Idaho football playoffs start Friday. How every 6A, 5A SIC team can advance
Months of practices and Friday night battles all led to this — the Idaho high school football playoffs.
The first round of each classification’s playoffs kick off this week, and 11 teams in the 6A and 5A Southern Idaho Conference fight for their postseason life Friday.
We broke down all the matchups below, including the key to each Boise-area team advancing.
OWYHEE (5-4) AT ROCKY MOUNTAIN (8-1)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Watch: NFHSNetwork.com
Owyhee key to victory: Hold the line. The Storm must somehow slow Rocky Mountain’s state-leading run game (301 yards per game). Owyhee doesn’t need to win the battle in the trenches entirely. But the Storm are in for a long night if they can’t force the Grizzlies into a handful of obvious passing downs.
Rocky Mountain key to victory: Take an early lead. Rocky Mountain was the state’s clear No. 1 team until a 31-20 loss at Timberline two weeks ago. The Grizzlies committed three turnovers in the game’s first 13 minutes, forcing them to play from behind all night. That spells trouble for a run-first team without much of a passing threat. But jump out to an early lead Friday, and Rocky Mountain can quickly suffocate the Storm.
Pick: Rocky Mountain 32, Owyhee 20
CAPITAL (5-4) AT MIDDLETON (6-3)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Watch: NFHSNetwork.com
Capital key to victory: Contain Jake Perez. The state’s leading rusher torched Capital’s defense for 305 yards and three touchdowns in a 27-20 win two weeks ago. The Eagles shouldn’t expect to shut him down. No one has thus far. But they will need to keep him relatively in check to score the upset.
Middleton key to victory: Limit big plays. The Vikings power run game may assert its will, but if Middleton can’t contain explosive receivers like Quincey Clay and Elliot Schrack, then this battle of contrasting styles likely comes down to who has the ball last.
Pick: Middleton 27, Capital 22
HIGHLAND (6-3) AT MOUNTAIN VIEW (6-3)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Watch: NFHSNetwork.com
Mountain View key to victory: Pressure the QB. Highland’s Jacob Vincent is an efficient weapon in the pocket, completing 61% of his passes for 1,716 yards. But Mountain View’s defensive line creates havoc, racking up 28 sacks for a defense with 15 turnovers. If Riggins Stoor (12 sacks) and Billgates Mutua (six sacks) get to Vincent, the Mavericks can run their win streak to five games.
Pick: Mountain View 31, Highland 21
BOISE (4-5) AT MADISON (6-3)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Watch: NFHSNetwork.com
Boise key to victory: Trust the freshman. The Brave made a bold move earlier this month, inserting freshman Wayne Bower under center and sliding three-year starter Trevor Schoolfield to receiver. It paid off as Bower led Boise to a 2-1 record and a playoff berth. One more victory would deliver Boise its first playoff win since 1992.
Pick: Madison 35, Boise 17
EMMETT (4-5) AT BISHOP KELLY (9-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Watch: NFHSNetwork.com
Bishop Kelly key to victory: Take the Huskies seriously. BK beat Emmett 35-16 last week, but it trailed 13-8 before scoring with 24 seconds left before halftime and dominating the second half. The Knights drew an unfortunate first-round matchup against the Huskies. It’s always tough to beat a team twice, let alone in back-to-back weeks.
Emmett key to victory: Roll the dice. Few expect the Huskies to hang with the state’s top-ranked team. So Emmett enters Friday playing with house money. A big play here and a trick play there would put all the pressure on the Knights while 5A’s top rushing attack (296 yards per game) shortens the contest.
Pick: Bishop Kelly 29, Emmett 14
BLACKFOOT (6-3) AT VALLIVUE (5-4)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Watch: NFHSNetwork.com, IdahoSports.com
Vallivue key to victory: Feed Onix Carson. The Falcons are 5-2 since their star running back returned to the lineup, including 4-1 when he runs for 100 yards or more. Blackfoot and everyone in the stadium knows which player to key on, but Vallivue must establish Carson to open up the rest of its offense.
Pick: Blackfoot 30, Vallivue 20
RIDGEVUE (6-3) AT TWIN FALLS (7-2)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Watch: NFHSNetwork.com
Ridgevue key to victory: Get a few stops. Twin Falls ranks second in 5A with 41.3 points per game thanks to a balanced offense. The Warhawks are no slouch offensively, scoring 30 points a night behind quarterback Hunter Schmittel (1,685 yards, 21 TDs). But a shootout favors the Bruins.
Pick: Twin Falls 33, Ridgevue 22
COLUMBIA (6-3) AT CENTURY (8-0)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday
Watch: NFHSNetwork.com
Columbia key to victory: Win the turnover battle. Both teams thrive on takeaways. Columbia enters the playoffs with a +8 turnover margin, while Century holds a 5A-leading margin of +13. Columbia scored its only playoff win over the Diamondbacks in Pocatello in 2018. A repeat requires another night in the plus category.
Pick: Columbia 27, Century 20
This story was originally published October 29, 2025 at 4:13 PM.
