Douglas Miles

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – The Iowa City Regina football team enjoyed a week off before it started its latest playoff march.

Judging by a dominant performance on both offense and defense, the Class A third-ranked Regals clearly made quality use of their break.

“It was really good for us,” Regina Coach Marv Cook said after the Regals blanked Wapello, 42-0, in a second round playoff game Friday night at Regal Field. “Wapello is a great football team. We played them four or five weeks ago and really liked their kids and how they played. To come out and we were cleaner, faster, played with a lot more purpose. It showed early on the scoreboard. Really proud of our kids. Offensively, defensively, special teams. Still got some things that we need to work on, but a great win for us against a quality opponent.”

Regina (7-1) defeated Wapello, 43-16, on Sep. 18, the third of its seven wins in a row since an opening week loss to 4A No. 4 Pleasant Valley.

In the first meeting with Wapello, the Regals’ defense allowed 286 rushing yards and another 140 through the air.

But on Friday night, the Indians managed just 109 total yards, including a mere 27 via the pass.

“It all goes back to the first time we played them,” Regina senior tailback/defensive back Theo Kolie said. “We had some busted coverages, guys lining up in the wrong spot. But this time, we were lined up correctly and making sure we did our job.”

On offense, it was the first time in six games that Kolie did not score four touchdowns. Nevertheless, his three scores and game-high 114 rushing yards – 95 by halftime – helped the Regals to a quick start on the scoreboard that allowed their defense to get after the overmatched Indians.

“It just lets us know that if we do our job, our offense is going to go out, be hard, play, get every yard and go score,” said Regina junior defensive end/weakside linebacker Aidan Udell, who posted a sack.

Regina quarterback Ashton Cook threw for 124 yards and touchdowns to fellow seniors Levi Quinlan and Alex Wick.

For Wick, it was his Class A-leading 13th receiving score this season and he also ran for one.

“The line did a great job of blocking and the receivers did a great job blocking, too,” Kolie said. “It just all worked out.”

Maddox Griffin intercepted a Wick pass attempt for Wapello, which ends its season at 4-4.

Regina will learn its third-round opponent Saturday at noon when the Iowa High School Athletic Association redraws its playoff “pods” for the third and quarterfinal rounds.

No matter the opponent, the Regals are bringing a head of steam with them.

“We just have to make sure that we get our job done and that we are progressively getting better every single week,” Udell said. “To make sure that when we get to that next game, we are better than we were the past week.”

At Regal Field

                                  WAP               ICR

First Downs                8                        12

Rushes-yards              27-82               27-148

Comp-Att-Int              5-12-0             11-18-1

Passing yards              27                    124

Total yards                  109                  272

Punts-avg.                   4-116.0            2-58.0

Fumbles-lost               2-1                   1-0

Penalties-yards           1-5                   3-25

Wapello                        0   0  0  0  –  0

Iowa City Regina      21  14 7  0  –  42

ICR – Theo Kolie 3 run (Wick kick)

ICR – Kolie 24 run (Wick kick)

ICR – Wick 5 run (Wick kick)

ICR – Levi Quinlan 13 pass from Ashton Cook (Wick kick)

ICR – Kolie 2 run (Wick kick)

ICR – Wick 12 pass from Cook (Wick kick)

Individual Statistics

RUSHING – Wapello: Jake Gustison 14-50, Caleb Ealey 2-17, Evan Ross 6-29, Tade Parsons 5-(-14). Regina: Theo Kolie 18-114, Ashton Cook 3-10, Danny Gavin 3-2, Alec Wick 3-22.

PASSING – Wapello: Tade Parsons 5-12-0 27. Iowa City Regina: Ashton Cook 10-16-0 124, Alec Wick 0-1-1 0, Jack Tierney 0-0-0 0.

RECEIVING – Wapello: Jake Gustison 2-12, Evan Ross 1-7, Jordan Paris 1-5, Maddox Griffin 1-3. Iowa City Regina: Alec Wick 2-20, Levi Quinlan 3-56, Theo Kolie 3-32, Sam Aitchison 2-16.

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