Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Never leaving the field has never been an issue for Alec Wick.

Staying on the field for the duration of the game is part of the mindset of a soccer player which is what Wick considered himself as a young athlete.

Wick is still a stellar soccer player, an all-state caliber forward that ranks as one of the best scorers in the state, but throughout his high school career he began to fall in love with football.

“In junior high I never really focused on football that much and I was always playing club soccer every weekend all year round so I kind of envisioned myself as a soccer player,” Wick said. “Leading up to football season I would get really excited and started to see my future in football and I just loved this year.”

As his love for football grew Wick’s outlook about never leaving the field stayed the same.

If there is action on the field Wick wants to be a part of it.

That attitude is a big part of what makes Wick, a four-sport athlete, tick.

This fall that approach made Wick one of the biggest reasons Regina won its first state title since 2015.

A two-way starter and key component in special teams Wick was a senior stalwart for the Regina this season.

Wick led all 11-player classes in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches, made a career-high in tackles and handled the kicking duties while leading Regina to a 11-1 record and the Class A state title.

For all his accomplishments Wick has been named the 2020 Your Prep Sports area football player of the year.

“Whether its playing offense or defense or special teams in football or honestly if its soccer, basketball or baseball he’s going to jump in and do what you need him to do to win and really, really compete,” Regina coach Marv Cook said. “You add that kind of mentality with the athleticism that he brings and it’s pretty powerful.”

Early in his athletic career Wick saw a future in soccer but has been a jack-of-all trades athletically during a stellar prep career.

In addition to being an all-stater in football and soccer Wick is a multi-year contributor in basketball and played baseball last summer for the first time since eighth grade where he started in the outfield.

The constant switching of sport from season to season keeps wick busy and makes it almost impossible for a coach in any of those seasons to keep him outside the lines.

“It helps when you are going through each season, I go right from football to basketball and then to soccer and it helps with your endurance,” Wick said. “Playing all those sports helps with being able to play full games and learning how to pace myself.”

A four-year starter, Wick has gained notoriety on the football field for his offensive prowess establishing himself as one of the most productive pass catchers in state history.

Wick posted his second consecutive season with more than 1,000 yards and 75 receptions as a senior leading all 11-player classes with 75 receptions for 1,401 yards and 16 touchdowns.

“He’s an incredibly gifted guy, his ball skills are as good as I’ve seen,” Cook said. “When the ball is in the air, he’s going to go get it.”

The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Wick caught 154 passes the past two seasons, an average of seven receptions per game, and finished his career the all-time receptions leader in Iowa 11-player history with 242 breaking the previous mark of 239 held by former West High standout Oliver Martin.

Third on that list of career receptions?

Former Chariton and University of Iowa and current Detroit Lions tight end TJ Hockenson.

“He has all the intangibles,” Regina offensive coordinator Ed Hinkle said. “He knows how to get open, he knows where to be, he has great hands. All the little things he does. His ball skills are second to none. If you put it near him, he’s going to catch it.”

The 1,401 yards this season is the 12^th highest single season total in 11-player state history and pushed Wick to 3,655 career yards which ranks third all-time.

His career-high 16 touchdowns this season gave Wick 38 for his career which ranks sixth all-time.

Wick also set a Class A state championship game record with 226 receiving yards in a 52-28 win over Grundy Center in his final career game.

In typical Wick fashion he had no idea about any of those numbers.

“I didn’t have any idea where I was with any of that,” Wick said. “I just came into the season wanting to win and tried to take it week by week.”

While Wick’s work on offense broke records it was everything else he did that made him such a valuable piece of the championship puzzle for Regina.

A four-year starter in the secondary Wick had his best season as a defender as a senior making a career-high 40 tackles to go with two interceptions.

“Playing defense helps mentally because if I’m a receiver and I also player corner back I know what a corner wants to do,” Wick said. “I know what I need to do, what I need to attack when the defender is in a certain position.”

The ability to adapt and change defensive looks has long been a strength for Regina under veteran defensive coordinator Jason Dumont.

This season Wick was one of a number of versatile defenders that provided defensive flexibility for Dumont’s defense.

A cornerback for much of his career with 10 career interceptions, Wick played safety and even linebacker this season record a couple of tackles for loss and a sack.

“I really enjoyed playing defense, as much as playing offense,” Wick said. “We changed it up a lot, we would have something new every week. I wouldn’t even always play corner, I played some safety, I even played a little linebacker so it’s a lot of fun to play in our defense.”

There are plenty two-way players in smaller classes across the state.

Few of those players added the dimension that Wick did on special teams, keeping the senior on the field virtually all game.

Wick converted 46-of-48 PAT attempts and made his only field goal while producing nine touchbacks on 48 kickoffs.

He averaged 36.5 yards per punt and for good measure returned a pair of kickoffs and punts.

“He could do just about anything we asked of him,” Cook said. “He was huge in our kicking game. He’s just a tough-minded kid.”

The talent and versatility make Wick tough on the field but it’s his attitude that made him a leader from early on in his career.

Wick had just one goal for his senior season and it wasn’t related to individual accolades or statistics.

It was a state title.

“We wanted to be our own team and make our own legacy,” Wick said. “We just wanted to get back on top.”

Once considered a soccer player, Wick will be a football player going forward.

He signed to continue his player career at Iowa on Wednesday where he will join the Hawkeyes as a walk on.

“Growing up we’ve always watched the Hawkeyes but as a kid I never really expected to be on that type of stage or playing in that setting,” Wick said. “As I went through high school I started to realize that I had worked hard enough to play at the next level and compete at a high level.”

Former Hawkeye receiver Hinkle sees a clear path for college success for Wick.

“I look at him and I look at me in high school I was 6-foot-1, and when I reported to Iowa I was 168 pounds,” Hinkle said. “He’s 180 right now and he’ll be at 195-200 by the end of next year. I think he’s got the skills to play there.”

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