Pat Harty

Your Prep Sports 

IOWA CITY – The game of football still is relatively new to Theo Kolie, but it’s hard to tell from how he performs on the field.

Regina’s talented senior running back scored four touchdowns for the second consecutive game as the Class A third-ranked Regals walloped Wapello 43-16 on Friday at Regina.

Kolie rushed for 126 yards on 21 carries and caught three passes for 19 yards, along with playing linebacker on defense.

“I started playing football in junior high, but I didn’t really get into it until my sophomore year,” said Kolie, who was born in New York and also lived in Guinea on the west coast of Africa before moving to the United States when he was 8-year old. “I’ve learned a lot. We have great coaches, always helping me.

“Sunday night I’m going to get chewed because I did a lot of bad things. But I’m going to come in the next day work on them and get better.”

Kolie also benefits from Regina having multiple weapons on offense, including senior receiver Alec Wick and senior quarterback Ashton Cook, who is the son of Regina head coach Marv Cook.

Wick did a little bit of everything, including catching seven passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns. His second touchdown covered 27 yards and came on a nifty one-handed catch that expanded Regina’s lead to 43-9 with 9 minutes 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Wick also made four point-after kicks, and then on defense, he made several key plays, including chasing down Wapello tight end Caden Thomas and tackling him just short of the end zone on a 62-yard reception.

Wapello then had to settle for a 25-yard field goal by Hector Zepeda that cut the deficit to 14-3 with 5:32 left in the second quarter.

“He’s amazing,” Marv Cook said of Wick. “He’s one of the best football players I’ve seen in 14 years of (coaching) football. He does it offensively, defensively, special teams. He’s just an incredibly instinctive player as far as getting open, route running, catching, ball skills, and then defensively to get that corner blitz was huge for us.

“And he saved the touchdown, an effort play that saved us four points.”

Kolie scored the game’s first touchdown on a 23-yard run with 7:42 left in the first quarter. Regina defensive lineman Josh Gaffey helped to set up the touchdown by intercepting a pass near midfield on Wapello’s first offensive possession of the game.

“I think we’re doing a really good job, especially on defense,” Kolie said. “In the first week, we weren’t doing so good. But we kept working on it hard in practice and lifting every day and we just keep making plays.

“Josh Gaffey had (an interception).”

Kolie was referring to Regina’s 45-13 loss to Class 4A Pleasant Valley in the season opener. That game was scheduled after Regina’s original opponent, Dyersville Beckman, had to cancel due to positive tests for the coronavirus.

The Regals only had two days to prepare for Pleasant Valley and it showed, especially on defense.

However, the Regals have since won three games in a row and have combined to score 105 points in the last two games.

“All week we’ve been practicing really hard and our line has been doing a good job and the defense has been really clicking,” Kolie said. “We have a lot of good players on defense, offense, our line is pretty good. So it helps us spread the ball. If we can’t throw the ball, we run the ball. If we can’t run, we throw. It just gives us a lot of options.”

Kolie scored his second touchdown on a 1-yard run with 4:29 left in the second quarter and his third on an 18-yard scamper that expanded Regina’s lead to 29-3 with Alec Wick’s point-after kick with 1:28 left in the second quarter.

Wapello had some success with its ground attack that produced 271 rushing yards,

But the Indians struggled to finish drives against Regina’s aggressive defense.

“I feel good that we got a great victory,” Marv Cook said. “They’re going to make plays because they are really talented, but we made enough to get on the scoreboard.”

As for Kolie, his rise as a football player continues to amaze his head coach.

“He’s done everything that we’ve asked him to do,” Marv Cook said of Kolie. “He’s a triple factor back in our opinion. He can run and block and he can run with power and speed, and can catch the ball. He’s a great protector. He is a complete back for us right now.

“We really want to stretch the defense and make them play sideline to sideline and then take some shots vertical when we can. And Theo is just giving us some great reps, some great snaps. And defensively, he’s been playing really well, too.”

Caden Thomas scored both of Wapello’s touchdowns on catches from 3 and 17 yards, respectively.

Friday’s game was played with fans in the stands. They had to wear masks and practice social distancing, but the players appreciated the support.

“It feels great,” Kolie said. “It makes you feel normal in these hard times.”

Marv Cook also was pleased with the atmosphere during Friday’s game.

“Friday nights are special,” he said. “It’s fun to be playing. It’s just fun for me to watch kids play, kids I’ve seen and been watching for 12 years now. I’m just excited they can come out and play.”

Wapello                   Regina

First down                      15                            19

Rushes-yards                43-271                    31-209

Passing yards                120                           215

Fumbles-lost                 1-0                           0-0

Punts                              2-32.5                       3-31.7

Penalties-yards             6-67                          8-59

Wapello          0    3   6    7   –  16

Regina             7   22  0  14  –  43

ICR – Theo Kolie 23 run (Alec Wick kick)

ICR – Alec Wick 3 pass from Ashton Cook (Wick kick)

WAP – Hector Zepeda 25 FG

ICR – Kolie 1 run (Sam Aitchison pass from Ashton Cook)

ICR – Kolie 18 run (Wick kick)

WAP – Caden Thomas 18 pass from Tade Parsons (kick failed)

ICR – Kolie 6 run (Wick kick)

ICR – Wick 27 pass from Ashton Cook (Andre Deninger kick)

WAP – Caden Thomas 17 pass from Parsons (Zepeda kick)

Individual statistics

RUSING –Wapello:  Evan Ross 9-100, Keaton McConahay 14-87, Jake Gustison 15-54, Caleb Ealey 3-22, Tade Parsons 2-8. Regina: Theo Kolie 21-126, Ashton Cook 2-28, Alec Wick 2-25, San Aitchison 1-17, Danny Gavin 5-13.

PASSING –Wapello: Tade Parsons 6-15-1 120. Regina: Ashton Cook 19-25-0 215

RECEIVING – Wapello: Caden Thomas 4-100, Gustison 3-minus-2, Caleb Ealey 1-22. Regina: Alec Wick 7-83, Levi Quinlan 6-53, Theo kolie 3-19, Sam Aitchison 1-24, Blake Chambliss 1-18, Danny Molony 1-9.

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