Top 5 high school football games (and who will win them) in Southwest Idaho this week
Most years, you can count on three sure things: Death, taxes and the predictability of Idaho high school football.
Not this year.
Just take a look at the latest standings in the 6A SIC. Perennial powers Mountain View and Meridian sit at the bottom. Long-struggling programs like Timberline and Kuna are rising. And chaos reigned last week with upsets all over the conference.
So what can we expect this week? We broke down the top matchups and foolishly tried to predict the outcomes below.
BOISE VS. BORAH
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Thursday at Dona Larsen Park
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
The title of Boise city champs doesn’t count in any record book or toward any playoff seeding. But the crown means plenty to Boise, which has never topped all three Boise School District opponents in the same season.
The Brave (3-1, 0-1 6A SIC River) suffered their first defeat last week in a 43-21 loss to Eagle. Respect remains a trait the long-struggling program must fight for each week. But Boise continues to prove the doubters wrong with an explosive offense led by quarterback Trevor Schoolfield (997 passing yards, 11 TDs) and a host of dangerous receivers.
Borah (3-1, 1-0) forced six turnovers last week to upset Owyhee 23-10. That outburst means the Lions now lead the state with 14 turnovers and a plus-10 turnover margin through four games. A few more turnovers would go a long way toward avenging a 29-28 loss to Boise last season, when the Lions came up short on a two-point conversion in overtime.
Prediction: Boise 31, Borah 27
MERIDIAN AT MIDDLETON
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: IdahoSports.com
I wrote last week that Meridian shouldn’t panic yet. But after a home loss to Timberline, it’s time to start worrying.
Meridian (1-3, 0-1 6A SIC Foothills) has struggled to build a consistent offense outside of a shootout win over Mountain View, a win that looks less impressive by the day. The Warriors’ once-vaunted running game remains stuck in neutral, putting too much on quarterback Zeke Martinez’s shoulders. He remains one of the state’s most dangerous dual threats (930 total yards, 12 TDs). But one weapon doesn’t build a title contender.
Middleton (2-2, 1-0) is 0-3 all-time vs. the Warriors. But the Vikings’ defense is one of the toughest units Meridian will face this season. Drew Holman (15.3 tackles per game) makes plays from sideline to sideline, and Middleton has already forced 11 turnovers through four games.
Prediction: Meridian 22, Middleton 17
MOUNTAIN VIEW AT EAGLE
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
This matchup normally marks a playoff preview or determines who goes to the league championship game. But Mountain View (1-3, 0-1 6A SIC River) enters fighting for its life after losing three straight, including the Mavericks’ first-ever loss to Kuna last week.
Mountain View hasn’t lost four in a row since 2004. But it faces a daunting test in No. 3-ranked Eagle (3-1, 1-0). The Mustangs are lighting up the scoreboard this fall with 38.3 points per game, second most in the state. Quarterback Austin Ramsey continues to prove himself a dangerous passer (760 yards, 11 TDs). And star running back Noah Burnham returned last week.
Prediction: Eagle 42, Mountain View 20
OWYHEE AT KUNA
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
So much can change in a single week.
A week ago, Owyhee was riding high fresh off an upset win over Meridian. It looked ready to join the league’s blue bloods and contend for a league title. Then it coughed up six turnovers and rotated quarterbacks searching for answers in a homecoming loss to Borah.
Now Kuna enters as the next up-and-coming team. The Kavemen were picked to finish last in the River Division and 10th out of 12 teams in the 6A SIC preseason coaches’ poll. But back-to-back upsets over Middleton and Mountain View shows many overlooked Kuna.
Prediction: Owyhee 24, Kuna 20
EMMETT AT VALLIVUE
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Broadcast: NFHSNetwork.com
Two of the last three undefeated teams in the 5A SIC square off in this key matchup for playoff seeding.
Emmett (4-1, 2-0) fields one of the state’s best running games again, averaging 273 yards per game, and it continues to make a habit of late comebacks. Sammy Howe scored the game-winning touchdown on a 3-yard run with 38 seconds left in a 48-44 win at Skyview last week, and Haus Davis hauled in a diving, 30-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left in a 42-35 victory at Burley.
Aside from seeing its season opener canceled due to poor air quality, Vallivue (2-1, 1-0) has witnessed less drama thus far, relying on the classification’s third-best defense (14 ppg) to cruise to wins over Skyview and Caldwell. The Falcons forced 11 turnovers in their first three games, and Onix Carson erupted for 191 rushing yards and four TDs against Caldwell last week.
Prediction: Emmett 27, Vallivue 22
This story was originally published September 25, 2024 at 12:19 PM.
