Tate Wallace serves as an all-around leader for Iowa City Regina football

Tate Wallace serves as a jack of all trades.

A renaissance man, so to speak, on the football field. The Iowa City Regina junior has made a name for himself with versatility in size and athleticism, allowing him to do a little bit of everything for the Regals.

“He's the ultimate team player,” Regina Coach Dustin Elsbury said of Wallace. “He's super selfless. He's going to do whatever it takes to help Regina football get a win. He’s going to do whatever it takes to put our defense or offense in the best position and that just speaks to his character and the type of person he is.”

Wallace has been a key piece to third-ranked Regina’s success. He is the Regals leader in receiving, tackles for loss, sacks and pancake blocks, helping them reach to the Class 1A state semifinal for the first time in five seasons.

The Regals (11-0) face No. 1 Grundy Center (11-0) Friday morning at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. It is their first meeting since the Regals beat the Spartans for the 2020 Class A title.

“The season has been amazing,” Wallace said. “I feel like the team has really come together. We’re working together and playing as one. Good teams make it far because they play as one.

“Overall, I can’t complain. Coaches put me in great position to succeed.”

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound linebacker and tight end hybrid possesses a rare combination of strength and speed, making him popular with NCAA Division I programs, receiving scholarship offers from Power-5 programs including University of Tennessee and Minnesota.

Wallace is a strong blocker and tough matchup in the pass attack, hauling in 35 catches for 500 yards and nine touchdowns. He’s even tougher to lock down defensively, being able to defend the run and pass in space and put his hand in the dirt as a lineman to rush the passer. Wallace has 40 tackles total, 24 solo, 15 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks, including four tackles for loss and three sacks in a 49-7 quarterfinal victory over No. 6 Pleasantville.

“He's one of those guys where you can kind of put him in any position on the field and he’s going to be a big-time playmaker,” Elsbury said. “He's super versatile.

“It just allows a lot more flexibility for both of my coordinators. He's on special teams too, so he doesn’t come off the field very often.”

Wallace stepped in as a starter his freshman season and has been a pillar in the lineup all three years. He has emerged as a leader, using his experience to guide teammates, who haven’t played during intense situations.

“He’s going to lead by example,” Elsbury said. “People are going to gravitate towards him. He’s not going to be your rah-rah guy but when the lights come on, he does flip a switch and he's physical and aggressive. You see some of that emotion come out when he makes a big play, celebrating with his teammates and getting excited.”

A chill, even-keel demeanor outside of competition masks a dominant force on the field. Wallace said he is laid back and calm person but transforms into a player fighting for another game with his football brothers between the gridiron lines.

“He's pretty soft-spoken,” Elsbury said. “He's very humble. You would never guess that he's getting four-star attention or getting all these offers or whatnot. It can probably be easy for a kid his age to get a big head. He knows he still has a lot of room for improvement. He needs to grow and improve a lot if he wants to truly play at the at the Power-4 level.”

Football has been a family endeavor. His dad, Ed, played football at Simpson. Older brother, Jack, was a standout quarterback at Iowa City West and plays at St. Thomas (Minn.) University. Wallace recalled his dad enlisted him in a youth flag football team when they lived in Des Moines. It didn’t take long for the seed to blossom into a passion for the game.

“Spending my Saturdays with football around me, watching college football and playing flag football. I fell in love with it there,” Wallace said. “Junior high football was one of the most fun moments of my life. I feel that sparked my love for football. Just hanging out with my brothers (teammates), going out on the field and succeeding.”

Elsbury has seen Wallace’s love for football fuel his effort and yield opportunities beyond high school.

“It's his No. 1 sport,” Elsbury said. “He spends a ton of time in the offseason going to different camps all over the country. He works his butt off in the weight room. He's in there all the time because he knows that's going to help him with football. He's definitely one of those guys that loves the game and loves to be out there competing. He loves the physicality of the game.”

His future came into focus in eighth grade. He was invited to a showcase in Chicago. He started to compete with linebackers there and ended up earning a most valuable player award for his performance.

“I ended up doing pretty well,” Wallace said. “There were a bunch of kids there, great athletes, but that’s probably when I thought could probably do this in college.”

Wallace’s college prospects and options continue to grow. He was introduced to the recruiting process when Jack was courted by programs. Wallace has tried to take the most of every experience. He has been all over the country, attending workouts, meeting coaches, learning the game and getting exposed to gameday environments.

Friday will be a busy day for Wallace. After the semifinal against Grundy Center, Wallace will head home and leave for another visit to Tennessee.

“I’m so grateful for it all,” Wallace said. “To be able to go across the country and see all these atmospheres and games, talk to great coaches and learn everything is awesome.

“If you would have told me this four years ago, I would have said you’re crazy. It’s amazing.”

CLASS 1A STATE SEMIFINAL

Iowa City Regina vs. Grundy Center

When and where: 10 a.m. Friday, at UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

Records and rankings: No. 3 Regina is 11-0; No. 1 Grundy Center is 11-0.

Overview: The long-awaited meeting between two of the top-three teams in 1A. Grundy Center has won 50 straight games, winning the last two 1A titles and the 2022 Class A championship. The Spartans have made six straight state finals, and their last loss was to West Hancock in the 2021 Class A title game. Regina is back in the semifinals for the first time since 2020 when it beat Grundy Center for the championship. The Regals are second in 1A with 48.7 points per game, while the Spartans are fifth at 41.9 per contest. Grundy Center allows just 5.5 points per game compared to Regina’s average of 10 points against. The game includes two of the top 1A quarterbacks. Regina’s Kyle Tracy leads the class with 41 total touchdowns, ranks second with 31 passing scores, fourth with 2,428 offensive yards and fifth with 1,992 passing yards. His top target is Tate Wallace, who has 35 catches for 500 yards and nine TDs. Wallace is second on the team with 40 total tackles, recording a team-high 15 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Savion Miller is the Regals’ top rusher with 819 yards and 15 TDs, averaging 8.8 yards per carry. Grundy Center all-stater Judd Jirovsky has 2,211 offensive yards, passing for 1,340 and 20 TDs and rushing for 871 and 18. He is second in 1A with rushing TDs and third with 38 total scores. He accounts for 57.6 of the Spartans touchdowns. Defensively, Jirovsky has five interceptions. The Spartans defense has forced 26 turnovers, including 17 interceptions.

CLASS 5A STATE SEMIFINAL

Iowa City Liberty vs. Waukee Northwest

When and where: 7 p.m. Friday, at UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls.

Records and rankings: Both teams have 10-1 record. Northwest is ranked No. 2, Liberty is No. 3.

Overview: Northwest leads 5A in scoring at 42.1 points per game. Liberty is third at 37.5. Liberty’s loss was at Johnston in Week 4 of the regular season, 27-24. Northwest’s loss came in Week 8 to Waukee, 31-28. Common opponents for these teams include Southeast Polk (Northwest beat it in the regular season, 38-7, while Liberty beat it 38-20 in the regular season and 31-28 in last week’s playoff quarterfinals). Both teams beat Iowa City High (Liberty by a 48-29 margin and Northwest by a 49-13 margin). Liberty beat Waukee, 34-20 … Quarterback Reece Rettig has completed 69.9 percent of his passes this season for 2,16 yards and 19 touchdowns. He also is Liberty’s leading rusher (869 yards and 13 TDs). Pryor Reiners leads the receiving corps with 46 catches for 560 yards and six touchdowns. Linebacker Landon Bell has been a defensive factor with a team-best 61.5 tackles, including 42 solo and 17.5 for loss … Northwest junior QB Mack Heitland has been phenomenal throwing the football, completing 183 of 229 passes (79.9 percent) for 2,812 yards and 27 touchdowns, with no interceptions. Running back Ryan Woodruff missed some time with injury, but had 901 yards rushing and 15 TDs this season, including a performance in last week’s 48-34 quarterfinal win over Sioux City East of 38 rushes for 192 yards and five touchdowns. Northwest has a dangerous receiving duo in Jordon Green (62 catches for 1,140 yards and 13 TDs) and Isaiah Oliver (57 catches for 947 yards and nine TDs) … This is the first semifinals appearance for Northwest, the second for Liberty. The Lightning lost in last season’s semis to Southeast Polk, 38-35.

FRIDAY

Class 1A semifinals

#1 Grundy Center (11-0) vs. #3 Iowa City Regina (11-0), 10 a.m.

#2 West Lyon (11-0) vs. #5 South Hardin (10-1), 1 p.m.

Class 5A semifinals

#1 West Des Moines Dowling (10-1) vs. #6 West Des Moines Valley (9-2), 4 p.m.

#2 Waukee Northwest (10-1) vs. #3 Iowa City Liberty (10-1), 7 p.m.

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com