Idaho football kicks into high gear Friday. 5 big games (and 5 big winners) in Week 1
The opening week of the Idaho high school football season featured a marquee battle between the projected No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the 5A Southern Idaho Conference. But it merely served as a teaser for this week’s slate.
The schedule ramps up to 27 games this weekend after just 11 a week ago. The packed lineup includes another measuring stick game for Meridian, a new era at Bishop Kelly and a budding Canyon County rivalry.
We broke down all the top games and picked their winners.
MERIDIAN AT MOUNTAIN VIEW
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
The Warriors’ front-loaded schedule creates another huge 5A SIC matchup, and it puts the 5A SIC preseason favorite in danger of falling to 0-2.
No. 3-ranked Meridian (0-1) racked up 389 yards of offense and ate up 28 minutes, 38 seconds of the game clock last week in Eagle. But two failed fourth-down attempts erased some production and allowed Eagle to rally for a 36-33 win.
The Warriors remain loaded on offense, evidenced by all those yards. A 0-2 start against two teams in the other 5A SIC division won’t affect Meridian’s bid for another league title. But a marquee win against Mountain View would go a long way toward calming nerves.
Meridian has won three in a row against its crosstown rival, including a 34-10 blowout in the state semifinals last fall. The Warriors never punted, ran for 316 of their 439 total yards and held the Mavericks to a single touchdown against its backups.
Mountain View (0-0) has stewed over that loss for the past nine months. The Mavericks return loads of weapons of their own, including sophomore running back Valentine Gomez-Ricks and do-it-all senior Justin McGee.
McGee started camp in a quarterback battle, but he may prove more valuable elsewhere on the field. Where he lines up remains a surprise with no game film to go off. But look for the Mavericks to make sure he touches the ball as often as possible.
Prediction: Meridian 34, Mountain View 30
ROCKY MOUNTAIN AT COEUR D’ALENE
Kickoff: 8 p.m. Mountain Time Friday
Meridian falling on opening night may come as a surprise. But the true stunner happened in Missoula, Montana, where Coeur d’Alene (1-0) upset two-time defending state champ and preseason No. 1 Rigby 27-20 on a neutral field.
The Vikings’ run of five straight league titles ended last fall, snapping their 13-year playoff streak and leading them to finish third out of four teams in the Inland Empire League’s preseason coaches poll. But Coeur d’Alene announced that it is back with authority, forcing four turnovers from Rigby quarterback Luke Flowers, a Montana commit and the reigning 5A All-Idaho Player of the Year.
Rocky Mountain (1-0) has won four in a row over Coeur d’Alene dating back to 2014. But all four of those matchups came in Meridian, and the Grizzlies have never won on the Vikings’ home field.
Rocky Mountain got off to a slow start last week before its defense rode to the rescue, forcing four turnovers for a 31-21 Foothills Division win over Middleton. Gunnar Thompson impressed in his debut at quarterback, finishing 16-for-27 for 195 yards and two TDs. But he also threw a pick-six interception of his own, and the Grizzlies managed only 2.1 yards per carry.
Prediction: Coeur d’Alene 27, Rocky Mountain 22
NAMPA AT MIDDLETON
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: IdahoSports.com, NFHSNetwork.com
Two points is all that has separated these two Canyon County rivals three years in a row.
Middleton stuffed a two-point conversion with 2:18 left to preserve a 36-34 win last season. And Nampa took 52-50 and 44-42 wins in 2021 and 2020, respectively, on last-second field goals. So buckle in.
Turnovers doomed Middleton (0-1, 0-1 5A SIC Foothills) a week ago. The Vikings led 7-0 after the first quarter against Rocky Mountain before four turnovers led to 24 unanswered points from the Grizzlies. Weston Mills kept Middleton in the game with a 70-yard interception return, but it proved too little, too late.
Nampa (0-0) opens the season with a well-earned chip on its shoulders. The Bulldogs finished 10th out of 13 teams in the 5A SIC preseason poll, despite going 7-3 and hosting a 5A playoff game last fall.
Prediction: Middleton 30, Nampa 24
CAPITAL AT BISHOP KELLY
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
Bishop Kelly opened in 1964 and Capital followed in 1965. But the two Boise powers had never met until last fall, when Bishop Kelly delivered a 41-6 beatdown of its 5A opponent and triggered the running-clock mercy rule for the entire fourth quarter.
The Knights (0-0) start a new era Friday, debuting a new artificial turf field and a new head coach. Former Rocky Mountain coach Chris Culig takes over for Tim Brennan, who stepped down after 27 seasons. But expectations remain high at the private Catholic school, which starts the season second in the 4A state media poll and as the unanimous favorite in the 4A SIC preseason coaches poll.
Expect a new offense and new defense for the Knights. But BK’s bread will remain buttered with the running game. Peter Minnaert returns after rushing for 1,477 yards and 27 TDs for second-team All-Idaho honors. And offensive lineman Rakeem Johnson, an Oregon State commit, remains one of the must-see players in all of Idaho.
Capital (0-1) opened the season a week ago, falling 29-20 to rival Borah. The Eagles looked much better than they did a year ago, when they started 0-2 on their way to the worst season in program history. But Capital struggled to handle Borah’s Division I-bound lineman Trevor McKenna, giving up six sacks to him and seven in total.
Prediction: Bishop Kelly 34, Capital 13
KUNA AT SKYVIEW
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
Neither team finished above .500 last season, but both entered the season with plenty of expectations, and both backed it up with wins on opening night.
Skyview (1-0) quarterback Cache Beus is already off to a prolific start, leading the Hawks back from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit for a 29-26 win over Elko, Nevada. He racked up four total touchdowns and 218 total yards in his debut after transferring from Melba.
But Kuna (1-0) pitched a shutout, holding Centennial to 109 total yards in a 20-0 win. The Kavemen figured to rely on their explosive offense this fall, but if their defense can put up another performance like that, Kuna could surprise some teams in the 5A SIC.
Prediction: Kuna 27, Skyview 22
This story was originally published August 23, 2023 at 4:28 PM.
