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From their inception in 2002 to the final overtime loss of 2009, the Lionz franchise was one that could be relied on to bring the battle to their opponents week-in and week-out. Four times as division champions, their nemesis seemed to always be either the Idaho Falls Mustangs or Utah's South Ogden Rhino-Raiders and for seven-straight seasons it was one of those two teams that ended the Madison run. The inaugural season was marked with a record-setting 98 points scored in a week six matchup with the Fort Hall Cobras. The 98-0 victory stands as one of the most lopsided victories in Northwest history. Madison would make it to the second round of the playoffs falling for the second time of the season to the Mustangs. The 2003 team ripped through it's first nine games averaging 49.7 points per game on offense and giving up only 8.7 points per game claiming the North Division championship with QB Troy Dougherty former Grinnell College (Iowa) All-American, leading the way. But those numbers flipped in the playoffs when the Mustangs again ended the Lionz season in a 46-6 shocking blow out, after Madison posted a 40-6 regular season win over Idaho Falls. The 2004 season would be a back-and-forth season finishing 5-4 with two losses including the playoffs to South Ogden. Madison got back on track in 2005 dominating the Rocky Mountain Division and winning the crown before taking two league playoff victories and setting up an RMFL championship date with the Rhino-Raiders in a rematch of 2004's finale. The perfect season would slip away on the night of July 16th in a 24-19 heartbreaker to South Ogden, the Lionz finishing 11-1, the second time in three seasons completing one-loss campaigns. 2006 opened with one nemesis and closed out with the other. The Mustangs stole away a 17-15 victory in week one, then in week three, the Rhino-Raiders set the Lionz back to 1-2 on the season. A win over the Matadors sent the Lionz on a winning streak that culminated in anouther AAA North Division crown that included a 50-33 win over the Mustangs and set up a 2005 Championship rematch with South Ogden. For the third consecutive season, the Rhino-Raiders raised the trophy over Madison, the Lionz finishing 9-3. 2007, with QB Dougherty retiring, became the first time in franchise history the Lionz had a losing season. Entering the playoffs 5-5 it was again, a fourth time in a row, that South Ogden ended the Lionz season. Madison would go 0-7 all-time against the boys from Utah in what would be their final meeting to end 2007. Former QB Troy Dougherty was honored by Grinnell College as a 2007 inductee into the school's Athletic Hall of Fame for his then-records of 10,200 yards passing and 109 TD passes at the D-III level and holding 23 Grinnell school records from 1996-1999. Dougherty was a first-team all-league selection four consecutive seasons from 2003-2006 with the Lionz winning three MVP honors. Following the 2007 season the team changed from "Madison" to "Eastern Idaho" and the team finally broke through and laid claim to the RMFL AA championship in a 2008 overtime win over the Idaho Matadors. The season got off to a shaky start with a loss to Montana's Helena Titans, then an overtime win in the Montana snow over the Great Falls Gladiators sparking a nine-game win streak to the title including a rematch victory over Helena in week five. The 2009 season finale was another overtime affair only this time the Lionz were on the losing end in a 27-26 playoff loss to the St. George Blitz. The books were closed on the franchise after the season. When the final tabulations were in, the Lionz were one of the top Idaho franchises to play in the RMFL making eight consecutive playoffs and compiling a 62-33 overall record with four division crowns and the 2008 AA Championship. DO YOU HAVE INFORMATION TO CONTRIBUTE? CONTACT US! (email)
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