Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Regina

Head coach: Marv Cook (12th season, 134-12)

Assistant coaches: Jason Dumont, Ed Hinkel, Alex Kanellis, Brad Beane, Jake Reisen, John Bobst, Gordon Hackett, Mitch Weiland, Nate Streb, Zach Ries

Last season: 10-3 (Class 1A Runner-up)

Returning Starters: Luke Stein, Sr., OL/DL; Patrick Clark, Sr., WR; Nick Milder, Sr., LB/FB; Alec Wick, Soph., WR/DB; Acott Arndt, Sr., WR/LB.

Other returning letterwinners: Kieler Brown, Sr., RB/DB; Bryce Barnett, Sr., WR/DB; Scott Blondin, Sr., LB/RB; Russell Hingst, Jr., OL/DL; Mark Schomer, Jr., OL/DL; Ben Banta, Sr., WR/DB; Will Bobst, Jr., RB/LB; Rowen Udell, Jr., OL/DL; Will Colony, Jr., OL/DL; Paul Keller, Sr., OL/DL; Ashton Cook, Soph., QB; Nick Wagner, Soph., DE/HB.

Newcomers to watch: Nic Hein, Jr., WR/DB; Jack Keller, Soph., TE/DE; Neal Eckhoff, Sr., DL/OL.

Playoff history: 15 appearances (1972, 2004-2017) Regina won state titles in 2005 (1A), 2010, 2011 (2A), 2012-2015 (1A).

District: Class 1A, District 6

District favorite: Regina ran the district table last season winning seven games by an average of better than 33 points a game and didn’t have a game decided by less than three touchdowns. The Regals have a new district this season but are still heavy favorites to add to its district title streak.

Circle the date: September 7 vs. Pella Christian. Regina hosts the Eagles in a rematch of last year’s 1A semifinal. Regina has back-to-back two-point wins over Pella Christian winning 45-43 in the 2016 quarterfinals and 37-35 in last year’s semis.

Headliner: Senior Luke Stein (6-2, 220) is the cornerstone of a rebuilt Regina offensive line and an emerging star on defense after making 30.5 tackles with 3.5 sacks a year ago as a defensive lineman.

Unsung hero: He was overshadowed at times a year ago but senior linebacker Nick Milder (5-10, 180) won’t be unsung for long if he keeps playing the way he did a year ago when he rolled up a team-best 67.5 tackles including 65 solo stops.

Keep an eye on: Sophomore Alec Wick (6-0, 162) has already become a star on the soccer field and will look to do the same on the gridiron this fall after catching 29 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns as a freshman.    

Biggest question: How does Regina handle its gauntlet of a non-district schedule? Non-district games now count in determining who reaches the postseason and Regina has a doozy of a non-district slate. Regina opens at home with defending 3A champ Cedar Rapids Xavier (13-0) and also hosts 1A semifinalist Pella Christian (11-1). The two non-district road games are both against 2A opponents in defending 2A runner-up Williamsburg (10-3) and Anamosa (5-4). How Regina navigates the opening month of the schedule will reveal plenty about the Regals.

Quotable: “These kids have had success in soccer, they’ve had success in baseball and basketball and they thrive on that. They want to be competitive and they want to be good and our schedule is going to give them a chance to find out how good they really are because it’s pretty tough but if you are a player that’s what you want. You want to know how good you can be.” Regina coach Marv Cook.

2018 Schedule

Aug. 24: Cedar Rapids Xavier

Aug. 31: @ Anamosa

Sept. 7: Pella Christian

Sept. 14: @ Williamsburg

Sept. 21: East Marshall*

Sept. 28: South Hardin*

Oct. 5: @ North Linn*

Oct. 12: @ Jesup*

Oct. 19: Dike-New Hartford*

*- District Game