Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Regina

Head coach: Dustin Elsbury (2^nd season, 9-2)

Assistant coaches: Ed Hinkel; Dan Davis; Matt Hills; Michael Pannone; Steven Christopherson; Tyler Elsbury; Jeremy Chaplin; Tyler Schamel; Owen Grover; David Zoeckler; John Naeve; Matt Melloy; Raphael Hamilton

Last season: 9-2 (Class 1A quarterfinals)

Returning starters: Tate Wallace, Jr., TE/LB; Savion Miller, Jr., RB/DB; Aaron Honore, Sr., DB/WR; Kyle Tracy, Sr., QB; Edwin Gangba, Sr., DB/WR; Roan Eckhoff, Jr., LB; Gabriel Hegelheimer, K/RB/LB; Drew Greve, Sr., DB/WR; James Whisler, Sr., LB/WR; Simon Shetler, Jr., OL/DL; Porter Shetler, Jr., OL/DL; Hudson Koch, Sr., DB/WR;

Other returning letterwinners: Kaleb Moeller, Jr., DB/WR; Trey Streb, Jr., DB/WR; Luke Hamilton, Jr., LB; Zach Poe, Soph., LB/QB

Newcomers to watch: Will Litton, Jr., TE/DE; Jack Gavin, Jr., LB/WR; Carter Slager, Sr., WR/DB; Noah Horner, Sr., OL/DL; Nathan Parizek, Soph., OL/DL; Devin Szanajda, Jr., OL/DL; Gabe Schuessler, Soph., WR/DB; Holt Hinkel, Soph., DB/WR; Paul Weiner, Sr., LB/RB; Brady Venzon, Jr., DB/WR; Tim Franklin, Soph., OL/DL; Dan Mambo, Jr., OL/DL; Evan Greve, Soph., TE/LB

Playoff history: 21 appearances (1972, 2004-2017, 2019-2024). Regina won state titles in 2005 (1A), 2010, 2011 (2A), 2012-2015 (1A) and 2020 (A).

District: Class 1A, District 6 (Cardinal, Durant, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, Louisa-Muscatine, Sigourney/Keota)

District favorite: Regina enters as the favorite in District 6 after going 9-2 and reaching the 1A quarterfinals last season. Sigourney-Keota has won seven or more games in six consecutive seasons and will the Regals top district challenger.

Circle the date: August 29 at Wilton. Regina doesn’t have to wait long to avenge its season-ending loss to the Beavers in the 1A quarterfinals last fall as it travels to Wilton for the season opener. The teams split a pair of games in the final month of last season with Wilton winning 21-14 in the quarterfinals.

Headliner: Junior two-way standout Tate Wallace (6-3, 235) is a four-star recruit and a returning all-stater capable of dominating on both sides of the ball. Wallace caught 51 passes for 752 yards and eight touchdowns last season as a hybrid receiver/tight end and made 27.5 tackles with four tackles for loss and a sack from his linebacker spot.

Ready for a breakthrough: Sophomore Gabriel Hegelheimer (5-11, 200) flashed impressive potential last season as a freshman earning all-state honors as a kicker. Hegelheimer converted 38-of-40 PAT attempts and was 2-of-5 on field goals last season, rushed for 114 yards and a touchdown caught three passes for 89 yards and a touchdown and had 11 tackles with 1.5 sacks from his linebacker spot. Look for those numbers to skyrocket this season for the talented Hegelheimer.

Unsung hero: Roan Eckhoff. On a team loaded with top-end talent it is easy to overlook what Eckhoff (6-1, 210) did last fall in the first extended action of his career. Eckhoff ranked third on the team with 42.5 tackles from his linebacker spot adding 6.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks and should see those number increase this fall.

Keep an eye on: Junior running back Savion Miller (5-10, 200) is always worth watching as the speedy Miller is capable of ripping off a big play at any moment. Miller rushed for 922 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 5.8 yards per carry last season, caught 16 passes for 192 yards and averaged 29 yards per kick off return on his way to earning all-state honors.

Remember the name: Drew Greve. There is talent all over the field for the Regals and Greve will be a big part of the equation on both sides of the ball. The 6-foot-0, 165-pound Greve caught 23 passes for 290 yards and five touchdowns and also had 24 tackles and a team-high four interceptions last season.

Biggest strength: The Regals are loaded at the offensive skill positions. Senior quarterback Kyle Tracy returns after accounting for 2,652 total yards and 28 touchdowns last season and is surrounded by playmakers. Miller and Hegelheimer are a dynamic duo at running back, Wallace is a mismatch at tight end and will be joined by 6-foot-4 Will Litton and Greve and seniors Hudson Koch and Edwin Gangba will all be weapons at wide receiver.

Biggest question: How well will Regina restock on the offensive line? The Regals lost a pair of stalwarts up front in departed seniors Noah Clark and Matt Colony and will need to reshape its offensive line this fall. Juniors Porter Shetler (5-11, 220) and Simon Shetler (5-11, 215) return with starting experience and there is talent upcoming led by senior Noah Horner (6-2, 280), junior Devin Szanajda (6-2, 220) and sophomore Nathan Parizek (6-4, 230). How quickly that group can come together will be a key for the Regals.

Quotable: “Last year, the loss to Wilton, that was a difficult loss, they beat us that day but we’ve put in a lot of work together and getting closer as a family,” Regina senior Drew Greve said. “I think all of those things will help us and we have great coaches so I think everything we’ve done over the summer building a family will take us a long way.”

2025 Schedule

Date/Opponent/Record in 2024

August 29: at Wilton (10-2)

September 5: West Branch (3-7)

September 12: Alburnett (5-4)

September 19: at Cardinal (0-8)

September 26: Durant (3-6)

October 3: at Sigourney-Keota (7-2)

October 10: at Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (2-7)

October 17: Louisa-Muscatine (0-8)

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