By Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Michael Conlon saw the stats and read the stories.

Two games into the season the Regina offense Conlon directs was being mentioned for all reasons the senior quarterback hoped it wouldn’t.

Back-to-back losses to Class 3A powers Cedar Rapids Xavier and Solon gave Regina its first 0-2 start to a season since 2002.

The 33-0 loss at Solon in week two was the first time the Regals were shutout since 2008, a span of 113 games.

Regina mustered just six points and 413 yards of offense combined in those first two games.

Conlon saw it all.

“I saw some of that on Twitter and stuff dating back to 2008 and it doesn’t feel great to read that stuff,” Conlon said. “I didn’t really think about it, you have to use it as motivation to get better and to get back to work.”

Conlon knew the stats from those losses.

Anyone who thought they would affect the senior quarterback doesn’t really know Michael Conlon.  

“The number one thing about Mike is he’s a winner,” Regina coach Marv Cook said. “He’s always been a winner, he’s always been successful in everything he’s done.”

A three-year varsity starter, Conlon is in his second season leading the Regal offense

He picked off five passes as a defensive back and caught 11 more as a receiver as a sophomore before taking over the quarterback duties full-time in week three last season.

Conlon passed for 1,673 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 725 yards and 11 scores on his way to all-state honors last season.

Two games into his senior season Conlon was frustrated.

“I think everybody on offense was frustrated,” Regina offensive coordinator Ed Hinkel said of the first two games. “I was frustrated and Mike was probably the most frustrated.”

Conlon didn’t let that frustration fester instead using it as fuel for the rest of the season.

So far that formula has worked well for Conlon who has led Class 1A fourth-ranked Regina (3-2) to three consecutive lopsided district wins entering Friday’s matchup of District 4 unbeatens at Wilton (5-0).

“It was definitely frustrating but we used it as motivation to get better,” Conlon said. “We went into those games hoping to play Regina football and we know they are good teams and really impressive programs so we just tried to learn from those mistakes and really improve.”

The last three games have been more Regina-like.

Regina is averaging 47.7 points and 434 yards of offense in district wins over Wapello, Sigourney-Keota and Highland and its senior quarterback is a big reason why.

Conlon has accounted for more than 700 yards of total offense and 10 touchdowns during the three-game winning streak.

“I think he learned a lot from those first two games,” Hinkel said. “We learned a lot from those games, that’s why we play those games is to figure out where we can get better.”

The numbers for Conlon have been impressive over the past three weeks but Cook isn’t buying the notion that his senior quarterback struggled early.

Cook credits Solon and Xavier, who are each unbeaten and ranked in the top three in 3A for their defensive play in those opening two weeks.

“I think Mike was playing at a really high level, he was putting the ball where we asked him to put it and he was doing the things we asked him to do I think a lot of it was on us as coaches,” Cook said. “We weren’t finding ways to help him be more successful so a lot of that is on the coaches.”

Conlon has been playing at a high level since he got to Regina.

In his 16 career starts at quarterback Conlon has accounted for more than 3,100 yards of offense (196 yards per game) and 40 touchdowns.

“He can throw it, he can run it, he understands our offense, he’s been in our offense for a long time,” Hinkel said. “He started running this offense in eighth grade, he knows where everybody is supposed to be and I think that really helps him out too.”

Conlon split time with senior Tommy Rapp at quarterback in the first two games of last season.

The 5-foot-10, 175-pound Conlon was a change of pace from Rapp and often utilized in the Regal’s zone-read running game.

When Rapp suffered a season-ending injury Conlon took over full-time and proved he could do everything you ask of a quarterback, including throw the ball all over the field.

“I think his throwing is surprising to a lot of people because last year we started out with him doing more of the run stuff with Tommy as our guy that was throwing it but as the season went along Mike got better and better,” Hinkel said. “He’s improved throughout the offseason and he’s doing a pretty good job this season as well.”

Conlon spent the offseason working on his throwing mechanics and strength.

This season he is completing 54 percent of his passes for 763 yards and six touchdowns. Conlon is 26-of-44 for 586 yards with five scores over the last three games.

“I haven’t always been able to throw it well, I’ve had to work to get stronger,” Conlon said. “I’m obviously not the biggest but I never really think about that.”

What Conlon has always been able to do is make plays with his feet.

He averaged 6.7 yards per carry last season and has rushed for 718 yards and 15 touchdowns in 16 career starts.

“He’s a really dynamic runner,” Cook said. “He’s really elusive and adds to our zone running game really well. He’s a true spread quarterback.”

During the three-game winning streak Conlon has carried 13 times with nearly half (5) of those carries going for touchdowns.

“Of course, I like to get the chance to run,” Conlon said. “It’s definitely fun part of the offense but I just try to do what the coaches tell me to do.”