The Sporting News Idaho Team of the Week: Bishop Kelly [Boise] Knights

Brandon Walton

The Sporting News Idaho Team of the Week: Bishop Kelly [Boise] Knights image

The Bishop Kelly Knights amassed 408 yards of total offense and forced four turnovers in a stunning 29-15 upset victory over No. 1 Rigby to earn The Sporting News Idaho Team of the Week honors.

Bishop Kelly been waiting for this moment all season long.

Facing the state's top-ranked team and reigning Class 6A champions on their home field Friday night, the Knights delivered a complete performance that announced their arrival as legitimate title contenders. Their 29-15 dismantling of the Trojans didn't just snap a 14-game winning streak – it served notice that the road to a state championship will run through Boise.

The Knights battled back from an early 7-0 deficit to tie the game 15-15 at halftime, then seized control with a dominant 14-0 second half. Most impressively, they rattled Rigby's all-state quarterback Jacob Flowers into throwing three interceptions, completely disrupting the rhythm of an offense that had been nearly unstoppable for over a year.

For Rigby, it marked their first loss since falling to Coeur d'Alene 24-14 in last season's opener – a span that included capturing their fourth state title in the last six years.


The Sporting News Idaho Team of the Week


Bishop Kelly [Boise] Knights


408 total yards, 4 forced turnovers, 29-15 upset win over No. 1 Rigby


But the Knights are no strangers to championship-level football themselves. Currently ranked No. 5 in the state, Bishop Kelly brings eight state championships to the table – just one behind Skyline for the most in 5A classification history. With this signature victory, they've positioned themselves to potentially tie that record.

The Knights have been dominant through their first three games, winning each by double digits while outscoring opponents 141-39. Their 3-0 start has been built on the kind of balanced attack and opportunistic defense that was on full display against Rigby.

Friday's upset victory over the defending champions wasn't just a statement win – it was a reminder that Bishop Kelly's championship pedigree runs deep. As the season progresses, the Knights have proven they belong in any conversation about Idaho's elite programs, and their pursuit of state title number nine is very much alive.

The Sporting News Idaho Player of the Week: Bishop Kelly [Boise] senior Ben Avella

Brandon Walton

Brandon Walton is a freelance contributor for The Sporting News. After graduating from Boise State in 2015, he’s made stops at the Argus Observer (Oregon), the Idaho Press and SBLive. Brandon is currently the sports editor for both the Idaho State Journal and Post Register newspapers. Just this May, he took home four Idaho Press Club awards, including taking third place in the Sports Reporter of the Year category. His three first-place awards were the most among the sports reporting categories. Brandon is the father to three wonderful children in Aaden (17), Lennon (13) and Everly (7). He is also engaged to his beautiful fiancé Tawna, who will be celebrating 8 years together this fall. In his spare time, he loves to hang out with his family, friends, watch movies, play video games and get his heart broken by his sports teams, most notably the Dallas Cowboys.