Boise’s biggest high school football rivalry is a one-sided affair. But not anymore.

“Capital” remains a forbidden word around the halls of Borah High.

The Lions refuse to even say the name of their rival, instead referring to the Eagles as “the team across town.”

Welcome to Boise’s most intense high school football rivalry, one with 54 years of history. Coaches for both programs know they don’t need any motivational speeches ahead of Friday’s 7 p.m. game at Dona Larsen Park.

“We try to say it’s Week 5, but everyone knows we would be lying,” Borah coach Jason Burton said. “We know it’s Capital week. There’s a buzz around school. Teachers are definitely chiming in a little more, stopping by your room.

“Whenever these schools get together, we could be playing football or checkers, the intensity is up like no other week.”

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Capital has dominated the series recently, winning 16 of the last 17 meetings. But this year’s edition features a role reversal.

Borah (4-0) enters undefeated and ranked fourth in the state. Meanwhile, unranked Capital (2-2) is licking its wounds after a slow start (by its standards) and needs a win to stay in the 5A Southern Idaho Conference title race.

For the first time since the mid-1990s, Borah can legitimately call itself the favorite against the team across town.

“Offensively, they are explosive,” Capital coach Todd Simis said. “They are scary.”

The combination of Borah quarterback Jake Standlee and wide receiver Ellis Magnuson, both three-year starters, gives the Lions one of the state’s most dangerous passing attacks. Standlee has a bounty of other weapons to rely on should defenses try to take away Magnuson, throwing for 1,085 yards and 12 TDs with no interceptions through four weeks.

But he’ll have to top Capital for the first time in his career without receiver and defensive back Chase Nett, another three-year starter. A broken hand has him sidelined through the rest of the regular season.

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The rivalry game remains the Super Bowl of Borah’s schedule every year. But Capital doesn’t always view the game the same way. Simis admits battles against Eagle, Rocky Mountain and Mountain View often create more buzz on Goddard Road.

The Eagles still honor the tradition between the schools, having a former player deliver a pregame speech on the series’ history and meaning. Capital’s 3-foot Gurkha sword only comes out for Borah, but Simis said Capital purposefully keeps the focus on itself and not the opponent.

“We pay respect to the rivalry and the tradition, and we coach our kids up as far as the team we’re playing,” Simis said. “But we never make one game more important than the next.”

That will happen when one team wins 16 of the last 17. Capital is 45-1 against Boise School District opponents since Simis took over in 2004. Borah’s 49-42 win in 2015 is his only loss.

“For any healthy rivalry, both teams have to go back and forth,” Burton said. “I don’t think it’s as big as it once was, and that’s our job to get it there.”

Despite the program’s best start since 1995, Borah remains hard to trust. It needed a last-second field goal to escape Meridian (1-3) with a two-point win, then squeaked by Timberline (0-4) with a three-point victory last week.

Perhaps the Lions are buying into their own hype. Borah should have cruised through those two games with the talent on its sideline.

Playing Capital should focus Borah. And Capital’s turnover struggles — nine this season after eight all of last year — feed right into the Lions’ hands.

Borah 42, Capital 35

Skyview at Mountain View, 7 p.m.

For all those who doubted Skyview could compete at the 5A level, peep this: The Hawks (3-1) own 5A’s top-scoring offense (43 ppg) and sit all alone in third place in the SIC standings ahead of powerhouses like Mountain View (2-2), Capital and Eagle.

Skyview found itself in a bit of trouble last week, trailing Boise after the first quarter thanks to four first-half turnovers. The Hawks ramped it up in the second half to score 43 points, but they won’t get away with a repeat performance against Mountain View’s defense.

The Mavericks had the opposite problem last week, surrendering 33 second-half points to lose at home to Eagle.

“To say we were rattled a bit wouldn’t be inaccurate,” Mountain View coach Judd Benedick said. “We got punched in the mouth and didn’t respond the right way. You only have two choices: Either crumble and break down, or you face it, rise up and overcome it. My hope is they choose the latter.”

Mountain View hasn’t lost back-to-back games in four years. Don’t expect it to start now.

Mountain View 37, Skyview 35

Bishop Kelly at Middleton, 7 p.m.

No. 2 Bishop Kelly (4-0) and No. 3 Middleton (4-0) have both posted two shutouts this season. But strap in for a shootout Friday.

Middleton brings 4A’s top offense (49.3 ppg) into the battle for first place in the 4A SIC. The Vikings’ air raid offense hasn’t missed a beat with Dallas Hagler under center. The junior has completed 63 percent of his passes for 919 yards, 14 TDs and one interception.

Bishop Kelly continues to out physical opponents with its power-run game, averaging 287 yards a contest on the ground to rack up 41.3 points per game. But Middleton isn’t an opponent that will get pushed around.

Middleton 42, Bishop Kelly 38

Fruitland at Homedale, 7 p.m. Friday

Fruitland (2-1) held on to the No. 1 ranking in 3A despite last week’s 41-18 loss at 4A power Middleton.

The Grizzlies face another potent passing attack on the road Friday in No. 2 Homedale (4-0). Daniel Uranga has directed the Trojans to 55.8 points per game, the most of any 11-man team in Idaho, while throwing for 865 yards and 16 TDs with one interception.

But Middleton’s success came from slowing down Fruitland’s Wing-T run game, holding it to 4.1 yards per carry and forcing Fruitland to the air. That’s a tough task to repeat.

Homedale finished ahead of Fruitland in the preseason conference coaches’ poll. But a weak nonconference schedule won’t do the Trojans any favors when battle-tested Fruitland comes to town.

Fruitland 33, Homedale 28

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This story was originally published September 19, 2018 at 6:15 PM.