Regina responds to early miscue with 35 unanswered points

IOWA CITY – Top-ranked Iowa City Regina took a heavy punch in the opening minutes.

The five-time defending state champions didn't panic. The Regals responded with big play after big play.

Quarterback Nathan Stenger ran for four touchdowns and the Regina defense forced three turnovers in a 35-6 win over Hudson in a Class 1A second round game Monday night at Regina Stadium.

The Regals (10-1) spotted Hudson a 6-0 lead after fumbling the opening kickoff and allowing a touchdown off the short field.

'You have to overcome adversity,” Regina linebacker Justin Hunter said. 'That's what (the coaches) have been preaching throughout the course of the year. Stuff's going to go wrong during the course of the game – you just have to bounce back.”

Regina, which will host West Branch (11-0) in a quarterfinal game on Friday, bounced back in a big way.

Stenger ran for a 6-yard touchdown on the ensuing possession and followed it up with a 1-yard score four minutes later. The Regals put it away when Stenger added TD runs of 8 and 12 yards on their first two possessions of the second half.

'The line blocked really well,” said Stenger, who had 117 rushing yards. 'Everybody did their part. The holes were huge.”

Hudson (8-3) trailed 14-6 midway through the second quarter when a Regina goal-line stand thwarted a potential game-tying score.

The Pirates had four plays from inside the 6, but couldn't breach the goal line. The Regals made a fourth-down stop at the 1.

'We weren't going to let them in,” Hunter said. 'We had a mindset going in we're not letting them run the ball down the middle on us and we're not letting them score on the goal line.”

Regina's Michael Conlon returned an interception 57 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Coach Marv Cook said top rusher Nick Phillips remains day-to-day with a foot injury, but didn't rule him out for Friday's game with West Branch. Phillips hasn't played since Oct. 16.