Football Capsules: Taking a Quick Look at Regina
Regina
Head coach: Dustin Elsbury (1st season)
Assistant coaches: Ed Hinkel; Dan Davis; Matt Hills; Steve Christopherson; John Naeve; Tyler Schamel; Isaac Vollstedt; Owen Grover; Matt Melloy
Last season: 9-2 (Class 1A state quarterfinals)
Returning starters: Will Aitchison, Sr., DB/RB; Matt Colony, Sr., OL/DL; Noah Clark, Sr., OL/DL; Leren Fernandez, Sr., LB; Drew Greve, Jr., WR/DB; Tate Wallace, Soph., TE/LB
Other returning letterwinners: Kyle Tracy, Jr., QB/DB; Edwin Gangba, Jr., RB/DB; Savion Miller, Soph., RB/DB; Spencer Winders, Sr., WR/DB; Max Franklin, Sr., OL/DL
Newcomers to watch: Hudson Koch, Jr., WR/DB; Porter Shetler, Soph., OL/DL; Simon Shetler, Soph., OL/DL; Daniel Mambo, Soph., OL/DL; Luke Hamilton, Soph., WR/DB; Aaron Honore, Jr., WR/DB; Trey Streb, Soph., WR/DB
Playoff history: 20 appearances (1972, 2004-2017, 2019-2023). Regina won state titles in 2005 (1A), 2010, 2011 (2A), 2012-2015 (1A) and 2020 (A).
District: Class 1A, District 5 (Cascade, West Branch, Dyersville Beckman, Durant, Wilton)
District favorite: Regina, West Branch and Wilton all went 4-1 in district play and all have a legit argument as the preseason favorite. Wilton returns the most but the favorite nod goes to Regina on the strength of two wins over the Beavers last season by a combined score of 68-18.
Circle the date: October 18 vs. Wilton. West Branch will certainly have a say in who wins the district title but the regular season finale against Wilton will likely go a long way in determining the district champ.
Headliner: Senior Will Aitchison (5-10, 180) is a three-year starter with the ability to impact the game anywhere he lines up on either side of the ball. Aitchison rushed for a team-high 567 yards and nine touchdowns, caught 17 passes for 139 yards and two touchdowns and had 28 tackles with 2.5 for loss.
Ready for a breakthrough: Sophomore Tate Wallace (6-2, 225) was excellent last season as a freshman catching 35 passes for 430 yards and three touchdowns and making 22.5 tackles and will look to establish himself as one of the top players in the state this fall.
Unsung hero: Lineman are always slightly unsung and senior Matt Colony (6-2, 240) fits that role. Colony has played, and played very well, alongside some excellent lineman throughout his career but should make a name for himself this fall as a leader on both lines.
Keep an eye on: Junior Kyle Tracy (5-10, 175) is expected to take over at quarterback this season and should give the regals a true dual-threat behind center. A strong athlete, look for Tracy to use his legs as well as his arm in his first season behind center.
Remember the name: Sophomore Savion Miller (5-11, 180) showed impressive potential last season accounting for 223 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns and should have a much larger role on both sides of the ball this fall.
Biggest strength: The defense. Regina has a new quarterback and lost its most dangerous offensive weapon in receiver Jackson Naeve. As always the Regals should be stout defensively.
Regina returns six players that ranked in the top 11 on the team in tackles last season and all had at least 22.5 stops. Senior Leren Fernandez (5-11, 190) and Wallace lead the linebacker group, Colony and Noah Clark (6-0, 220) will be anchors up front and Drew Greve (6-0, 150) and Aitchison return in the secondary along with senior Spencer Winders (5-10, 170).
Biggest question: What will Regina look like under first-year head coach Dustin Elsbury? Elsbury isn’t new, he’s been on the Regina staff, but he is in a new role as a first-time head coach. Long-time offensive coordinator Ed Hinkle is back along with most of the former coaching staff. The question is how will Elsbury put his finger print on one of the state’s most successful programs over the past two decades.
Quotable: “I tried to keep a lot continuity, I’m not coming into a program where I need to revamp everything,” Regina coach Dustin Elsbury said. “Regina has strong tradition, has won state titles, finished runner-up and has a really good program so coming in it’s how can I keep the same foundation, the same tradition that made Regina great but still put my twist on it with my experiences.”
2024 Schedule
Date/Opponent/Record in 2023
August 30: at West Liberty (1-7)
September 6: at Mid-Prairie (5-5)
September 13: Mediapolis (8-3)
September 20: at Durant (1-8)
September 27: Cascade (2-7)
October 4: West Branch (6-4)
October 11: at Dyersville Beckman (1-7)
October 18: Wilton (8-2)
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