Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – For most of the season Regina has known what would likely be standing in the way of a state title.

A pair of defending state champions that had won a combined 75 games.

Regina took down three-time defending state champion and second-ranked Grundy Center and the state’s third longest winning streak with a 31-12 win in the semifinals.

Standing between third-ranked Regina (12-0) and a return to the peak of 1A football is last year’s 2A champ and top-ranked West Lyon (12-0).

Regina and West Lyon will square off in a battle of unbeatens in the 1A title game on Thursday at 4 p.m. at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

“This is what you want, this is why you play,” Regina senior quarterback Kyle Tracy said. “To be the best you have to beat the best.”

The Regina program is no stranger to state championship success.

Regina has won eight crowns, including six straight from 2010 to 2015, and most recently reigned in Class A in 2020.

No current Regals have appeared in a state title game but they can create their own legacy on Thursday with what would be one of the most impressive and well-earned titles in state history.

“They are a great team, a defending champion that hasn’t lost in 25 games,” Regina junior defensive end Tate Wallace. “Just like Grundy Center last week, that’s what you know you are getting in these games is great teams. The best teams.”

West Lyon (12-0) has certainly been one of the best teams throughout this season.

The Wildcats have won 25 consecutive games dating back to last season when they capped an unbeaten 13-0 season with a 42-7 win over Spirit Lake in the 2A title game.

West Lyon hasn’t had a game decided by less than 13 points during its current win streak and this season no team has stayed closer than 14 points against the Wildcats.

“They are a really talented team and we know they are going to give us their best shot and they’ve been here before,” Tracy said. “It’s going to be a battle of wills I think because they are really good and I think we are really good so it’s going to be who can dig deep.”

West Lyon leans on a big and athletic offensive line that averages 251 pounds per play.

The Wildcats are averaging 272 rushing yards per game and 8.2 yards per carry.

Senior Evan Hildring ranks second in 1A with 1,412 rushing yards and has a 1A-best 23 rushing touchdowns while averaging 9.3 yards per carry.

“They have great size up front on both sides of the ball, it will be the biggest line we’ve faced all year and not only that but they move well and they finish blocks so they rely heavily on that line and their running back is a good player,” Regina coach Dustin Elsbury said. “They are big and that’s a big reason whey they’ve been crushing it this year.”

As impressive as West Lyon is on offense they may be even better defensively.

The Wildcats are holding opponents to 6.3 points and 156 total yards per game and are allowing just 3.5 yards per play this season.

That sets up an exciting matchup against a Regina offense that has been stellar in the postseason.

Regina averages 47.3 points and 385 total yards per game this season on a staggering 9.4 yards per play.

In four postseason games Regina is averaging 10.6 yards per play.

“The motto this year has been the best is yet to come,” Elsbury said. “Our best football is still ahead of us, we want to play our best game our last game, that’s our goal.”

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