Iowa City Regina puts a 48-game winning streak on the line this evening as the class 1A top rated Regals visit fourth ranked Wilton in a district six showdown. Regina coach Marv Cook does not want his team to feel the pressure to defend the streak. “I told them not to run away from it because they are part of it. It’s a tradition and history of Regina football that we should be very proud of,” Cook says. “But his group didn’t win 40-plus games, we’ve won six this year.”
Cook says the Regals look forward to the challenge. He says football players want games like this and the opportunity to see where you are at talent wise.
Cook says A Wilton offense led by quarterback Tyler Hetzler will be tough to stop. He says Hetzler is a great leader and distributor of the football, and he has a good running back and good receivers who can do great things on offense.
Class 1A, seventh ranked Maquoketa Valley looks to stay unbeaten with a visit to Bellevue. Wildcat coach Wes Wilson says attitude is a big factor in their 6-0 start as the kids hang out together a lot outside of football. Wilson says his team cannot get caught looking ahead against Bellevue.
Two ranked teams step out of district play this evening as class 2A top ranked Waukon visits class 1A ninth rated South Winneshiek. Waukon coach Chad Beerman says they have some quick strike ability and his team needs to try and take that explosiveness away as much as possible.
Beerman says it will be a good test even though it is not a district game. He says it doesn’t impact their district standing and playoff hopes, but allows them to get experience against a team of this style.
South Winneshiek coach Jason Ohrt says his team is looking forward to the challenge. “You don’t find it too often where you get to see a power in two classes face off in a regular season matchup,” Ohrt says. With the playoffs looming Ohrt says the game will be beneficial to both teams, as getting a challenge always helps a team later in the season.
( Darin Svenson KDEC Decorah and Jon Swisher KMCH Manchester also contributed to this story)