Idaho high school football is back. These are the Top 5 games to watch in Week 1.
Defending 5A state champion Rocky Mountain may have opened the season with an early win at Highland last weekend, but the Idaho high school football season truly starts this week.
Twenty-five games involve at least one Treasure Valley team. The only thing guaranteed are early-season kinks to work through. But these are the five games in the Boise area to keep an eye on.
MERIDIAN AT MOUNTAIN VIEW
A year ago, no one outside of these schools could call this a marquee matchup. Mountain View had won 12 in a row over its West Ada rival, many of them blowouts. But the Warriors snapped that streak with a 41-26 upset.
Now the Mavericks and Warriors stand as two of the top teams in the 5A SIC. Mountain View finished as the clear favorite in a preseason coaches’ poll. The Mavericks return seven starters from a defense that led them on a run to the state semifinals. And running back Quintez Evans is back to lead the offense.
But the Warriors loom not far behind, finishing third in the preseason poll. Meridian fields talent all over the field, starting with quarterback Malakai Martinez and wide receiver Davis Thacker.
Looking for a second straight win in the series, Meridian must take the show on the road to Mountain View, which debuts a new turf field. The Warriors have not won there since 2007.
Prediction: Mountain View 36, Meridian 34
BORAH VS. TIMBERLINE
Boise School District teams emerge from their junior varsity fields and return to Dona Larsen Park for the first time in a year. Capital takes the stage first, hosting Nampa on Thursday. But the main entree features two city rivals on Friday.
Timberline running back and Montana State commit Taylor Marcum stands poised for a monster senior season. He’s one of seven returning offensive starters for the Wolves, who have won a playoff game each of the past two seasons.
Meanwhile, Borah enters a new era in J.Q. Kenyon’s first game as head coach. The Lions suffered through a 0-5 campaign last fall. A statement on opening night could go a long way toward erasing those memories.
Prediction: Timberline 34, Borah 13
EAGLE AT BISHOP KELLY
Playoff mainstays in the 5A and 4A classifications, this marks just the second meeting between the Mustangs and the Knights. (Eagle won the first meeting, 14-13, in 2003).
Both teams must recover from heavy graduation losses. But don’t expect either team’s identity to change. Eagle uses more flash and speed, while BK relies on between-the-tackles toughness. But establishing the run remains the key for two of the Treasure Valley’s top offenses.
Strap in for a battle of two of the state’s top running backs: Eagle’s Ethan Mikita and Bishop Kelly’s Seth Knothe. Whoever has the ball last may come away with the win.
Prediction: Eagle 28, Bishop Kelly 22
OWYHEE AT CENTENNIAL
Owyhee, the state’s newest high school, opens with a glass half-full, half-empty situation.
The Storm’s first game in program history will count in the 5A SIC River Division standings, the only counter game in the Treasure Valley on opening weekend. But they also face a Centennial squad riding a 12-game losing streak.
The Patriots have flashed signs that a turnaround is coming. They reached the finals of the Potato Bowl 7-on-7 Tournament this summer. Since 2013, every team that made the finals of the passing tournament also made the playoffs that season.
Prediction: Centennial 34, Owyhee 12
FRUITLAND AT MELBA
The top small-school matchup on opening night features a 3A power on the decline (Fruitland) and an up-and-coming 2A program (Melba).
Melba stands as the favorite to repeat as the 2A WIC champ, with 15 returning starters. It lost several big-name players to graduation, but has plenty of talent returning to show it was no one-hit wonder.
Meanwhile, coaches picked Fruitland to finish fourth out of six teams in the 3A SRV, a far cry from the days when the Grizzlies steamrolled through their league. That leaves a young group, with just four returning starters on both sides of the ball, the opportunity to make a statement on opening night.
Prediction: Fruitland 27, Melba 22
This story was originally published August 25, 2021 at 5:52 PM.
