Prep football preview: Madison sets sights on playoff push

REXBURG — The 6A District 5-6 convention is reliable to crack. That’s a truth Madison coach Chandler Rhoads knows well.

With Rigby aliases Highland having won nan authorities title six times since 2014, nan Bobcats cognize nan situation they look astatine nan opening of each season.

“It’s nan toughest successful nan state,” Rhoads said of nan conference.

Rhoads enters his 4th play arsenic Madison’s caput coach, which could make for cleanable timing for nan Bobcats’ elder class.

“This is nan first elder people and that’s really important,” Rhoads said. “They cognize nan civilization and they’ve been pinch america since Day 1.”

With respective players entering their 3rd twelvemonth of varsity competition, nan storyline for Madison could beryllium really overmuch that acquisition carries complete erstwhile nan Bobcats statement up against Rigby and Highland.

Madison returns a halfway group of linemen connected some sides of nan ball, arsenic good arsenic first-team All-Conference moving backmost Barkley Beck and All-Conference honorable mention backmost Hazen Torgerson. Tight extremity Tanner Johnson and receiver Lucas Fransen besides return aft earning All-Conference honors a twelvemonth ago.

“On offense, we want to beryllium dynamic, tally nan football, beryllium physical,” Rhoads said.

The defense returns Cache Summers, a first-team All-Conference linebacker who anchors nan defense. Linebacker Bryce Dredge is back, arsenic are protect linemen Porter Cottle and Cary Fa.

“We want to group nan reside physically,” Rhoads said of nan defense. “We want to play pinch a batch speed.”

The inclination among nan apical 6A (formerly 5A) teams has usually been stellar protect play. State champion Highland gave up conscionable 15.67 points per crippled past season, while Inland Empire champion Coeur d’Alene surrendered conscionable 13.33 points. Rocky Mountain (14.73 points) and Eagle (15.18 points) were besides among authorities leaders successful scoring defense.

Madison starts its play Friday nighttime against Bonneville High School, and will beryllium nan EastIdahoNews.com Game of nan Week — nan first of nan year.