State football: Iowa City Regina back in championship game after Class A semifinal rout over St. Ansgar

CEDAR FALLS, Ia. — Over a span of seven seasons, predicting the outcome of Iowa City Regina’s UNI-Dome visits was as easy as could be. Even the most casual high school football fan could seem like a veteran sports prognosticator.

It went like this.

The Regals would show up. And the Regals would cruise — by a ton. Ten of the 13 straight Dome games Regina won between 2010 and the 2016 semifinals came by 17-plus points. It was a jaw-dropping display of reliable dominance against several elite programs.

When the Regal bus pulled into Cedar Falls once again Friday morning, Regina’s current product hoped to rediscover that past relentlessness. The last few seasons haven’t unfolded like that emphatic championship run. A loss in the 9 a.m. Class A semifinal against Saint Ansgar would’ve marked the Regals’ fourth defeat in their last five UNI-Dome appearances.

For now, all is right in Iowa City.

Buoyed again by its explosively versatile offense, Regina of now looked like Regina of old in racing by the Saints, 49-28, to reach its first championship game since 2017. The Regals (10-1) will try for their inaugural Class A title next Thursday against Grundy Center.

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"The one thing I talked to our kids about was never take this for granted," said Regina coach Marv Cook, who has guided the Regals through all this since taking over in 2007. "This is my favorite thing. I'm just happy to have a sideline pass because without it, I couldn't be in there. I'd have to buy a ticket. 

"So the kids have enabled us to have this opportunity. I just want to make sure they don't take it for granted, and they enjoy every moment and every opportunity to play in the Dome." 

Aside from a few sporadic stumbles, Regina looked like the team most comfortable with this stage.

Quarterback Ashton Cook tore up the St. Ansgar defense with both arm and legs, while running back Theo Kolie repeatedly gashed out-of-place Saints. That duo accounted for all seven of Regina’s touchdowns — six on the ground, one through the air — as the Regals found second-half cushion.

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Regina's senior signal caller finished 17-for-23 passing for 251 yards and a touchdown, adding 43 ground yards and three ground scores. Kolie had triple-digit rushing yards by halftime, finishing with 159 in a bruising performance.

Two key scores stood out in this offensive barrage.

After the Saints (10-1) caught a massive break on an Alec Wick fumbled punt return-turned Carter Salz scoop-and-score, Regina needed a solid rebound to quash any lingering St. Ansgar life. All Cook did was shake off a first-down sack, hit Wick for a massive gain on second down and later find Levi Quinlan on a nifty shovel-pass touchdown. The response pushed Regina back ahead by two scores, 42-28, with 2:16 left in the third quarter. The Regals closed brilliantly from there.

"I got the guys in the huddle and said 'Hey, we're going to go down and score on this drive. We need to respond,'" Cook said. "We did that. It all came down to making plays and everyone doing their part."   

A second snapshot of clutch execution came in the final seconds — literally— of the second quarter. With Cook stopped on a third-and-goal run, Regina had to make a decision on the fly in a 21-21 game. It was two yards out with no timeouts and the clock rolling under 10 seconds. Confusion appeared inevitable. Disappointment seemed probable.  

Regina dodged both. It kept its up-tempo attack going, snapped the ball with two seconds left and gave Kolie another shot to embarrass St. Ansgar with his wheels. He did so with ease, scampering in for a go-ahead touchdown as the horn blared. A 28-21 intermission lead ignited the second-half separation.

"We were all pumped up," Kolie said. "We knew we could do it. Especially going that fast with the intensity we were going with, it just showed we were capable of winning this game." 

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Regina is more than capable of winning the next one, too. Although their last two state championship appearances haven't unfolded favorably — a 47-34 loss to Western Christian in 2016 and a 28-7 stumble against Van Meter in 2017 — these Regals feel they have the firepower to end this season basking in UNI-Dome glory. 

Friday was the start of such revival.

Grundy Center 34, St. Albert 6

Backed by a potent running game that attacked from all angles, Grundy Center rolled to a 34-6 win and a return trip to the Class A championship game. The Spartans, after falling to West Hancock last season, will take a title crack at Regina next Thursday afternoon. 

Running back Zach Opheim rumbled for 223 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Quarterback Logan Knaack scampered for 200 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries. Each had a dash over 60 yards. Simple and monotonous but effective all the same.

Grundy Center (11-0) extended a 14-3 halftime advantage with 13 third-quarter points to put this one away. The Spartans defense was equally as dominant, holding St. Albert (8-3) to just 115 total yards and seven first downs. The Falcons had just one play over 20 yards all afternoon. 

Grundy Center will need another strong complementary effort if it is to emerge with a title in 2020. Friday's Class A semifinal performance should have the Spartans riding high into next week.

Dargan Southard covers Iowa and UNI athletics, recruiting and preps for the Des Moines Register, HawkCentral.com and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.