Susan Harman

Your Prep Sports 

WEST BRANCH – Maybe Levi Quinlan’s 95-yard kickoff return straight up the middle of the field for a touchdown on the game’s first play was an omen.

“We hadn’t really produced that much in our kick return throughout the year,” Quinlan said. “But in the last two games it’s been a lot better. I got the ball and everybody blocked perfectly, and there was a giant hole. It was perfect.”

In retrospect it seemed to foreshadow the success of the Regina offensive line in opening holes through West Branch’s usually stout defense.

The Regals relied on their strong running game to hand the Bears their first defeat of the season, 30-20, in a Class 1A quarterfinal game.

Regina (9-2) will play top-seeded Van Meter (11-0) on Nov. 16 at 10 a.m. in the semifinals at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

“They work really hard,” Regina coach Marv Cook said of his offensive line. “It’s a great, cohesive group. We knew coming in that the team that was the most physical was going to win this game. We knew what a great football team West Branch is, and we knew we had to match that physicality and I thought we did that.

“Theo Kolie was amazing with our inside zone running game.”

Regina junior Kolie rushed for 174 yards on 26 carries to lead the Regal offense. Most all of his runs were right up the middle of the defense.

After Quinlan’s touchdown the Bears regrouped and drove 80 yards. Quarterback Gavin Hierseman connected with Trey Eagle on a post route for the 49-yard TD to tie the game.

The Bears defense stopped Regina, but the Regals’ punt was downed at the West Branch  2-yard line.

The Regals’ Josh Gaffey tackled Hierseman in the end zone for a safety on what appeared to be a mix-up on the play call. Regina led 9-7.

Regina took the ensuing kick and drove 80 yards for a touchdown on eight plays. Kolie carried for 67 of those yards and the Regals led 16-7.

The Regals recovered a Bear fumble on the first play from scrimmage thereafter and turned that into a Michael Dunn 34-yard field goal and a 19-7 lead with 9:08 left in the first half.

With their season on the line the Bears put together an 80-yard, 13-play touchdown drive featuring the running of Tanner Lukavsky to get within 19-14 at halftime.

The Bears drove 72 yards in the third quarter aided by two big Regina penalties.

Hierseman ran one yard for the go-ahead TD to cap the drive, but the Bears couldn’t connect on their attempt for a 2-point conversion and settled for a 20-19 lead.

“I thought that showed our character,” West Branch coach Butch Pedersen said. “We were down and we played very poorly the first quarter, and then we came back and fought back and got the lead and I thought, ‘Here we go.’”

Undeterred, Regina began to drive to retake the lead.

The Regals reached the Bears’ 42-yard line on a slant pass from Ashton Cook to Alec Wick. But Wick, Regina’s leading receiver, was hurt on the tackle and was taken off on a stretcher. Coach Marv Cook said after the game that it was a hip injury.

Ashton Cook’s quarterback sneak on fourth down and one gave the Regals a first down at the Bears’ 40. 

Six running plays later Cook danced into the end zone as the Regals retook the lead, this time for good.

Cook’s two-point conversion pass to Quinlan gave the Regals a 27-20 lead.

“After Alec got injured we just wanted to play for him,” Kolie said. “Our line was doing a great job, and we just had to win this game for him.”

“That’s just this team; we don’t give up,” junior lineman Jack Keller said. “We stay together, we regroup. Even after Wick going down we regrouped. That’s just what we do; we keep fighting.”

Just as important as the offensive drive, the Regal defense forced a quick punt by West Branch and took over at their 42 with 6 minutes, 53 seconds left in the game.

Regina’s offensive line took over as the Regals ran 11 consecutive times, with Kolie toting the ball nine times, and ate 6:06 off the clock. Dunn’s 22-yard field goal clinched the victory.

Regina’s offensive line included Will Colony, Russell Hingst, Josh Gaffey, Keller and Rowan Udell.

“We made some adjustments early in the season that have been effective for us,” Marv Cook said. “When Will Colony moved into our offensive line it solidified it for us. He’s been kind of a cog in there.”

“We’ve just been playing well the whole year, and I guess people are just starting to take notice,” Keller said. “Our line, I think it’s one of the best in the state.”

Playoff games are always hard for the teams that don’t move on and losing to your rival was tough for the 10-1 Bears to accept.

Pedersen thanked his players for their all-out effort and congratulated them on their district championship and stellar record.

He then stood amid the players and hugged nearly every one.

“(Regina’s running game) hurt us a little, yeah, but we had a couple other chances as well, and we didn’t capitalize on them,” Pedersen said. “We knew what they were going to be doing; we just couldn’t get it stopped.”

                                       ICR              WB

First downs                19                    12

Rushing-yards           43-213            28-122

Comp-att-int              9-18-0              7-13-1

Passing-yards             79                    120

Punts-avg                   2-47.5              2-20.5

Fumbles-lost               1-0                   1-1

Penalties-yards          7-85                 5-33.5

Regina                        16  3  0  11  –  30

West Branch              7    7  6   0  –  20

ICR – Levi Quinlan 95 kickoff return (Michael Dunn kick)

WB – Trey Eagle 49 pass from Gavin Hierseman (Cael Fiederlein kick)

ICR – Josh Gaffey tackles Hierseman in end zone

ICR – Ashton Cook 1 run (Dunn kick)

ICR – Dunn 34 field goal

WB – Hierseman 2 run (Fiederlein kick)

WB – Hierseman 2 run (Pass failed)

ICR – Cook 6 run (Quinlan pass from Cook)

ICR – Dunn 22 field goal

Individual Statistics

RUSHING – ICR: Theo Kolie 26-174, Ashton Cook 10-31, Levi Quinlan 5-8, Alec Wick 1-1, team 1-(-1). WB: Tanner Lukavsky21-107, Gavin Hierseman 4-13, Wyatt Goodale 2-3.

PASSING – ICR: Ashton Cook 9-18-0 79. WB: Gavin Hierseman 7-13-1 120.

RECEIVING – ICR: Alec Wick 4-42, Josh Dutchik 3-21, Theo Kolie 2-16. WB: Trey Eagle 2-57, Tanner Lukavsky 2-38, Wyatt Goodale 2-16, Cael Fiederlein 1-9.

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