Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Last season was a breakthrough for Regina.

The Regals won 12 consecutive games to return to the state title game for the first time since 2020.

Regina did plenty during its 12-game winning streak last season that built confidence for the Regals entering this season.

It was the lone loss for the Regals a year ago, a 34-27 setback to West Lyon in the 1A title game that provided all the offseason motivation Regina required.

“Getting that breakthrough was really big for us, making the Dome and getting that experience was good but that loss was a big motivator that we’ve thought about the whole offseason,” Regina senior Tate Wallace said. “The goal isn’t any different than last season it’s to get a title and we have to work hard every day to get there.”

Regina finished less than a yard short of a potential state title last season.

The Regals failed to convert a fourth-and-goal from inside the one yard line in overtime of the title game loss.

That ending only added to the offseason sting for the Regals.

Last year’s heartbreak may also be the thing that helps Regina return to the top of Class 1A this season.

“That was the biggest thing is we were one yard away from possibly winning a state title and it’s honestly just the little things that you may not think are that important that could lead to that one yard that you need to get,” Wallace said. “I feel like if we do the little things right every single day at practice, I think we’ll like the outcome at the end.”

Regina enters this season with its sights set on a state title game return and a roster filled with the talent and experience to finish the job.

A Minnesota recruit, Wallace headlines a list of 11 returning starters for Regina that includes five players that earned all-state honors last season.

“Obviously it was a heartbreaker of an ending just being that close and it gives that extra motivation factor for the guys all offseason long to have a little chip on your shoulder when you feel that taste of being so close,” Regina coach Dustin Elsbury said. “Now it’s just what is going to take us to that next level to hold up that championship trophy.”

Regina has holes to fill namely on offense where it must replace all-state quarterback Kyle Tracy and its top rusher from last season in Savion Miller.

Juniors Zachary Poe (6-1, 190) and Aiden Gaffey (6-3, 170) will replace Tracy at quarterback while Junior Gabe Hegelheimer (6-0, 205) steps into the running back role.

Hegelheimer rushed for 294 yards and six touchdowns last season while averaging 11.8 yards per carry.

Poe and Gaffey as well as Hegelheimer will all benefit from operating behind one of the best and most experience offensive lines in Class 1A.

Regina returns four starters on the offensive front in seniors Porter Shetler (6-0, 235), Simon Shetler (6-0, 235) and Devin Szanajda (6-3, 240) and adds Cedar Rapids Prairie transfer Will Evans (6-4, 300).

“This is probably the most depth we’ve had and the biggest we are up front since some of those great teams we had from 2010 to 2015,” Elsbury said. “Pound for pound we are bigger up front than we’ve been since I’ve been here and then also our depth up front is great. I truly feel like we could go eight deep on both lines and there is not a huge drop off from one guy to the next.”

Wallace (6-4, 240) returns as a difference maker on both sides of the ball.

On offense he was a first team all-state pick last season as a tight end after leading Regina with 40 receptions for 611 yards and 10 touchdowns.

The return of Wallace and the offensive line will be a big help for first-year quarterbacks.

“I’m used to it now, this is my third quarterback in four years so it’s just about try to take everything off the load for them,” Wallace said. “They don’t have to go be a super hero and make a bunch of plays just be a system quarterback and I know we all have their backs whether it be Aiden or Zach or both of them that they just come in the game and give their best effort.”

On defense Wallace ranked second on the team with 49.5 tackles last season and led Regina with 18 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.

This season Elsbury plans to continue to move Wallace around the field on defense.

“Defensively we want to allow him to be very multiple,” Elsbury said. “Allow him to rush from the edge, allow him to play linebacker and cover in space because he does have the ability to do both. Offensively, it’s similar to how we’ve used him in the past, as a tight end off the ball on the ball split him out at receiver. It’s nice when you have a kid like that that’s kind of an X factor.

Wallace headlines a group of six returning starters on defense for the Regals.

Senior Luke Hamilton (5-11, 175) is back at linebacker after making a team-high 55 tackles with 8.5 for loss and two sacks on his way to earning first team all-state honors last season.

“This year our goal is to win game by game, wherever that takes us,” Hamilton said. “The goal is always to win the championship but you can’t look ahead you have to take on what’s in front of you.”

Wallace and Hamilton are joined by senior linebacker Roan Eckhoff (6-2, 225) and senior defensive end Will Litton (6-6, 225) as returning starters in a stout Regal front seven.

Eckhoff had 38.5 tackles last season and Litton had 37.5 tackles with 12.5 for loss and five sacks.

“We return six of our front seven and that will be big for us,” Wallace said. “That strength up front will be a big advantage for us, our defensive line is really good and we have a great coach in coach (Michael) Pannone. If we can get to the quarterback and shut down the run game it makes it a little easier for our secondary.”

Seniors Trey Streb (5-11, 175) and Kaleb Moeller (6-0, 170) return to lead a Regina secondary that will be breaking in several new starters.

Moeller had 24 tackles last season and Streb had 16 stops and two interceptions.

“I think our guys on the back end feel like they have something to prove,” Elsbury said. “We graduated quite a few DBs and we return guys like Trey Streb and Kaleb Moeller so we have guys that have played in big time games but we need to make sure on the back end we are on the same page and communicating at a high level with all 11 guys.”

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