Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – At some point in the next week Alec Wick will play his final prep soccer match.

Whenever that moment comes for Wick it will likely be the final soccer game ever for the Regina standout who will join the Iowa football program as a walk on in the fall.

Wick is hoping to extend his soccer career for at least three more matches as he seeks to lead third-ranked Regina (11-7) to an unprecedented fourth consecutive state title.

“It’s weird to think about,” Wick said of the end of his soccer career. “I definitely haven’t wrapped by head around that yet but we are still going so we are going to keep working toward next Saturday.”

Whenever Wick hangs up his soccer cleats for the final time he will leave in his wake a career that ranks among the most decorated in the illustrious history of the Regina program.

A two-time all-state selection Wick has scored 75 career goals and added 20 assists in three seasons while helping the Regals to 47-16 record over the past three seasons.

Wick led Regina to state titles in 2018 and 2019 and will attempt to help the Regals become the first team in state history to win four consecutive titles this week starting with a Class 1A quarterfinal against No. 12 Greene County (14-6) on Tuesday at 12:10 p.m. at Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines.

“He’s been terrific as a leader and a fun player to watch obviously,” Regina coach Rick Larew said. “He’s a fun player to watch no matter what the sport is but as a leader and as a person he is just one of the best to ever come through here and I’ve had an awful lot of great ones.”

Wick was an instant star on the soccer field earning all state honors following a freshman season in which he scored 15 goals and added three assists.

It was on the big stage of the state tournament where Wick really broke through, scoring four goals in three state tournament matches in 2018.

Wick was even better in 2019 scoring 31 goals and adding 11 assists while leading Regina to an 18-6 record and another 1A crown.

After the 2020 season was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic Wick has faced his biggest challenge as a senior in 2021.

Wick entered the 2021 as the lone returning starter from the 2019 state title team and is one of just three seniors on a Regina roster that features 25 freshmen and sophomores.

“He’s always been a leader but in the past you had other guys who could step up and take that responsibility and this year he has just been terrific,” Larew said. “There are times when I have to check with him, am I being hard too hard with some of these younger guys. I count on him for that. I count on him for the quiet leadership that he gives because he is really so modest.”

Despite playing alongside all new players, inheriting a larger leadership role and facing constant attention from opposing defenses Wick has been at his best this season.

Wick has scored 30 goals in 18 matches, has a goal in all but two matches this season and has scored multiple goals eight times.

He had four goals in a substate semifinal win over Prince of Peace and two more in a substate final win over Solon that sent the Regals to the state tournament for the 13^th consecutive season.

“A lot of these guys had never really talked to each other before the season,” Wick said. “Our freshman and sophomores are pretty much all freshmen now so we had 26 kids coming into a soccer program they had never been a part of. It’s different but those guys have stepped up.”

The final task for Wick awaits this week as he attempts to help Regina make history.

Wick will need help this week and he has gotten in during the postseason from the likes of freshman Kaleab Wendy (16 goals, 10 assists) and senior Levi Quinlan (7 goals, three assists).

“Our juniors have stepped up a lot during the offseason they got better on their own time because they never played varsity two years ago,” Wick said. “It’s a lot different but a lot of young guys have stepped up.”

The future for Wick is football.

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Wick is one of the most prolific pass catchers in state history.

Wick leaves Regina as the state’s all-time reception leader with 242, ranked third in state history with 3,655 receiving yards and sixth with 38 career touchdown catches.

Even with all he did on the football field at Regina and with his future on the gridiron the soccer program at Regina has a special place in Wick’s heart.

This week he is hoping for a perfect end.

“Coach Rick has built a great program, he’s helped us all a lot and so it means a lot to me of course,” Wick said. “All the athletes we have do multiple sports so we are around each other a lot so we have great chemistry. The soccer program here is an amazing thing to be a part of.”

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