Playoff race starts with 6A SIC division schedule. Our picks for all 6 games
The calendar may still read September, but the road to the playoffs starts this week for 6A Southern Idaho Conference football teams.
The league begins its division schedule Thursday and Friday with a full slate of Foothills and River division matchups. These games take on extra importance, because only the winner of each division receives a guaranteed state playoff berth (and a first-round bye).
Everyone else drops into cross-division Week 9 matchups, where it’s win and you’re in. So the standings become more important each week as programs battle for positioning and home-field advantage.
We broke down all six matchups, plus a key 5A SIC battle, below.
CAPITAL AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Watch: NFHSNetwork.com
The most intriguing matchup comes at Rocky Mountain (3-0), where the state’s new No. 1-ranked team hosts a surprising Capital (2-1) squad in a 6A SIC Foothills Division opener.
Three straight seasons with seven losses took a lot of shine off the Eagles, once a perennial state contender. But an explosive offense (39.3 ppg) led by receivers Quincey Clay (456 total yards, seven TDs) and Elliot Schrack (296 receiving yards, three TDs) have put Capital back on the map.
That offense will face its toughest test yet in Rocky Mountain, which has won seven in a row over Capital. The Grizzlies’ multipronged rushing attack averages 297 yards a night while scoring 39.7 points per game. Rocky Mountain can silence all those weapons by simply holding the ball much of the night.
Prediction: Rocky Mountain 34, Capital 21
MERIDIAN VS. TIMBERLINE
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday at Dona Larsen Park
Watch: NFHSNetwork.com
The offense for No. 4-ranked Timberline (3-0) has earned plenty of headlines. The Wolves lead all 6A teams with 41.3 points per game, and Hudson Lewis (23 catches, 437 yards, eight TDs) is running away with the receiving crown.
But the true reason Timberline finds itself among the state’s best lies on defense. The Wolves also top the 6A leaderboard with just 11.7 points and 178 yards allowed per game. They field game changers at all three levels: Lewis, Nash O’Kelley (8.7 tackles per game) and Sam Haener (two sacks).
But Timberline had to eke out a 20-13 win over rival Boise last week. And Meridian (0-3) nearly knocked off undefeated Owyhee, holding a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter. The Wolves can’t afford a letdown in this 6A SIC Foothills Division matchup.
Prediction: Timberline 40, Meridian 13
CENTENNIAL AT MIDDLETON
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Watch: NFHSNetwork.com
Despite riding a 17-game losing streak, Centennial (0-3) continues to show signs of improvement. The Patriots remained competitive against three opponents with a combined record of 8-1 to start the season. Unfortunately, Centennial’s schedule doesn’t get any easier against the 6A SIC Foothills Division.
Middleton linebacker Drew Holman looks poised to lead the state in tackles again with 54 stops through three games (18 per game). The Vikings are giving up just 14 points a night, and their only loss came in a game where they didn’t surrender a touchdown.
Prediction: Middleton 40, Centennial 13
OWYHEE VS. BORAH
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Thursday at Dona Larsen Park
Watch: Fan.Hudl.com
Owyhee has squeaked its way to a 3-0 start to the season with a pair of wins by a touchdown or less. The Storm rallied from a 10-point, fourth-quarter deficit to top Meridian 27-24 last week, and Carsen Andersen sealed a 28-20 victory over Capital with a late interception in the end zone.
But the only stat that matters is the 0 in the loss column. Expect Owyhee to roll to its first 4-0 start — and a 1-0 record in the River Division — against struggling Borah (1-2), which has lost its two 6A games by a combined score of 116-14.
Prediction: Owyhee 41, Borah 14
BOISE AT EAGLE
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Watch: NFHSNetwork.com
Boise won the inaugural meeting between these two schools in 1995. It’s been all Eagle since then, winning 21 straight against the Brave.
No. 2-ranked Eagle (3-0) has a dangerous habit of waiting until halftime to turn it up. But 6A rushing leader Noah Burnham (432 yards, five TDs) and a stout defense (13.7 ppg) keep finding ways to turn tight games into comfortable victories.
The Mustangs started the year as the clear favorite in the 6A SIC River Division, and they’ve shown no reason to lose that tag.
Prediction: Eagle 34, Boise 22
MOUNTAIN VIEW AT KUNA
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Watch: IdahoSports.com
Kuna (1-2) scored its first victory over the Mavericks (1-2) in program history last year, blocking a fourth-quarter extra point to hang on for a one-point victory. Now Mountain View gets a shot at revenge in this 6A SIC River Division opener.
After a program-worst 3-6 record last year, Mountain View looks more like a contender each week. The most impressive transformation comes on defense, where the Mavericks are allowing just 13.7 points per game behind playmakers like Corbin Hedgecoth (three interceptions) and Riggins Stoor (four sacks).
Kuna has yet to find a rhythm offensively, putting up just 11.3 points per game — a dangerous combo with the Mavericks coming to town.
Prediction: Mountain View 33, Kuna 13
COLUMBIA AT RIDGEVUE
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Watch: NFHSNetwork.com
Only an Emmett touchdown with 2 seconds left kept this from becoming a matchup of undefeated teams. But with the 5A SIC guaranteed only two playoff berths, this battle of Cinderellas still holds plenty of weight.
Columbia (3-0, 1-0 5A SIC) is off to its best start since 2013. A strong running game led by Jackson Cheslak (423 yards, nine TDs) and an opportunistic defense surrendering just 11 points a night have the Wildcats eyeing their third playoff berth in school history.
Columbia has owned Ridgevue since it opened, going 6-1 all-time vs. the Warhawks and winning five straight. But those five consecutive victories all came by seven points or fewer.
Ridgevue (2-1, 0-1) remains one win shy of tying the nine-year-old program’s all-time record. But the Warhawks have plenty of reason to aim for more. Quarterback Hunter Schmittel has proved himself an efficient weapon, completing 68% of his passes for 642 yards and seven TDs to a balanced group of receivers.
Prediction: Columbia 22, Ridgevue 20
This story was originally published September 17, 2025 at 4:32 PM.
