State playoffs: Rigby takes down rival Madison as quest for a state 3-peat rolls on

RIGBY – While the ultimate goal for the Rigby football team is to celebrate and hoist the blue championship trophy at the end of the season, the process is a little more detailed.

As Trojans coach Armando Gonzalez likes to point out, first on the list is to beat rival Madison.

Next up is to win the conference title, which ensures a bye to open the playoffs.

Last is to host and win your opening playoff game and carry that momentum into the state semifinals and eventually the championship game.

Once you’re there, anything can happen.

It’s been a successful formula as Rigby competes for its third straight state title, but for the first time on Friday, Madison got swept up in Rigby’s blueprint for success.

Rigby beat Madison 28-3 in the second round of the 6A playoffs, earning a second victory over the rival Bobcats in the past three weeks.

So not only did Rigby beat Madison twice, the first win over the Bobcats earned the Trojans the rivalry win, along with the conference title, the first-round playoff bye, and the home game in the second round.

Rigby closed out its playoff checklist with Friday’s win and earned a berth in next week’s semifinals.

All at the expense of Madison.

“Every game is a big game,” Rigby running back Kue Kofe said. “We treat every game like the state championship game … We came into the game thinking that.”

But come playoff time, the Trojans turn into the Red Devils, and alter-ego switch that Gonzalez said get the team focused and mentally ready for a playoff run.

Coming off a bye, the Red Devils definitely had the playoff vibe on Friday, taking a 7-0 lead on an 8-yard touchdown run by quarterback Evan Freeman, and then adding a 2-yard TD run by Chandler Faulkner just before the half.

Meanwhile, the Bobcats didn’t get much going against the Trojan defense and Rigby upped its lead when Freeman connected with tight end Garrett Olson at the end of the third quarter.

The 20-0 deficit proved too much for Madison to overcome. The team had been bolstered all year by its defense, but Rigby coach Gonzalez said he felt the Trojans (9-1) could find a way to run the ball.

Kofe was the workhorse, running for 103 yards on 19 carries.

Kofe also noted the mentality switch to the Red Devils. While rain may have impacted the first matchup in which Rigby won 35-3, Friday’s game was just straight up football

“We had to do the job,” he said.

Rigby added two field goals and a safety off a bad punt snap in the fourth quarter. Madison (7-4) scored on a late field goal.

Second-seeded Rigby will host No. 3 Rocky Mountain either Friday or Saturday with the winner advancing to the state championship game.