Who are the real contenders? We’ll found out in these five high school football games
Nonconference and cross-division games start to fall by the wayside this week in Southwest Idaho. That provides an opportunity for a host of up-and-coming teams to prove themselves as legitimate contenders.
Owyhee takes on another blue-blood program. Kuna and Nampa meet in a battle of two surprising teams. Mountain View gets a chance to move past a 0-2 start and stake an inside position in the 5A SIC River Division. And two key 4A SIC matchups will go a long way toward determining the eventual league title.
OWYHEE AT EAGLE
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
Moral victories don’t count in the standings. But Owyhee proved more in its 34-31 loss against Mountain View last week than it did running off three straight wins to start the season.
The Storm (3-1, 1-1 5A SIC River) scored 14 points in the final six minutes to put pressure on the Mavericks, a perennial state power and the SIC’s defending champ. Gabe Alvarado looked uncoverable with 12 catches for 201 yards and three TDs. And quarterback Matt Irwin went 30-for-39 for 304 yards against one of the state’s top defenses.
But Owyhee will have to turn that moral victory into an actual win this week to stay in the race for the River Division crown. Head-to-head losses against Mountain View and Eagle would all but resign the Storm to a fight for playoff seeding.
No. 5 Eagle (1-2, 1-0) also enters in need of real victories in the standings. Losses to No. 1 Rocky Mountain and No. 3 Meridian don’t count in the River Division. And the Mustangs looked miles better last week than the team drubbed by Meridian in Week 0. But a win over Owyhee remains critical to challenge for the league title.
The Mustangs made a concerted effort to get the ball into the hands of explosive wide receiver Ian Duarte last week, and he rewarded them with 11 touches for 191 yards and a touchdown in a 17-10 loss at No. 1 Rocky Mountain. He remains a touchdown threat every time he touches the ball, and one Owyhee will have to account for, and find, on every snap.
Prediction: Eagle 29, Owyhee 22
KUNA AT NAMPA
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
Few expected either team to seriously contend this season. Nampa finished 12th out of 13 teams in the 5A SIC preseason coaches’ poll, and Kuna finished tied for 10th. But both have surprised early in the season.
Nampa (2-1, 2-0) stands alone atop the 5A SIC River Division, just three points shy of a perfect record. And Kuna (3-1, 1-1) has proved itself as a team no one can afford to overlook.
Nampa keeps posting gaudy numbers, ranking second in the state at 37.7 points per game behind running back Daniel Carrillo. The senior has racked up 534 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground so far. Quarterback Gabe Navarro joined the party with 222 yards and three TDs through the air last week. Add in Idaho commit Payton Gunter at tight end, and the Bulldogs have weapons all over the field.
Kuna fields plenty of threats, too. Cole Luekenga stands at the head of the Kavemen as 5A’s leading passer (1,048 yards, seven TDs), distributing the ball to dynamic receivers in Luke Snarr (27 catches, 465 yards) and Luke Selto (15 catches, 293 yards).
The Kavemen have shown grit as well, rallying from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter a week ago to knock off Borah.
Both figure to remain key players in the 5A SIC River Division race, but a win Friday is necessary to contend for the division title.
Prediction: Nampa 36, Kuna 29
BORAH AT MOUNTAIN VIEW
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com, IdahoSports.com (audio only)
Two teams trending in opposite directions meet in another important game in the 5A SIC River Division, which is providing all the intrigue in the 5A SIC so far.
No. 4-ranked Mountain View (1-2, 1-0) got off the snide last week, hanging on for a 34-31 win at Owyhee. That allowed the Mavericks to finally breathe a sigh of relief after an opening three weeks against teams with a combined record of 10-1, including No. 1 Rocky Mountain and No. 3 Meridian.
The Mavericks kept their potent ground game on track in Justin McGee’s first start. The converted quarterback ran for 114 yards and added a touchdown pass. The Mavericks also scored on defense and special teams to get into the win column.
Meanwhile, Borah’s defense looks shaky after posting back-to-back shutouts to start the season. The Lions surrendered 37 and 35 points the past two weeks, and they blew the big lead and fell in overtime at Kuna last week.
Borah (2-2, 0-2) expected to contend, finishing fifth overall in the 5A SIC preseason coaches’ poll. A 0-3 start in the River Division all but eliminates the Lions from the conference title race, and it leaves little room for error as they chase a playoff berth.
Prediction: Mountain View 28, Borah 21
VALLIVUE AT COLUMBIA
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
Two of the state’s top running backs square off in a key 4A SIC contest.
Vallivue (1-2, 1-0 4A SIC) owns one of the state’s top offenses (48.7 points, 502 yards per game), thanks in large part to Tyson Fox. The senior ran for 331 yards and three fourth-quarter touchdowns to lead the Falcons to a 64-42 win over Skyview last week. That boosted his three-game total to 657 yards and nine TDs.
Ikaika Ho has carried the load for Columbia (1-2, 0-0), racking up 549 yards and five TDs through three games. The Wildcats are looking to climb out the conference cellar after several rough seasons. That starts with scoring their first win over the Falcons.
Vallivue holds a 7-0 all-time record against Columbia.
Prediction: Vallivue 49, Columbia 21
SKYVIEW AT EMMETT
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: IdahoSports.com
Skyview’s first season back at the 4A level has gone anything but according to plan.
After making the playoffs three times in four years in the 5A classification, coaches picked the Hawks to finish second in the 4A SIC this year. But they enter Friday night 0-4 overall, 0-1 in the conference and giving up 52 points per game — the most for any 11-man team in the state.
Skyview gets a chance to prove it can contend in the 4A SIC with a road trip to the two-time defending league champ. The Huskies fell to third in the preseason poll with just eight returning starters. But Emmett (2-1, 0-0) has quieted the doubters with an impressive start that includes pushing No. 2 Blackfoot and handing 5A Lake City a 55-27 loss last week behind Dakota Perry’s six touchdown passes.
Prediction: Emmett 42, Skyview 35
This story was originally published September 14, 2022 at 3:54 PM.
