5 big games (and 5 big winners) in Treasure Valley high school football this week
The halfway point of the high school football regular season has come and gone. And with it, the stakes keep rising each week.
This week’s slate in the Treasure Valley features a load of games with postseason implications. Cinderella Nampa seeks to prove it’s a contender against Eagle. New power Meridian hosts multidecade dynasty Highland in a major 5A nonconference clash. And Bishop Kelly and Vallivue battle atop the 4A Southern Idaho Conference.
We break down the top five matches, and the predicted winners, below.
NAMPA AT EAGLE
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
Nampa remains perhaps the best underdog story in Idaho across all classifications. Picked to finish 12th out of 13 teams in the 5A SIC, the Bulldogs (3-1, 3-0 5A SIC River) instead hold a half-game lead atop their division in the 5A SIC, own 5A’s third-best offense (39.5 points per game) and stand three points shy of an undefeated record.
But that division lead and Nampa’s Cinderella status face their toughest challenge yet with a road trip to No. 5-ranked Eagle, the Bulldogs’ first ranked opponent and the preseason favorite to win the River Division.
The Mustangs (2-2, 2-0 5A SIC River) brought another upstart team back to earth last week with a dominant defensive performance in a 27-7 victory against Owyhee. Eagle held the Storm to 127 total yards, 80 of which came on a late touchdown drive with the game already decided.
Eagle wide receiver Ian Duarte remains one of the state’s most dynamic players, evidenced by his 67-yard punt return touchdown last week. But the Mustangs have yet to click offensively, posting just 18 points per game. And they lost one of their Treasure Valley’s top playmakers when running back Deegan Martino tore his ACL in a noncontact injury last week.
Prediction: Eagle 28, Nampa 22
HIGHLAND AT MERIDIAN
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
No. 2-ranked Meridian (4-0) made its ambitions this fall clear with its schedule.
Outside of their required games in the 5A SIC Foothills Division, the Warriors put perennial powers Eagle, Mountain View and Highland on the docket, steeling themselves for a title run.
Meridian passed the first two tests, dominating Eagle 36-14 before taking down Mountain View 13-7. Now it gets to take on the standard in 5A football for the past 50 years.
The Warriors spent the past two weeks bullying teams in the SIC, invoking the running-clocky mercy rule in the fourth quarter in a 56-7 win at Middleton and a 55-6 win over Timberline at Dona Larsen Park.
They now catch a Highland (2-2) squad limited by injuries. Running back Jackson Riddle returned for a 14-7 win over Pocatello last week, running 118 yards and two TDs. But he broke the same collarbone that kept him out the first three weeks in the win, he said on Twitter.
That spells trouble against a Meridian defense that leads the 5A ranks in points allowed (8.3) and turnovers forced (17).
Prediction: Meridian 35, Highland 14
BISHOP KELLY AT VALLIVUE
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
Strength meets strength in this clash of 4A conference title contenders.
No. 2-ranked Bishop Kelly (4-0, 1-0 4A SIC) owns the top defense in the 4A classification, giving up just five points per game. And Vallivue (2-2, 2-0) has put up 46 points a night, the second most in 4A.
The Falcons looked one-dimensional through the first three weeks, using an explosive run game to overpower opponents. But quarterback Isaac Moore showed otherwise last week, throwing for 247 yards and four TDs, giving the Knights another weapon.
But Bishop Kelly has won 14 in a row over the Falcons, and the Knights’ offense stands just behind Vallivue at 43 points per game.
Prediction: Bishop Kelly 35, Vallivue 20
COLUMBIA AT SKYVIEW
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
The Nampa School District rivals face off for the first time in a conference game, and just the second time overall, since 2013. And both need a win to keep their playoff chances off life support.
Only the top two teams in the 4A Southern Idaho Conference qualify automatically for the playoffs. Skyview (0-5, 0-2) and Columbia (1-3, 0-1) will need a ton of help to claim one of those spots. So they’ll need to turn their attention to one of eight at-large berths, which Idaho rewards via MaxPreps.com rankings.
Sixteen teams make the playoffs. Skyview enters the week at No. 17, followed by Columbia at No. 19.
It’s too much to call this a must-win. A lot can change between now and the end of the season. But a loss Friday would leave either team in a monster hole.
Prediction: Skyview 32, Columbia 22
HORSESHOE BEND AT COUNCIL
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
The 1A Division II Long Pin Conference title, and its first-round playoff bye, likely come down to this matchup.
Council (2-2) entered the season as the unanimous favorite in the 8-man league. But Horseshoe Bend (3-1, 1-0) stands as the defending league champ, finished just behind Council in the preseason rankings and has won four in a row against the Lumberjacks.
Both are coming off nonconference losses. A win here will erase those memories and set the victor on a path that leads to November.
Prediction: Council 41, Horseshoe Bend 36
