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ORDER GAME PHOTOS
FOOTBALL
Oakley @ Carey
7 p.m. Friday
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Oakley (3-1, 2-1 Snake River Conference) picked up a huge 34-30 win over conference rival Raft River last Friday in a rematch of the 2021 1AD1 state championship game. This week, the Hornets will have yet another test as they hit the road to take on last season’s 1AD2 runner-up and the newest addition to the 1AD1 Snake River Conference — Carey (2-1, 1-0). After losing 7-0 to Grace in Week 1, the resilient Panthers have reeled off back-to-back wins over Butte County and Lighthouse Christian. The winner of Friday’s showdown will claim sole possession of first place in the conference.
Post Fall @ Lakeland
7 p.m. Friday
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The Lakeland Hawks (4-1) came up one point short of improving to 5-0, as they fell 14-13 in a hard-fought game against Coeur d’Alene last week at home. This week, the Hawks will be back at Corbit Field to host another top-notch 5A Inland Empire League (IEL) opponent as Post Falls (3-1) travels up to Rathdrum Friday night. The Trojans lost their first game of the season to an impressive Skyline (Utah) team, but have since won three straight games, including a 41-0 demolition of Washington’s University High School on the road last Friday. Both Lakeland and Post Falls have benefited from outstanding rushing attacks. The Hawks are led by the speedy duo of John Cornish and Thomas Calder, while Jake Bustamante has been the bell cow for the Trojans.
Sandpoint @ Lewiston
7 p.m. Friday
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After losing two weeks in a row to Alta (Utah) in the Rocky Mountain Rumble and on the road at Coeur d’Alene then having their home opener cancelled when Colville (Washington) backed out last minute, the Sandpoint Bulldogs (1-2) were finally able to play last Friday, picking up a huge 28-21 win over 3A powerhouse Homedale. This Friday, the battle-tested Bulldogs will hit the road once again, as they travel down to the Palouse to take on Lewiston (3-1) in another exciting 4A/5A IEL matchup. Much like Post Falls, the Bengals opened their season with a neutral-site loss to a good team from Utah before rattling off three straight wins. After scoring only six points through three quarters in the team’s opening game, the Lewiston offense has come alive in recent weeks as the Bengals have posted 52, 52 and 49 points, respectively, in their last three games. Last season, Sandpoint and Lewiston played a thriller on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille, with the Bulldogs pulling off the upset 42-41 in overtime.
Butte County @ Lighthouse Christian
7 p.m. Friday
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Lighthouse Christian (0-3) cannot catch a break so far this season. The Lions have lost all three of their games this year against probable 1AD1 playoff teams — Grace, Raft River and last week against Carey. This Friday, Lions Head Coach Jason Smith and his crew will be back home for another matchup with a playoff caliber team. Butte County (2-1) lost a close game at Carey in Week 2, but the Pirates have looked sharp in their other two contests, winning in blowout fashion against Valley and Watersprings. Head Coach Sam Thorngren and his team will also have the benefit of coming off an open week last week, which means the Pirates should be well-rested for Friday’s game.
Highland (Pocatello) @ Meridian
7 p.m. Friday
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The Highland Rams (2-2) claimed a victory in the annual Black and Blue Bowl over crosstown rival Pocatello 14-7 last Friday, marking the twelfth straight win over the Thunder. Highland’s win made it two in a row for the Rams, who lost the first two games of the season to Utah powerhouse Lehi and defending 4A champions Skyline. First-year Highland Head Coach Nick Sorrell and his team will have a tough test Friday as they make the 250-mile trek to Meridian to take on the 4-0 Warriors. Meridian has looked impressive through four weeks this season with big wins over 5A powers Eagle and Mountain View and blowouts against Middleton and Timberline (Boise). The Warriors currently sit at No. 2 in both the Coaches and Media Polls, just behind top-ranked Rocky Mountain.
Burley @ Minico
7 p.m. Friday
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Two of the best teams in the 4A ranks will do battle Friday night when Burley (4-0) takes on Minico (4-1). The Bobcats are undefeated on the season, despite their contests looking more like basketball box scores than football. The final score in each of Burley’s four wins are as follows: 62-39 (at Mountain Home), 62-50 (vs. Vallivue), 42-38 (vs. Shelley) and 82-44 (at Preston). Yes, you read that right, the Bobcats put up a whopping 82 points last week in an 11-man football game. (Some might argue that is more impressive than Kenrick’s 104 against Genesee, but that is a story for a different article). In other words, the key for Minico will be slowing down Burley’s potent offense because the Spartans should have no trouble putting points on the scoreboard — something they, also, have done quite efficiently through their first five games. Minico’s only loss came by one point at Ridgeline (Utah) in Week 2. Since then, the Spartans have back-to back-to back shutout wins, outscoring opponents in those games 89-0 — a statistic that would sound even more impressive if not for Burley’s 82 points in one game last Friday. I digress.
Bonneville @ Shelley
7 p.m. Friday
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After starting 0-3 this season, the Shelley Russets showed their resiliency last week in a 35-28 win over then-undefeated Blackfoot. This week, the Russets (1-3, 1-0 High Country Conference) will be back at home and looking to build upon their big win when they take on conference foe Bonneville. The Bees (1-3, 0-1) lost a heartbreaker last week to Idaho Falls 22-21 in overtime. Bonneville will need to turn the page quickly as it prepares for a good Shelley squad that made the 4A state quarterfinals a season ago.
Middleton @ Thunder Ridge
7 p.m. Friday
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Middleton (2-2, 0-2 SIC Foothills Division) will make the four hour and a half hour trip over to Idaho Falls Friday for a non-conference game against Thunder Ridge (2-3, 0-1 District 5-6). Both the Vikings and Titans have had up-and-down starts to their respective season. Middleton, led by 23rd-year Head Coach Bill Brock has losses against the top two teams in 5A — Rocky Mountain and Meridian — but the Vikings also got big road wins over Nampa and Skyview sandwiched in between. First-year Titans Head Coach Michael Berger and his squad notched wins over 4As Idaho Falls and Hillcrest, but Thunder Ridge also has losses against Minico, Skyline and Madison. If either the Vikings or Titans want a shot at making the 5A state playoffs, they need to take care of business Friday night.
Idaho Falls vs. Skyline
4 p.m. Saturday
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The 58th annual Emotion Bowl between the Skyline Grizzlies (3-1, 1-0 High Country Conference) and Idaho Falls Tigers (1-3, 1-0) takes place Friday night in the newly renovated Ravsten Stadium. The Grizzlies and Tigers have had opposite starts to the season this year. Skyline, the defending 4A state champions, lost its season opener in the Rocky Mountain Rumble to Stansbury (Utah). Since then, the Grizzlies have won three straight games over Highland (Pocatello), Thunder Ridge and Hillcrest. Idaho Falls, on the other hand, got off to an 0-3 start to the year before pulling out a come-from-behind 22-21 victory over Bonneville last week in overtime. Despite the record differences, this contest between bitter crosstown rivals is sure to be action packed. Skyline leads the all-time series 34-23, but last season it was the Tigers who prevailed 38-34 over the Grizzlies. With Idaho Falls moving back down to the 4A classification this season, the 2022 Emotion Bowl has even more significance as this is again a High Country Conference matchup with playoff implications. Tune in Saturday and buckle up for possibly the most exciting rivalry game in the state.
Kendrick vs. Lewis County
4 p.m. Friday
The top two teams in the 1AD2 Whitepine League will square off Friday night when Kendrick (4-0) plays Lewis County (3-1). Disclaimer: The Tigers are the defending 1AD2 champions, returned all but one player from last season’s team, have already defeated the 2021 1AD1 champions Oakley, oh yeah and they are coming off a 104-0 shutout win over Genesee last week. That is right, 104 points in a football game. Incredible. Now, Eagles Head Coach Monty Moddrell is not going to let statistics like those affect the way his team comes to play Friday. Lewis County feels like it is a team that can compete for a state playoff spot this season and the Eagles have shown that so far. Lewis County’s only loss this year was to Council, a 1AD2 playoff team from a year ago. With that being said, a lot will need to go right for the Eagles to make this a competitive game Friday evening.
West Side @ Bear Lake
7 p.m. Friday
One of the underrated games of the week will take place in Montpelier Friday night when Bear Lake (3-1) hosts 2A juggernaut West Side (3-0) for a huge 2A South East Idaho Conference (SEIC) showdown. The Pirates are the three-time defending 2A state champions, and their undefeated start to the season has proven why they are favored to win a fourth in a row. West Side has two shutout wins over 2A power Firth in Week 1 and Utah’s Layton Christian Week 2, in addition to a 46-20 romp against 3A Marsh Valley. The Pirates will enter Friday’s road contest well-rested after a bye last week. Bear Lake opened its season with a heartbreaking 24-22 defeat on the road against North Fremont. Since, then the Bears have taken care of business, winning three straight games over Lyman (Wyoming), Firth and Wendell. For Bear Lake, however, none of those victories mean quite as much as toppling the longtime SEIC stalwarts would. The last time the Bear beat the Pirates was 2016, when they edged out a 14-12 home win. Regardless of Friday’s outcome, these two teams are surely on pace for trips back to the 2A state playoffs. The Bears and Pirates played in last season’s state semifinals, and it would be no surprised to see Bear Lake and West Side facing off again in one of the last two weeks of the season this year.
Rigby @ Blackfoot
7 p.m. Friday
A pair of talented 3-1 squads will do battle Friday as 5A Rigby travels to take on 4A Blackfoot. The defending 5A state champion Trojans have looked like one of Idaho’s best teams this season, posting wins over Coeur d’Alene, Bonneville and Utah’s Sky View in the Rocky Mountain Rumble. Rigby’s only loss came by a narrow score of 13-7 on the road against another talented Utah school, American Fork. Blackfoot, a team that was one point from a state championship appearance last season, sprinted out to a 3-0 start this year before falling 35-28 to Shelley on the road last week. The Broncos will need to turn the page quickly and buckle down Friday if they want to have any chance of competing with a loaded Rigby team.
Nampa @ Eagle
7 p.m. Friday
The two teams currently sitting atop the 5A SIC River Division — Nampa (3-1, 3-0 SIC River) and Eagle (2-2, 2-0) — will play Friday in a big game with playoff implications. The Nampa Bulldogs, who made the jump from 4A up to 5A this year, opened the season with a narrow 36-34 loss to Middleton at home. Since then, Head Coach Dan Holtry has gotten his team back on track, winning three straight games by double digits. This week, however, the Bulldogs will get their toughest test so far when they travel to 5A powerhouse Eagle. The Mustangs are a much better team than their 2-2 record might suggest, considering the two losses were both on the road against the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in 5A, Meridian and Rocky Mountain. The stakes are high this week, as Friday’s winner will be in the driver seat in the competitive conference standings.
Clearwater Valley @ Kamiah
7 p.m. Friday
It is hard to know what to make of the 1AD1 Whitepine League standings right now, but Friday’s game between Clearwater Valley (3-1, 2-0 Whitepine) and Kamiah (3-1, 2-0) will help sort that out a little bit. The Rams will enter Friday’s contest coming off a huge 34-22 home win over Lapwai last week. Clearwater Valley also has wins over Glenns Ferry in the Idaho 8-Man Classic and Logos. The Rams lone loss was to non-conference foe Notus in Week 3. The Kubs, meanwhile, also have wins over Lapwai and Logos this season, in addition to a blowout victory on the road against 1AD2 Council last Friday. Kamiah’s lone blemish came Week 2 when the Kubs lost at home to the defending 1AD1 runner-up Raft River. The Whitepine League has produced some great football games already this season and Friday’s showdown in Kamiah is sure to be no different.
Bishop Kelly @ Vallivue
7 p.m. Friday
Bishop Kelly (4-0, 1-0 SEIC) flexed its muscles on the road last week, traveling all the way up to Coeur d’Alene and dominating 5A Lake City 49-14 to remain unbeaten this year. The Knights have outscored opponents by an average of 43-5 in their four games this season. Despite the dominance, Bishop Kelly is technically in second place in the 4A SEIC right now, trailing only Vallivue (2-2, 2-0). The Falcons opened the season with losses to Twin Falls and Burley before righting the ship for two straight conference wins against Skyview and Columbia. Vallivue’s offense has looked stout this year, putting up 46 points per game. The Falcons will need all the scoring it can get Friday to try and take down the Knights at home and remain atop the SEIC standings.
BOYS SOCCER
Sun Valley Community School @ Bliss
4 p.m. Friday
Since losing to High Desert Conference rival Wendell Sept. 10, Sun Valley Community School (10-1-1, 9-1 High Desert) has not lost in six straight matches. The Cutthroats will put that streak on the line Friday afternoon when they travel to Bliss (5-4-1, 5-4-1) for a big conference match. The Bears currently sit in third place in the conference — which sends two teams to the 3A state playoffs and one squad to a play-in qualifier. SVCS beat Bliss 4-3 at home Sept. 7, so the Bears will be looking for some revenge when they host the Cutthroats Friday.
Stillwater Christian (Montana) @ Bonners Ferry
5 p.m. Friday
After a tough 4-3 loss to Intermountain League (IML) rival Timberlake Tuesday night, Bonners Ferry (6-1-1, 4-1 IML) will be at home for an exciting rematch against Montana’s Stillwater Christian. The Badgers and Cougars played to a 2-2 draw back on Aug. 29 in Kalispell. Bonners Ferry could use a win to get back on track as they prepare for two important IML contests against Coeur d’Alene Charter and Timberlake next week.
Timberline (Boise) @ Rocky Mountain
10:30 a.m. Saturday
All eyes in the 5A SIC will be on the huge showdown Saturday morning between the defending 5A state champion Timberline (12-0-1, 9-0 SIC) and third place finisher Rocky Mountain (8-0-1, 8-0). The last time the Wolves and Grizzlies met was last season’s 5A state semifinals — a match that was decided by penalty kicks with Timberline beating Rocky Mountain 5-3 to advance to the state championship. Both the Wolves and Grizzlies look like state title contenders once again this year, and Saturday’s match should help sort out the log jam that is the top of the 5A SIC standings.
Orofino @ Coeur d’Alene Charter
2 p.m. Saturday
After a slow start to the season, the defending IML champion Coeur d’Alene Charter Panthers (4-2-3, 3-1-3 IML) showed that they are still a top team in the league Wednesday evening when they earned a 1-1 draw against IML-leading Timberlake. The Tigers needed a 77th-minute penalty kick to tie the score in a game where CDA Charter outshot Timberlake 13-3 and controlled possession for most of the game. With Wednesday’s confidence boost under the belt, the Panthers will host Orofino (3-3-1, 3-3-1) Saturday afternoon before playing the IML’s current No. 2 team Bonners Ferry on Monday. The Maniacs should not be overlooked, as they earned a 1-1 draw in a home match against CDA Charter back on Aug. 27 and have proved to be a pesky team in the middle of the IML standings.
GIRLS SOCCER
Buhl @ American Falls
11 a.m. Saturday
3A SEIC leader American Falls (8-4. 4-1 SEIC) is hosting a rare four-team jamboree Saturday that will also include Filer and Aberdeen. Possibly the best match of the jamboree will happen at 11 a.m. when the Beavers take on Buhl (6-4). This match will be the Indians first non-conference contest of the season. Buhl has held its own in the stacked 3A High Desert Conference and the Indians hope to pick up a big road win Saturday as they prepare for the stretch run this season.
Marsh Valley @ Teton
11 a.m. Saturday
Marsh Valley (5-4-3, 3-1-2 SEIC) will make the trip up to Driggs Saturday morning for an important non-conference match with Teton (4-1-2, 1-0 Mountain Rivers Conference). The Eagles and Timberwolves were both 3A state qualifiers a season ago, and both teams are vying for a playoff berth again this year. The teams played to 3-3 draw in their season opening match on Aug. 20, so Saturday’s game should be fun to watch.
Clarkston (Washington) @ Moscow
Noon Saturday
Moscow went on a Cinderella run last year that ended with a 4A state consolation championship, and the Bears seemed poised to fight for a playoff spot again in 2022. Moscow has shown that it can compete with many of the top teams in the talented 4A/5A IEL, including 4A favorites Sandpoint. This weekend, however, Moscow will host a solid Clarkston (Washington) team on Saturday afternoon. A win could be a big spark as the Bears look for a strong finish to the regular season.
VOLLEYBALL
Linda Sheridan Volleyball Classic
Eight of North Idaho’s top volleyball squads — Sandpoint, Lakeland, Post Falls, Bonners Ferry, Troy, Genesee, Kellogg and St. Maries — will make the trip over to Spokane, Washington, this weekend to compete in the annual Linda Sheridan Volleyball Classic hosted by Lewis and Clark High School.
Rocky Mountain Invitational
This weekend it will be Rocky Mountain’s turn to host some of the best 4A and 5A schools in the state as the Rocky Mountain Invitational is played Friday and Saturday. This year’s competitors include Caldwell, Vallivue, Borah, Capital, Centennial, Kuna, Middleton, Mountain View, Timberline (Boise), Wood River, Lake City, Coeur d’Alene and Highland (Pocatello).
Horseshoe Bend @ Council
5 p.m. Friday
1AD2 Long Pin Conference rivals Horseshoe Bend and Council will face off Friday evening in a rematch of last season’s state semifinals match. Both the 2021 state semifinal game and the teams’ meeting earlier this season on Aug. 29 were won in straight sets by the Mustangs. This time around, the Lumberjacks will look to reverse those fortunes as they defend their home court.
Mackay vs. Rockland
1 p.m. Saturday
Mackay vs. Grace Lutheran
2:30 p.m. Saturday
Grace Lutheran vs. Rockland
4 p.m. Saturday
Another 1AD2 powerhouse showdown will take place this weekend when Mackay and Grace Lutheran travel to Rockland to play against the 2021 state runner-up Bulldogs in an exciting tri-match featuring the top three teams from the Rocky Mountain Conference. Each of the last two matches between the Miners and Bulldogs have gone to five sets with Rockland prevailing both times. While Rockland and Mackay have asserted themselves as the top dogs in the conference, Grace Lutheran has looked like a solid squad so far this year, and the Royals hope to be a dark horse team as they vie for a state playoff berth.
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