PREP FOOTBALL: Vikings fall to defending champion Rigby in opener

RIGBY — Coeur d’Alene likes to play teams like Rigby early in the season as a chance to see what its young players can do, as well as a measuring stick for what to work on as the season progresses. 

On Friday, defending state 6A champion Rigby started fast and rolled to a 38-7 victory over the Vikings in the season opener. 

“We played a lot of new kids that learned with top-level 6A football is like,” Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos said. “We will be fine if they all grow from it.” 

Rigby, winners of four state titles in the last six seasons, jumped out to a 28-0 lead before Coeur d’Alene got on the board late in the first half on a 35-yard touchdown pass from senior Caden Symons to junior Maddox Lindquist. 

Rigby quarterback Jake Flowers dashed 63 yards for touchdown on the third play of the game. The Trojans then turned a Coeur d’Alene turnover into a 14-0 lead late in the first quarter. 

Flowers finished with two rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns. 

The Vikings were stopped short on fourth down in Rigby territory early in the third quarter, and the Trojans marched to another score and a 38-7 lead. 

Coeur d’Alene blocked a Rigby field goal early in the fourth quarter. 

“Rigby was just a lot better than us tonight,” Amos said. “It is a long season and we think this will be a tough group at the end if they just keep working and believing in each other.” 

Coeur d’Alene played without senior running back Christian Young, who suffered a torn ACL in practice last week and is out for the season.  

“He is going to be greatly missed this year,” Amos said. 

Coeur d’Alene plays host to Silverton (Ore.) next Friday. 

Coeur d’Alene     0    7    0    0    —    7 

Rigby    14    17    7    0    —    38 

First quarter 

Rigby — Jake Flowers 63 run (kick good), 10:37 

Rigby — Flowers 4 run (kick good), 1:03 

Second quarter 

Rigby — Evan Freeman 43 pass from Flowers (kick good), 9:43 

Rigby — Amani Morel 1 run (kick good), 3:18 

Cd’A — Maddox Lindquist 35 pass from Caden Symons (Frankie Lopez kick) 

Rigby — FG 41 

Third quarter 

Rigby — Freeman 1 pass from Flowers (kick good), 1:53 

St. Maries 41

Lakeland JV 14

RATHDRUM — Senior quarterback Jack Barta threw for two touchdowns in the first half as the Lumberjacks opened the season under first-year coach Hayden Humphrey with a win over the Lakeland junior varsity at Corbit Field. 

St. Maries senior Aiden Yearout scored on a 2-yard run to make it 7-0 early in the first. After a Lakeland turnover, Barta hit senior Graysun Delong on a 44-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-0. 

St. Maries capitalized on a short field again in the first as Jack Barta found Brock Barta on a 2-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-0. 

On the first play of the second quarter, junior Marcus Speakman caught a quick pass from Jack Barta and ran 80 yards for a touchdown to give the Lumberjacks a 28-7 lead. 

Senior Kaiden Morris ran for 115 yards and a touchdown for St. Maries, which faces Salmon next Saturday at Big Sky High in Missoula, Mont. 

Freshman Taytum Bligh had a touchdown pass to Kolson Asher in the first quarter for the Lakeland JV, which travels to the Lake City JV on Thursday. 

A full box score was not available. 

Wallace 68 

Timberline 26 

WEIPPE — Senior Gus Scott scored four touchdowns for the Miners in a nonleague win over the Spartans. 

Sophomore Charlie Stone returned a fumble for a touchdown and had an interception for Wallace, which hosts Soap Lake (Wash.) on Sept. 5 at the Sather Field Athletic Complex in Silverton. 

Timberline travels to Potlatch next Friday.

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Lakeland JV wide receiver Kolson Asher is brought down by St. Maries defenders Caden Brown (6) and Colin DeGravio (11) during the first quarter of Friday's game at Corbit Field in Rathdrum.
  

    JASON ELLIOTT/Press Lakeland JV wide receiver Colin Burke attempts to bring down a reception as St. Maries cornerback Amado Stewart defends during the first quarter of Friday's game at Corbit Field in Rathdrum.