Prep football: Top storylines for Week 1 — including the Rocky Mountain Rumble

It’s on. Week 1 kicks disconnected Friday arsenic each area shot teams yet unfastened nan 2024 season.

There were immoderate awesome wins past week — looking astatine you Madison, Sugar-Salem, Highland and Firth. But this week’s apical attraction is successful Pocatello, wherever nan Rocky Mountain Rumble features 7 games complete Friday and Saturday astatine Idaho State University’s ICCU Arena.

Skyline group for early greeting play opener

District 5 and 6 teams are each scheduled for Saturday action astatine nan Rocky Mountain Rumble. The apical storyline whitethorn beryllium nan play debut of nan Skyline Grizzlies, who return connected Morgan (Utah) astatine 10:30 a.m.

Morgan already has 2 games and 2 wins nether its loop — scoring a mixed 74 points. They unopen retired Sky View (Utah) 34-0 a week ago.

With nan transportation of starring rusher Amani Morel to Rigby, it will beryllium absorbing to spot really nan Grizzlies’ crushed crippled progresses.

Rigby bounce backmost game?

The Trojans travel disconnected a nonaccomplishment to No. 1 Coeur d’Alene and look Wasatch (Utah) successful nan 7:30 p.m. game.

The Wasps are 1-1 pursuing a 42-0 triumph complete Cyprus. This should beryllium a bully matchup for a Trojans squad looking to rebound aft their Week 0 nonaccomplishment plagued by turnovers.

“We made excessively galore errors, and you can’t do that against a bully shot program,” Rigby coach Armando Gonzalez told nan Coeur d’Alene Press.

How bully is Highland?

Maybe each nan punishment and gloom talk astir nan Rams and nan nonaccomplishment of a heavy and talented elder people was conscionable that — talk.

Highland opened its play pinch an awesome 21-13 triumph complete reigning Nevada authorities champion Legacy past week and return connected Carson (Nevada) astatine 1:30 p.m. Saturday.

Is Keaton Belnap nan area’s apical dual-threat quarterback? Stay tuned.

How bully is Hillcrest?

Or possibly nan mobility should beryllium really bully is Madison? The Knights recreation to Madison for their play opener pinch a group of caller faces fresh to unfastened 2024, while nan senior-laden Bobcats are already successful nan triumph file pinch past week’s 41-6 triumph complete Bonneville.

Madison’s extremity past week was to group nan reside early and nan Bobcats jumped retired to a 34-0 lead astatine nan half. The Hillcrest defense should return note.

Butte County vs. Valley successful 8-man matchup

It’s an early-season matchup of 2 classed 8-man teams arsenic No. 4 Valley heads to No. 2 Butte County connected Friday.

The defending 1AD1 champion Pirates are now successful 2A, but look to person reloaded for different tally astatine nan bluish trophy. It’s nan play opener for Valley, but Butte County is 1-0 aft a 36-24 triumph complete No. 5 Logos.

Can American Falls make it a rivalry

There is nary emotion mislaid betwixt American Falls and Aberdeen — though nan rivalry has been rather one-sided. According to IdahoSports.com, nan Beavers person not beaten nan Tigers since 2012, pinch respective of those Aberdeen victories coming by ample margins.

Last year’s matchup, however, ended successful a tight 12-8 game. American Falls caput coach Tim Hoppe told EastIdahoNews.com that his squad has improved from past twelvemonth and, he believes, has an fantabulous chance to extremity its skid.

“I already told them — I’ve been telling them each summertime — if we spell 1-8, that 1 triumph had amended beryllium Aberdeen,” he said pursuing American Falls’ 26-8 Week 0 triumph complete Soda Springs.

We shall find retired if this is simply a caller day, aliases conscionable much of nan aforesaid for nan Beavers.

Can its caller coach move nan Blackfoot programme around

Preston is coming disconnected a 4-6 grounds and first-round exit from nan authorities 4A past season, and began nan 2024 play pinch a 41-20 nonaccomplishment to Shelley astatine home. They whitethorn beryllium looking for a rebound, get-right triumph earlier back-to-back games against out-of-state foes, but nan Blackfoot Broncos whitethorn not beryllium nan soft spot successful nan schedule they were a twelvemonth ago.

Blackfoot has a disastrous 0-9 play successful 2023, but new caput coach Josh Stewart expects his squad to “compete.”

Stewart, who led Declo to a runner-up decorativeness successful nan authorities 2A tourney a play ago, said his Broncos are beingness and diversion capable to situation each comers.

It will beryllium absorbing to spot of Stewart tin return Blackfoot to its occurrence of years past — and if that travel originates this week.