When and where: Thursday, 6:45 p.m., at Everly-Montgomery Field

The scouting report: The Trojans will make their season debut a year after yet another Class 4A state playoff appearance. Monarch, having achieved the same feat in 2023, has already collected its first victory under new head coach Jeff Santee.

Both return athletic quarterbacks.

Last week, the Coyotes outwitted Poudre in a 29-14 showing, proving that the revolving door of coaches the past few years hasn’t fazed the players much at all. They lost offensive machines in Owen Mellish (868 all-purpose yards) — he’s now at Colorado Mines — and Brody Gray (823 all-purpose yards) but bring back their leading man, Riley Montemayor.

The senior quarterback was nothing short of phenomenal in 2023, passing for 1,696 yards and 13 touchdowns all while running for an extra 401 yards and seven more scores. Senior wide receiver Gavin Fagan (546 all-purpose yards) and senior wide receiver Archie Jahn (502 all-purpose yards) will be the leading candidates to fill the holes left behind by last year’s seniors.

The Trojans find themselves in a similar boat.

Much like Monarch, the Trojans enjoyed the good fortune of their captain’s return. Senior quarterback Kolby Holmes, having steadily improved since he took over the position as a sophomore, ended last season’s campaign with 1,961 passing yards and 17 touchdowns, adding 623 rushing yards and 13 more scores to the mix.

The loss of their first mate, though, leaves quite the open gap on the field needing to be remedied. Cole Gaddis, also at Mines, was a beast on both sides of the ball, accruing 1,549 all-purpose yards and 21 touchdowns. He likewise led on the defensive end with 78 tackles.

The Trojans still return strong talent on the offensive side, notably junior wide receiver Joey Foot, who collected 1,156 receiving yards as a sophomore. This game may just well come down to who can sling the ball the best.