Game of the Week Preview: It’s Madison vs. Rigby in one of the area’s top rivalry matchups
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Game of the Week
Madison at Rigby, Friday, 7 p.m.
With a win, Rigby would claim the 6A District 5-6 title and put itself in prime playoff positioning. The Trojans are the No. 1 overall team in the state in the Maxpreps rankings.
The Bobcats, at 6-0, are the last unbeaten team in 6A along with Rocky Mountain (No. 1 state media poll, No. 2 Maxpreps rankings), and would also put themselves in good playoff position with a win.
Madison moved into the state media poll at No. 4 and has won its last two games by a combined score of 92-12.
So what does that mean for one of the area’s top rivalries?
Keys to the game: Madison comes off a bye and hits the toughest part of its schedule, beginning with the rival Trojans on Friday, and then a tough non-conference game next week at Minico, which is ranked in the 5A state poll.
Their final regular-season game against defending state champion Highland could end up being the make-or-break game of the season.
But first up is Rigby, which comes off its most impressive win of the season with a 33-3 victory at Highland.
Coach Armando Gonzalez was not happy with the team’s overall execution, and expects a better performance in this week’s rivalry matchup.
Statistically, Rigby and Madison are similar. Madison has the top scoring team in the conference at nearly 39 points per game and is bolstered by a solid running game of Bryce Dredge (113 yards per game, nine TDs), and Cache Summers (eight TDs). Barkley Beck is also a threat on the ground as is QB Hazen Torgerson, who’s rushed for four touchdowns and also passed for nine.
Rigby’s offense can be explosive behind QB Jake Flowers and running backs Amani Morel and Jerzey Duenes.
But it’s the Trojans’ defense that could prove the difference, not just in this game, but in Rigby’s postseason run.
Following a season-opening loss at Coeur d’Alene, Rigby has given up just 16.4 points per game in its five wins. The three points scored last week was a season low for Highland.
Can Madison break through?