Mighty Regals Back In Championship Round Once More

Photo: IAHSAA Twitter

Dana Becker

November 12, 2020 @ 11:41 AM

Once Iowa City Regina starts firing on all cylinders, they are very, very difficult to stop. Saint Ansgar found that out Friday, as the Regals broke up a tight game with 35 points in the second and third quarters to advance, 49-28. [player_tooltip player_id="23835" first="Ashton" last="Cook"] was once again effective from the quarterback position, going 17-for-23 for 251 yards with four combined touchdowns. Theo Kolie continued to shine alongside him in the backfield with 159 yards and three TDs on 24 carries. Rounding out the "Big 3" for Regina is [player_tooltip player_id="23898" first="Alec" last="Wick"], as the receiver had nine receptions covering 128 yards. Levi Quinlan also caught a touchdown and Kolie added three receptions for 55. It was a big swing in Regina’s favorite between the final drive of the first half and the first of the second. The Regals completed a nine-play, 77-yard possession with a TD as the clock expired in the opening half, taking the second half kickoff 71 yards over nine plays for a score to make it 35-21. Cook is a big, strong athlete that uses his frame well. He is also very accurate and quick to get the ball out and deliver a very catchable pass. The lefty shows extremely great poise and precision in running an offense. With his long strides, Cook covers a lot of field quickly. Wick provides Cook and the Regals with a reliable No. 1 receiver. If you put the ball within his reach, he is going to come down with it as he makes the seemingly difficult catches look easy. Kolie continues to come up with big play after big play. He is both a talented runner and receiver out of the backfield, using his long frame and strength to get past the first defender. Regina is just so methodical on offense. The Regals can play tempo and go fast, but they also check off and make sure they are in the correct play and formation. Marv Cook’s bunch is as well-coached as you will find. The Regina defense also held [player_tooltip player_id="23848" first="Ryan" last="Cole"] in-check, as the great running back was limited to just 64 yards after entering with over 1,900. He did have three receptions for 106 yards and tossed a touchdown pass.