Prep football: Rigby closes Rumble with win behind junior QB Jake Flowers

POCATELLO — The Rigby Trojans avoided nan turnover bug that plagued them past week, riding nan basking manus of inferior backmost Jake Flowers to a 48-27 triumph complete Wasatch (Ut) astatine nan Rocky Mountain Rumble Saturday.

Rigby (1-1) earned its first triumph of 2024, led by Flowers, who completed 15 of 19 walk attempts for 250 yards and 2 scores, and added different 52 yards connected nan ground.

The cardinal though, was nan Trojan’s expertise to support possession, avoiding nan turnovers that led to a 24-14 nonaccomplishment astatine Coeur d’Alene past week.

Head coach Armando Gonzalez learned a batch astir his squad complete nan past 8 days.

“It was a agelong trip, truthful it was nan intelligence stamina that I was worried astir nan most,” he said aft Saturday’s triumph wrong Idaho State University’s ICCU Dome. “But that’s what you person to do successful nan playoffs — that’s why we do those types of games, to get utilized to traveling.”

The Trojans tally disconnected nan section aft beating nan Wasatch Wasps successful nan Rocky Mountain Rumble Saturday. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoNews.com

The points came early and often for nan Trojans, who sewage a five-yard touchdown tally from inferior moving backmost Amani Morel connected their 2nd possession.

They went up 14-0 1 possession later erstwhile Flowers connected pinch inferior wideout Owen Golding connected a 59-yard drawback and run.

And aft blocking a Wasp other constituent to support a 14-6 lead, Golding struck again connected a 99-yard footwear return touchdown.

Gonzalez said nan receiver and way prima is among nan fastest players successful nan authorities and showed it disconnected doubly early Saturday.

Golding’s 2 explosive scores supported Flowers and Morel, who ran for 104 yards and 3 touchdowns — including a 58-yard sprint successful nan 2nd half.

Gonzalez said that equilibrium will beryllium cardinal to Rigby “really making a run” — particularly pinch nan absence of what he believes to beryllium 1 of nan champion players successful nan state.

“It’s thing that we person to beryllium capable to do,” he said, adding that elder receiver-corner Parker Graham was held retired of nan crippled past week and constricted to protect duties this week owed to a nagging injury. “Just hold until you spot him connected offense. … When he comes in, we tin beryllium really dangerous.”

Despite nan evident improvements betwixt Weeks 0 and 1, Gonzalez said that location is still immoderate maturation to beryllium had.

Rigby did not move nan shot over, but they besides forced only 1 turnover connected defense. Improving connected that is thing Gonzalez said his coaching unit will stress going forward. He besides said that location were immoderate mistakes that led to shortened drives and points for Wasatch — who made it much competitory than it was pinch 2 precocious scores.

“Right now, nan truth is, we’re an undisciplined shot squad that has a batch of talent,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve sewage to hole that, aliases we’re not going to spell very acold down nan stretch.”

The bully point is, he continued, location is still clip to make those improvements.

“Wherever we extremity up aft these first 5 (games), it really doesn’t matter,” he said. “It really helps america hole for Highland, Madison and Thunder Ridge, because those are nan games we’ve sewage to win.”

Rigby is backmost successful action adjacent week, erstwhile they recreation to Oregon for nan Northwest Showdown, wherever they will look Moses Lake (Wa).