Game of the Week preview: Defending champion Rigby opens its season against a familiar foe

Rigby football players and fans celebrate a win last season. | Allan Steele, EastIdahoSports.com. DISTRICT 6 GAME OF THE WEEK Coeur d’Alene at Rigby, Friday, 7 p.m. RIGBY – It’s not a playoff game, but Friday’s Coeur d’Alene at Rigby matchup always seems to set the tone entering a new season. The North vs. the East season-opening game has almost become a tradition for the two programs and it comes with interesting results. Short history lesson coming up: Coeur d’Alene beat the Trojans in last year’s season opener before Rigby reeled off 11 straight wins to claim the 6A state title. The Vikings beat Rigby in 2023 as the Trojans opened the season on a rare three-game losing streak. Rigby won the opener in 2022 when the teams met at the University of Montana, starting the journey on the way to another state title for the Trojans. Coeur d’Alene won the season opener in 2019, but it was Rigby who turned the tables in the rematch at the state championship game, defeating the Vikings 57-56 in overtime to win the state title . That would be the Trojans’ first title during their current run of four banners since 2019. Rigby coach Armando Gonzalez tends to downplay weekly results and chasing state titles, instead focusing on the long marathon season and not the weekly sprint. “It’s not about the results right now, it’s about the process,” Gonzalez said. “We don’t focus on playing games here, we focus on practicing great every day.” It’s a process that seems to work based on the team’s banners. Rigby enters the 2025 season ranked No. 1 in the preseason state media poll and the Vikings are No. 4. Both teams return plenty of talent and experience and appear to have the depth to replace key players that graduated. Rigby is led by senior quarterback Jake Flowers and Coeur d’Alene returns senior quarterback Caden Symons, so expect both defenses to be tested. The Vikings lost a core group of pass catchers, and Rigby graduated its top lineman Feki Pouha, who was named 6A state Player of the Year last season. Both teams have tradionally been strong on the defensive side, so that could be the key to the game. The post Game of the Week preview: Defending champion Rigby opens its season against a familiar foe appeared first on East Idaho News.
Source: eastidahonews.com