State champion Rigby enters 2025 as the team to beat, but others may challenge

EASTERN IDAHO – Welcome to the league of champions.

Teams from the High Country Conference have won the 5A/6A state title for five straight years and don’t appear to be slowing down in 2025.

Of course, that stat is a bit one-sided as Rigby has claimed four of those titles while Highland won in 2023.

The Trojans enter the season ranked No. 1 in the state media preseason poll and have plenty of weapons to make another title run.

Perennial power Highland won six games and made the playoffs a year ago despite having the most inexperienced team in the conference.

Madison, which last won a state title in 2012, comes off an impressive nine-win season and looks to continue its success with a new head coach and new quarterback.

Thunder Ridge was winless in the conference last season, but coach Michael Berger and staff are pushing the team to finish games and be mentally tougher in close games.

Let the games begin.

RIGBY TROJANS

Coach: Armando Gonzalez, ninth season

Last season: 11-1, 3-0

Impact players: Amani Morel, RB; Jacob Flowers, QB, Ethan Hickman, LB; Owen Golding, WR/Returner; Ethan Hickman, LB; Kannon Korth, DB; Kobe Walker, DB; Donovan Jara, OL.

Notes: The Trojans added another state title in 2024, but look to replace key players for this season, including State Player of the Year Feki Pouha, a lineman, and running back Jerzey Duenes and defensive back Parker Graham.

The good news for Rigby is that the Trojans return a core group of players who have been instrumental in the team’s success.

Conference Offensive Player of the Year Amani Morel and first-team quarterback Jacob Flowers bolster what has historically be an efficient offensive program during the team’s run to four state championships since 2019.

Teams don’t win titles without a solid defense and Rigby returns linebacker and kick returner Owen Golding, as well as linebacker Ethan Hickman and defensive backs Kannon Korth and Kobe Walker.

Rigby was voted No. 1 in the state media preseason poll this week.

Rigby opens its season Friday when it hosts perennial power Coeur d’Alene.

MADISON BOBCATS

Coach: Matt Pancheri, first season

Last season: 9-2, 2-0

Impact players: Carter Apelu, OL; Cache Summers, LB/RB; Jack Cordero, QB; Jacob Lee, OL/DL; Caleb Rhodes, OL; Colton Munns, DE.

Notes: Pancheri returns to east Idaho after eight seasons as the head coach at Lewiston.

Madison comes off a 9-2 season and a trip to the state quarterfinals where the Bobcats lost to West No. 2 seed Eagle.

Returners include Summers, who was a first-team All-Conference selection at linebacker and a second-team running back and linemen Apelu and Lee.

Jack Cordero moves from linebacker to quarterback.

“He’s going to be a physical kid,” Pancheri said.

“Offensively, we’re going to be spread team,” Pancheri said. “We’ll show a lot of multiple formations. Think we’re going to try to run the ball a lot … We’re going to make people stop us running.”

The defense will be anchored by linebacker Summers and Lee on the line, along with Munns.

Madison is at Bonneville on Friday in its season opener.

THUNDER RIDGE TITANS

Coach: Michael Berger, fourth season

Last season: 3-6, 0-3

Impact players: Ryder Portmann, QB; Preston McDaniel, WR; McKay Scoresby, WR; Drew Crystal, DL; Evan Jones, OL/DL; Trevor Vincent, LB; Ryan Taylor, DB/RB.

Notes: The Titans were winless in conference play last year, but Berger has nine returning impact players returning.

“We’re going to run the West Coast offense, spread it around … We have great skill kids,” he said.

Berger noted that last year’s team struggled to finish games, something that he traced back to mental toughness.

“We have the tools to be competitive,” Berger said.

The Titans gave up nearly 30 points per game last season.

Thunder Ridge’s season opener is Aug. 29 at Idaho Falls.

HIGHLAND RAMS

Coach: Nick Sorrell, fourth season

Last season: 6-4, 1-2

Impact players: Cedric Mitchell, P/RB; McKay Galo, LB; Malakai Mitchell LB; Keaton Belnap, QB; Easton Almond, WR; Zaydin Alo, TE; Bentley Stanislowski, DL; Hunter Burrell, DB.

Notes: It may have been the craziest two-year swing any coach has had to deal with.

The Rams won their 13th state title in 2023, then entered 2024 with all 22 starters having graduated.

Highland somehow won six games and earned an at-large berth to the state tournament.

Those underclassmen and players with limited experience now have a year of varsity competition under their collective belts and have another playoff run in their sights.

“You really see an exponential growth,” Sorrell said of the returning players. “The kids with two or three varsity seasons, you can just tell the amount of reps they got.”

Does that experience lead to success against Rigby or Madison? That’s yet to be seen, but Sorrell said he’s optimistic.

The offense returns senior quarterback Keaton Belnap, junior running back Cedric Mitchell, tight end Zaydin Alo and lineman Grayson Barlow.

There are five impact returners on defense, including McKay Galo and Malakai Mitchell at linebacker.

“Our goal and expectations are we want to win this thing,” Sorrell said. “We have the kids to do that.”

Highland hosts Legacy, Nev. on Friday.