Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Rick Larew has spent the last decade perfecting the plan that has turned his Regina soccer program into one of the top dynasties in state history.

The plan that Larew has implemented has produced eight state titles in the past 11 seasons after Regina captured its third consecutive Class 1A title earlier this month.

The foundation of Larew’s plan is built around people and players.

People like the former players that Larew brings back each year as assistant coaches and players like senior Kieler Brown.

“My biggest disappointment with his college choice going to the University of Missouri is he won’t be in Iowa City because he’s the type of guy I want coaching kids for us,” Larew said of Brown. “I would love to have Kieler helping out. I try to surround the kids with good people and he’s the sort of guy that has the right values and works hard.”

Brown has been a backbone of the Regina program during its three-year title run.

The senior midfielder ranked second on the team with 10 goals and 10 assists this season helping Regina to an 18-6 record and a third straight 1A title that ended with a 1-0 win over top-ranked Waterloo Columbus in the 1A championship match.

Brown had 26 goals and 20 assists during the Regals’ three consecutive championship seasons.

“It’s a program that has been built on success and championships,” Brown said. “Continuing in that success is awesome and I am glad that our senior class could finish it out.”

What made Brown a cornerstone in the continued build of the Regina program was what he did away from the field.

As a freshman reserve Brown learned from upperclassmen the importance of player leadership in the program.

That upperclassmen leadership is a tradition in the Regina program that goes back further than the Regals’ championship string.

“When I was a freshman we had Emilio Tovar and Andrew Yowell and those two were just huge role models for me,” Brown said. “Emilio took me under his wing and has been here the last few years coaching and has really shown me the way.”

Over his first few seasons Brown watched others lead the program before taking his turn as a leader this season.

“Kieler always gives his best and he always does it in the right way and that’s the type of a guy you want as a leader,” Larew said. “I’m sort of a straight arrow type of guy and I don’t want the guys to be like me, I want the guys to be themselves and Kieler has a great sense of humor, he’s not afraid to express his opinion but when I say this is enough then he understands that’s it now it’s time to go forward with how we are going to play it.”

After years of watching others that held the leadership role within the Regina program Brown and his classmates didn’t take the role lightly.

For Brown, his career on the soccer field was about much more than just wins or goals.

“It’s more than soccer,” Brown said. “It’s just learning how to be a leader and help others that’s more important than soccer.”

Brown graduated last month with a 3.75 GPA and will follow his older brother and sister to the University of Missouri this fall where he will study engineering.

“It’s a good degree, a good field to go into,” Brown said. “My brother is going into engineering and told me he thought it was a good idea. I figured I needed something tough to focus on to keep me on track.”

Before he focused on his future Brown had to cement his status in the Regina record books as a three-time state champion.

He did that helping Regina stretch its state tournament winning streak to nine with a third consecutive 1A championship.

“All these guys worked so hard, we had a bunch of young guys step up, it just feels awesome,” Brown said. ““I think coach said it best the other day but we bring all the young guys with and they watch, we do a lot of film breakdown and they see how we do everything. The coaches prepare us well.”

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by becoming a member.