal Field.

“It was everything we thought it would be, and unfortunately a little more,” Regina coach Marv Cook said. “Fortunately, our guys were able to make it happen.”

The win was the 11th straight opening-round postseason win for Regina, which hasn’t lost a playoff opener since falling to Dike-New Hartford 21-14 in a 1A opener in 2006.

Regina is 40-4 in playoff games and has six state titles during that stretch with two losses coming in state title games in 2007 and 2016.

The Regals had won their previous 10 first-round playoff games by an average of 36.9 points and hadn’t had a postseason opener decided by less than 23 since 2009.

“It’s not just given to you, it’s not handed to you, you’ve got to earn it, you’ve got to deserve it,” Cook said. “Our guys just had the last bit to push it over the edge.”

The win sent Regina to the quarterfinals for the 10th straight season where it will host Wilton (9-1) on Friday.

Regina defeated the Beavers 49-7 in Wilton back on Sept. 29.

Flanny Pack

Every team these days seems to have a variation of the so-called ‘wildcat formation’.

They are all designed in similar fashion.

A big, powerful back taking a direct snap behind 10 blockers designed to convert short yardage situations.

The only difference seems to be what these formations are called.

Solon’s version that features 230-pound junior linebacker Coal Flansburg behind center is dubbed the ‘Flanny Pack’ formation.

Most importantly it works.

“I really like getting the ball,” Flansburg said. “Everyone wants to have their hands on the ball but I’m really just looking for an open gap and trying to make a good play for me team.”

Flansburg scored two touchdowns on three carries in Friday’s 34-2 win over Decorah.

He scored on a 2-yard run and a 4-yard burst that came on a fourth-and-1 play.

On the season he has scored every third time he carries the ball, rushing for 46 yards and five touchdowns on 15 carries.

“I’m just thinking before the play run this as hard as you possibly can,” Flansburg said. “That’s all really I’m thinking it’s just instinct from there.” 

Power Football

Most of the season West High has relied on the arm of senior quarterback Evan Flitz to lead its high-powered offense.

With a game time temperature near freezing and a howling wind on Friday the Trojans showed they can be just as dangerous running the ball.

West High rushed for a season-high 381 yards and averaged 9.1 yards per carry in a 49-7 win over Cedar Rapids Washington.

The 381 rushing yards were the most for West High since it ran for 563 in a win over Dubuque Hempstead on Oct. 30 of 2013 and the most ever for a Garrett Hartwig coached team.

“You’ve got to run the ball in the playoffs,” Hartwig said. “We’ve been close all season, we feel like, and tonight we stepped up and got it done. We’ve always felt we could run the ball. We’ve just been able to throw it with such an exceptional quarterback and receiving corps.”

Offensive Player of the Week

Jake Phillips did a little bit of everything in a win over South Winneshiek on Friday.

The Regina senior caught eight passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns and also carried 11 times for 59 yards and added an interception.

Best of the Rest

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·         <!–[endif]–>West High senior running back Trumell Roberts rushed for 183 yards and three touchdowns on 12 carries in a 49-7 win over Cedar Rapids Washington

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·         <!–[endif]–>Regina senior Isaac Vollstedt ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns, including a game-winning 10-yarder in double overtime, in a 27-21 win over South Winneshiek.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·         <!–[endif]–>West Branch senior Jacob Graves caught 10 passes for 76 yards and rushed for 52 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries in a 32-13 loss to Pleasantville.

Defensive Player of the Week

Less than ideal weather conditions made Friday a night for defenses to shine and few defenders shined brighter than West High senior linebacker Dillon Doyle.

Doyle had 5 solo tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks among his six total tackles in a 49-7 win over Cedar Rapids Washington.

Best of the Rest

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·         <!–[endif]–>Regina junior linebacker Nick Milder had 10 solo tackles among his team-high 11 stops in a 27-21 double overtime win over South Winneshiek.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·         <!–[endif]–>Solon junior linebacker Adam Bock had a team-high 10.5 tackles including seven solos in a 34-2 win over Decorah.

<!–[if !supportLists]–>·         <!–[endif]–>West High junior defensive tackle Jason Strunk had four tackles, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in a win over Cedar Rapids Washington.