Friday’s clash between the Lisbon Lions and the Iowa City Regina Regals had heavy Class A District 6 implications, with both teams eyeing the district’s top spot.

By the end, the Regals made some opportunistic plays and won, 56-26, in Iowa City.

Regina’s Theo Kolie ran the ball seven yards for a touchdown with 10:20 to go in the first half, which gave the team a 14-12 lead. It was Kolie’s first of four TDs for the game.

“In practice, our younger kids give us a good look on defense,” Kolie said. “So, we’re able to get good reps in practice and then come over here and do the same.”

Kolie tallied his second score in the third quarter, running it in from 31 yards out with 9:40 to go in the quarter. After a fumble recovery by the Regals, Kolie got the ball on the first play of the drive and 10 seconds later was in the end zone for a 39-yard TD. His fourth TD came with 6:20 to go in the game, when he ran it in from 15 yards out.

“We prepared for cover zero, but they came out in a different look,” Regals’ quarterback Ashton Cook said. “They doubled Alec [Wick], but Theo started running through the holes good and he had some really good TD runs, so that helped us.”

After Kolie’s first TD, the Regals squibbed the ball down to the Lions 14-yard line, but that came after the Lions’ returner couldn’t field the ball. A Regal fell on the ball there and three plays later, Cook found Sam Aitchison for a six-yard TD, putting them up 21-12.

Cook did find his receiver Wick for TDs two times, one from 32 yards out and the other from eight yards out. All the scores from the Regals were impressive considering the Lions allowed 8.5 points per game before this game.

“Scoring 56 points takes a lot,” Regals head coach Marv Cook said. “I mean it takes a lot of offensive skill guys. Obviously, Alec Wick’s ball skills are about as good as I’ve seen. I mean when the ball is in the air, it’s his ball and he’s going to get it.”

The Lions started the scoring after the Regals failed on a fourth down conversion deep in Lions territory. On their own fourth down conversion attempt, the Lions sophomore quarterback Cohen Kamaus made a quick pass to Cole Clark, who dodged many tackle attempts for a 43-yard TD with 2:47 to go in the first quarter. The extra point attempt was no good.

Soon after, the Regals found their groove on their second drive of the game. On the first play of the second quarter, Cook rushed his way to the end zone from 10 yards out, and the extra point attempt was good.

Having the lead was something that the Regals couldn’t hold on to for long at that time, as the Lions’ Devyn Decious took the proceeding kickoff 89 yards for a TD. The Lions decided to go for two but failed. Decious scored another kickoff return for a TD later in the game.

The Regals are 4-1 (3-0 in District 6) and the Lions are 3-2 (1-1) after Friday’s matchup.

“We’re definitely happy about the win,” Kolie said. “But at the end of the day I guess it’s just a small step toward a bigger goal. At the end of the day, we want to go to state, hopefully win. So, we just need to take it one game at a time.”