That was fun, wasn’t it?

Three nights of high school football, bookended by high-intensity games in Holt Arena, making the long offseason worth the wait.

And in between there were a few surprises, some disappointments, and a lot of, well, exactly what we expected.

Here’s a look back at Week 1 of the 2019 high school football season.

Game of the week

In terms of quality, no game rivaled the Rocky Mountain Rumble finale featuring Highland and Salt Lake City’s East High — two highly-ranked, storied programs featuring future Division I players.

It ended as many predicted, with East on top, 23-10. The Leopards’ option rushing attack drained the clock in the fourth quarter while Highland played from behind, and their defense forced the Rams to abandon the run. Highland quarterback Easton Durham rarely looked rattled in his first varsity start, completing 21 of 34 passes while using his speed to escape a relentless pass rush.

Highland’s defense performed admirably, stuffing several runs for little or no gain and recovering a few crucial fumbles.

But in the fourth quarter, a bad snap, an interception and an East touchdown formed Highland’s death sequence. Durham and the offense were on East’s side of the field when tings began to unravel, and the series of miscues ultimately spun the Rams’ deficit from 14-10 to 20-10.

I predicted Highland to win it, and upon scanning East’s robust roster Saturday night, I realized the Rams would have their hands full. But I was well aware of two things when making that pick: Highland rarely loses at home, and the Rams almost always have the coaching advantage.

Which leads to the key takeaway — Highland will be just fine the rest of the season. The Rams likely got their most challenging opponent out of the way, and play five consecutive home games between Sept. 13 and Oct. 11. Coeur d’Alene will be tough, and Rigby poses an intriguing regular-season finale, but there’s a real chance the Rams head to the playoffs riding an eight-game winning streak.

Should it be a surprise?

Snake River coach Jeb Harrison has been adamant that his team will be a major player this season.

It’s standard preseason coach-speak. Everyone’s optimistic. I taste-tested the Kool-Aid, but it was a little too sweet.

After all, the Panthers were 2-6 in 2018. Let’s get back to the right side of .500 first, Harrison, then I’ll start listening.

Friday night, Snake River rolled to 294 yards rushing and ran away with a 42-14 home win against Kimberly. Sophomore quarterback Cole Gilbert completed 14 of 19 passes while rushing for 80 yards and a score, and the Panthers’ defense held Kimberly to its lowest scoring output since 2015.

To dampen the excitement for a second or two, Kimberly reportedly lost several key returning players from last season’s team. That takes a toll on any roster, but especially at the 3A level, where almost all players contribute on both offense and defense.

But a win by that margin against a team that advanced to the state semifinals a season ago still has meaning.

Snake River gets another test next week against West Side – a 2A program, but usually one of the best in the state.

So I’m officially listening, Harrison. Let’s see what you’ve got.

Time to panic?

Hopes are also high in Century’s corner this season, and rightfully so. The Diamondbacks return first-team all-state quarterback Nathan Manning, and his playmakers include two pass-catchers with Division-I offers.

Century didn’t have Manning for Saturday’s season opener — a 62-27 home loss to Utah’s Lehi. Even so, the D-backs scored three first-half touchdowns, nearly matching the visitors shot-for-shot.

But the second half wasn’t pretty for Century.

The offense sputtered to seven more points, and the defense was hit for four touchdowns. Lehi also returned an interception to the house for a score.

Century coach Travis Hobson insists Saturday’s outcome is no cause for concern. I’m not so sure. Lehi isn’t a particularly notable team – no big-time recruits and no top-five ranking to speak of. The Pioneers were picked to finish fourth in their six-team conference in a preseason coaches poll.

But Saturday’s game was Lehi’s third this season, compared to Century’s first. That’s a fact you can’t argue, though its effect on the game isn’t measurable. Maybe Manning’s eventual return from injury pumps life into the D-backs on both sides of the ball.

For now, my optimism is on hold. Century gets another shot Friday against Idaho Falls.

Feel-good game of the week

The story of the summer for Pocatello High football was its youth and its future — a roundabout way of accepting 2019 as a lost season.

The Indians opened the Gate City football season Thursday at Holt Arena, with their first-year quarterback and their sophomore starters, who are supposed to lay the path for the program’s incoming classes. They didn’t play like 2019 was for naught.

Anchored by a fearless defense and an offense that didn’t give drives away, Poky rallied from a 15-6 deficit to beat Twin Falls 20-15. The first-year QB captained the offense while his sophomore playmakers scored touchdowns. A senior linebacker had an unforgettable birthday, feasting in Twin Falls’ backfield throughout the game.

The Indians celebrated the win like the big deal it was. The Gate City’s flagship high school used to be a force in the Gem State, but hasn’t had a winning season since 2012. It has since worn the underdog label as the football programs On the Hill and South of Town have competed for and won state championships.

And yet, after Week 1, only one has a win on its record.