Scrimmage opponents preseason, Iowa City Regina, West play for state championships

CEDAR RAPIDS - In August, a week before the prep football season began, Iowa City Regina players and coaches hopped on a bus and drove across town for a scrimmage against Iowa City West.

It was a controlled event, some one-on-one play, some seven-on-seven and full-fledged 11-on-11. One team would run about 10 offensive plays, then the other would do the same.

Tackling to the ground was allowed. Things got rather physical.

'It tested our offensive and defensive lines,” said West Coach Garrett Hartwig. 'That was exactly where we needed to be tested. We learned things, in terms of how to compete.”

'It presented a great challenge to our kids,” said Regina Coach Marv Cook. 'West is an incredibly talented team. It forced our guys to be uncomfortable, and that was what we wanted.”

Kind of crazy that three months later, the teams are vying for state championships. On the same day, no less.

Regina (11-1) plays Western Christian (11-1) in the Class 1A final Friday morning at 11:06. West (10-2) faces West Des Moines Dowling (11-1) in the 4A final Friday night at 7:06.

This is the first time two Iowa City schools are competing for state titles in the same season. Scrimmaging against each other may have helped them get there.

'We've got a lot of talented football players in the area,” said Regina's Jack Jensen. 'Football is an important sport here. Guys from City High, West and Regina got together over the summer and played seven-on-seven against each other, too. Then we scrimmaged West. It was fun playing a bigger school. They have a lot of talented players.”

By the way, no official score was kept in the scrimmage.

'I think it was pretty close, if there would have been a score,” Hartwig said.

The championship-game situations for these two schools probably couldn't be any different. Regina is seeking its unprecedented seventh straight title in a rematch of last year's 1A final.

Regina won that one, 35-28.

'We're starting to play our best football,” Cook said. 'Offensively, we'd do well at times, then our defense would work well. It seemed like we'd have flashes of things. Now it feels like we're coming together.”

West is a decided underdog against Dowling, which is seeking its fourth consecutive title. The Maroons, as usual, are a physical team that normally controls the line of scrimmage on both sides of the football.

To have a chance, the Trojans will have to hold their own up front. Getting some big plays offensively from guys like wide receiver Oliver Martin will be crucial as well.

Quarterback Evan Flitz has been superb in helping West beat the fourth, fifth and sixth-ranked teams in the postseason (Cedar Rapids Washington, Bettendorf and Cedar Rapids Prairie). Hartwig said his team will not be intimidated.

'They are definitely a traditional powerhouse in high school football,” Martin said. 'It seems like they're at the top of 4A every single year. We'll definitely have to bring our best game.”

'There is a reason (Dowling) is three-time champs. I've got a lot of respect for that program,” Hartwig said. 'But we're not afraid to go up against anybody. Our kids are not afraid to strap it up and get after it ... It seems like we've been in quite a few hostile environments already. We're going to compete our asses off, I'll tell you that.”

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