Prep football recap: Columbia sends a message. Skyview falls. Homedale pulls away
The Columbia High football program has flown under the radar for years. But the Wildcats provided the rest of Idaho a reason to take notice Friday night.
Columbia knocked off Lewiston 24-13 in both team’s season opener, dominating the 5A Inland Empire League preseason favorite up front and spoiling the debut of the Bengals’ new four-time state champion coach, Zane Hobart.
“I think we showed that we can prove something this year,” Columbia senior Troy Swain said. “We’re a playoff team. Lewiston is ranked high, and we went out there and beat them.
“... We proved something tonight, that’s for sure.”
Columbia senior running back Jackson Cheslak led the upset, running for 155 yards and two touchdowns against a 5A playoff team last season. He racked up 30 carries as the Wildcats fed him early and often to run away with the time-of-possession battle. Columbia ended the night holding the ball for 31 minutes, 22 seconds of the 48-minute game.
“That is what we love,” Columbia interim coach Zechariah Taylor said. “We want the ball. We’re selfish and greedy. We want to control the football, and I think that leads to good things.”
Columbia set the tone early, controlling the line of scrimmage despite giving up plenty of size in the trenches. The Wildcats turned the ball over on downs on their first possession before scoring on their next four, mounting drives of 17, 10, 12 and five plays.
Cheslak opened the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run in the second quarter, and Angel Arambula added a 44-yard field goal as the half expired for a 10-0 lead. Lewiston looked to answer on the opening drive of the second half. But Swain picked off a Mason Way pass in the end zone, peeling off his own man to snatch away a sure touchdown and swing the momentum.
Columbia then delivered the knockout punch on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Quarterback Gavin Healey rolled right and signaled a blanketed Tyson Winkleman to go long. The junior obliged, won a one-on-one hand fight and leapt to snare a full-extension, 27-yard touchdown catch for a 17-0 lead.
But the highlight of the night came after the game outside the Wildcats’ lockerroom. Columbia head coach Charlie Dotson missed all of fall camp on a medical leave and couldn’t make it to Friday’s season opener. So the Wildcats huddled around a teammates’ phone and sent him a video message after the statement victory.
“This whole night was just all for him because he’s been struggling a lot,” Cheslak said. “But, man, he would have been really happy.”
Columbia doesn’t stand among Idaho’s list of blueblood programs. The Wildcats have made the playoffs twice in 19 seasons. Their last winning record came seven years ago. And they finished fifth out of seven teams in the 5A SIC’s preseason coaches’ poll.
But the Wildcats proved they are no longer a pushover Friday.
“We showed tonight the growth of these young men,” Taylor said. “Last year, they got a lot of experience as young starters, and they worked consistently all year for this moment. I think you’re starting to see the growth, and we’re starting to take that energy and enthusiasm and turn it into execution.”
MINICO 37, SKYVIEW 13
The Spartans spoiled the Hawks’ home opener with a dominant nonconference victory, racking up 255 yards on the ground.
Logan Wayment led the charge with 107 yards and three touchdowns on 13 carries for Minico, which led 24-0 at halftime.
Quarterback Trevan Plew had a hand in both touchdowns for the Hawks, scoring on a 1-yard keeper and throwing a 5-yard TD pass to Jaxon Phillips — both in the third quarter. Plew finished 16-for-41 for 204 yards but was hampered by a pair of interceptions, including one Minico returned for a touchdown.
Derek Slemmer was Plew’s top target, hauling in 10 passes for 123 yards, but the Skyview was limited to just 15 yards on the ground.
EMMETT 30, CANYON RIDGE 18
The Huskies racked up 347 of their 450 yards on the ground to steamroll the Riverhawks on the road.
Nessen Korell turned 18 carries into 171 yards and a touchdown, and Lincolyn Thayn ran for 111 yards on 21 carries as Emmett averaged 6.8 yards per carry.
Quarterback Eli Brennan finished 7-for-15 for 103 yards and two TDs, and he ran for 23 yards and another score in his debut.
HOMEDALE 31, SNAKE RIVER 6
The Trojans led by a single touchdown at the half, but they found the end zone three times over the final two quarters to knock off the three-time defending Southeast Idaho Conference Panthers on the road.
Quarterback Xavier Uranga connected on 16-of-23 passes for 268 yards and four TDs. Receiver Chance Martell caught two of those touchdown passes and finished with a team-leading 140 yards on six catches. Sebastian Larzelier and Lukas Hall also scored, and Kade Hall led Homedale on the ground with 11 carries for 75 yards.
Homedale totaled 368 yards of offense and capped the scoring with a 26-yard field goal from Lukas Hall. The defense, led by Tyce Fisher with 10 tackles and an interception, limited Snake River to 238 total yards.
FRUITLAND 49, KIMBERLY 13
Fruitland quarterback Titus Vidlak went 15-for-20 for 201 yards and three TDs, and the reigning all-state signal caller added seven carries for 164 yards and another score to lead the second-ranked Grizzlies to a dominant win at No. 4 Kimberly on Saturday.
Spencer Tracy hauled in four passes for 83 yards and a touchdown, and Joel Philpot added four catches for 48 yards and two more scores as Vidlak’s top targets.
The Grizzlies also did plenty of damage on the ground, running for 273 yards on 26 carries. Killian Wilson (nine carries, 58 yards), Tracy (two carries, 16 yards) and Cooper Owens (five carries, 5 yards) all found the end zone.
CENTENNIAL BAPTIST 36, WILDER 32
The Mustangs rallied in the fourth quarter for a season-opening win over the Wildcats.
Despite being picked last in a 2A Western Idaho Conference coaches’ poll hosted by the Idaho Statesman, Centennial Baptist racked up 334 total yards, highlighted by 248 through the air.
Slot receiver Uriah Kolb scored a pair of touchdowns, reaching the end zone on a 20-yard run and hauling in a 6-yard pass. Calab West scored twice as well, and quarterback Gavin Kolb scored on a 26-yard run.
MORE SCORES
Details were not reported from the following games:
- Century 36, Nampa 35, OT
- Payette 41, Parma 0
- New Plymouth 28, Firth 6
- Ririe 42, Melba 13
- Garden Valley 20, Idaho City 12
This story was originally published August 22, 2025 at 11:00 PM.
