Another shot at football history for Regina

IOWA CITY - The discussions this week have probably been about defensive schemes, offensive plays and blocking assignments.

One of the least likely topics Iowa City Regina is the historical feat that would accompany one more win.

The top-ranked Regals have the chance to become the first prep football program in Iowa to win five consecutive state titles, facing No. 7 West Lyon in the Iowa High School Athletic Association Class 1A championship game Friday at 10:06 a.m. All championships games will be televised live at KCRG 9.2.

The Regals (12-1) have claimed the last two 1A crowns and 2A titles in 2010 and 2011. They have never shied from embracing monumental achievements, setting the state's all-time win streak at 56 straight with a 35-0 win over Fort Dodge St, Edmond in the 2013 title game, but conversations haven't revolved around five in a row.

'You'll see it on a bag here or there that has something on it pertaining to it,” Regina Coach Marv Cook said after the Regals' 56-18 semifinal win over South Winneshiek. 'Honestly, none of these guys played in the first one. This is their year, their season, and their moment to hopefully go win a state championship.”

Seniors Michael Adam, Phil Arendt and Jake Brinkman are rare three-year starters. Drew Cook is the first Regina QB to start two title games in the stretch that has included Jack Verducci, Nate Streb and Mark Ward. Many Regals are getting their first chance to contribute directly to a championship. Even though success is the common thread, every year is different.

'Each team puts their own stamp on the season,” Marv Cook said. 'I really like the feel and the way these guys have come together and the way they play the game.”

The Regals opened with their first loss since 2009, losing to Solon by one point in overtime. They weren't derailed, running the table, including a 21-7 win over 3A semifinalist Cedar Rapids Xavier. Regina has won 68 of its last 69 games.

'We're improving every day,” Drew Cook said. 'We're taking better reps in practice. We're on the right track.”

In his eighth season as head coach, Marv Cook has guided Regina to six title games, including a runner-up finish in 2007. With a win, he could tie former Bettendorf Coach Merv Habenicht with five state crowns, ranking fourth on the all-time list.

Marv Cook began coaching these players in first and second grade while competing in flag football. He has a strong bond with them, watching them progress to this point.

'That's fun,” Marv Cook said. 'When you know kids extremely well and you challenge them by putting them in tough positions through the course of their career. That's when you really see them grow. It's fun to watch the finished product.”

The way they approach the game is a factor on how they performing, scoring almost 48 points and allowing less than 12 per game this season. Regina has scored 56 or more in its four playoff wins this season.

'It's a game,” Marv Cook said. 'They play. They play with a lot of passion and that's all you can ask for.”

More impressive than the winning streak and title run is the relative ease in which the Regals have stockpiled, including the shutout win last year over the Gaels, who were denied a rematch by West Lyon's 17-7 semifinal win last week. Regina has won three of the last four title games by 21 points or more. The only exception was a 24-20 victory over Spirit Lake.

The Wildcats (12-1) have a strong tradition, winning the Class A title last season. West Lyon boasts four championships, becoming one of just three schools to win in three different classes, and is making its seventh title game appearance.

'We have to stay focused,” Brinkman said. 'We have four big wins now and we can't go into this next state championship thinking we're going to run away with it. We have to come in ready to go, because everyone is going to give us their best shot.”

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