Playoff City: All 4 Iowa City schools are in Iowa high school football playoffs

CEDAR RAPIDS — Iowa City Regina is virtually a cinch to win its Class 1A state playoff football game Friday night.

There is no deep dive into statistics needed to figure this out. No one’s computer analysis has to be used.

Jen Wallace will be at Woodward-Granger High School to watch her son, Tate, play for Regina’s Regals, and that’s as good of a victory guarantee as you’ll find.

You see, Jen and Ed Wallace have spent this season rotating which of their sons’ games they attend. One week it’ll be Jen at a Regina game and Ed at an Iowa City West game, where their son, Jack, is the starting quarterback.

The next week, they’ll switch.

Jen has been a lucky charm for her boys, as they’ve gone 8-1 in games she has attended. That’s real good news for Tate, who is Regina’s leading receiver, and his team.

“These past two years have been unique having to pick between each game each week,” Jen Wallace said. “We have really enjoyed watching both of them succeed in their own ways at different high schools.

“We constantly text one another throughout the games with updates, and once we all make it home on Friday, we chat with one another about the games. As it seems hard for us, we are very thankful for these opportunities every Friday night for the boys. Both boys have great communities of support this season and most importantly have remained healthy. We plan on having to split games next week too!”

There’s nothing that most symbolizes the success all four Iowa City schools have enjoyed this fall than the Wallaces having to choose their destination for a postseason game. Regina, West, City High and Liberty all are in the round of 16: as mentioned, the Regals in 1A after a first-round victory last week at Pleasantville.

West, City High and Liberty all qualified for the Class 5A playoffs, with their first-round games also Friday. That’s West at Bettendorf, City High at Ankeny Centennial and Liberty hosting Waukee.

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This is the first time in the state’s 16-qualifier era for the biggest classes that three public schools from the same district are in. Cedar Rapids (2008, 2014, 2015), Sioux City (2013) and Des Moines (2015) had three qualifiers each during the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s 32-qualifier era that went from 2008 to 2015

“It’s really good for our area in general, just to have that representation,” said Regina first-year head coach Dustin Elsbury. “All four schools making it I think is a testament to the quality of football that we have in the Iowa City area. Just also the quality of the coaching. I know the other three schools have great head coaches, great leadership over there. Obviously that trickles down to good football programs when you have good leadership.”

Regina has an 8-1 record, as does Liberty. City High is 6-3 and West 5-4.

Liberty finished the regular season with the top RPI in 5A. The Lightning beat both City High (49-20) and West (56-45).

City High beat West, 40-39, on a last-second touchdown and two-point conversion. Liberty’s only loss was to Pleasant Valley, which West defeated.

“I think the level of coaching has risen around here,” Liberty Coach Scott Chandler said. “I think for a while there the Des Moines area was maybe outpacing our area a little bit. And even still, they have larger numbers and things like that. But I attribute it not just to coaching but the kids that we have at Liberty. I know they’re hungry and were tired of losing.”

Chandler, a former Iowa Hawkeyes and NFL tight end, is in his first season as Lightning head coach after serving as an assistant. Obviously he’s done a marvelous job.

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Mitch Moore certainly has elevated the City High program since he came in from Des Moines Roosevelt four years ago. Garrett Hartwig always has done a great job at West, including leading the Trojans to back-to-back state championship appearances in 2016 and 2017.

“I just think it’s a tribute to the local talent, the coaching that goes on,” Hartwig said. “And I think things are somewhat cyclical statewide for schools. You cycle through seasons where you have players that have good experience when they’re younger and that comes to full maturation when they get to be seniors.

“Like everything, there are ups and downs, and you can’t explain it every year. But overall I think the talent level across the area (this season) is really high, and it’s kind of playing out that way.”

All four Iowa City teams can score points.

Regina has the lowest average of the four, and that’s at just under 30 per game. Liberty leads 5A with a 44.0 scoring average, with West fourth (41.1) and City High fifth (39.1).

Jack Wallace leads 5A in passing yardage and touchdowns and set the school’s career passing yardage record this season. City High’s Bobby Bacon also set his school’s career passing record this season.

Liberty’s Reece Rettig, just a junior, is third in 5A passing and has an immaculate 27-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ration. Combined the three quarterbacks have thrown for 6,546 yards and 72 touchdowns, to just 13 picks.

Throw Regina sophomore Kyle Tracy in there, and it’s 8,025 passing yards and 90 passing TDs to just 18 interceptions. Wallace (Minnesota State) and Bacon (Pittsburg State), by the way, are heading to Division II college programs.

“I think a town with this (population) having four schools in the playoffs is really cool,” Moore said. “Imagine if some of these schools were combined ... I think it’s really special. There’s an importance with football going on here, for sure.”

Moore pointed out that Iowa City has had tremendous football since the 1990s.

Regina won won eight state championships between 2005 and 2020, including six in a row from 2010 to 2015. West won three titles between 1995 and 1999, while City High won four between 1993 and 2009.

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Liberty, of course, is the newbie here, starting up in 2017.

“I certainly think football is important in the town of Iowa City,” Moore said. “It always has been, and that’s probably a credit to as far back as Hayden Fry and the (retired City High) Coach (Larry) Browns of the era and Coach (Reese) Morgan at Iowa City West. I think those three are really, really pivotal guys.

“Then, obviously, Marv Cook did such a good job at Regina. Those guys are just pillars in establishing the importance of football in Iowa City. So I think to give us credit (now) would probably be unjust.”

That might be true, but this has been an unprecedented, special season in the city.

“I think it just goes to show that, number one, we have great kids,” Elsbury said. “Then also great coaching in this area. Hopefully, too, in the future it gets kids excited about prep football. I think it’s good for the sport of football, gets kids wanting to get out and helps it continue to grow here.”

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com