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Jerome @ Burley

7 p.m. Friday

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It has been tough going for Jerome (0-7) so far this year and it will not get any easier this week as the Tigers travel to Burley to take on the high-scoring Bobcats in a 4A Great Basin Conference (GBC) matchup. Burley (4-3, 1-2 GBC) got off to a 4-0 start this season; however, the Bobcats currently find themselves on a three-game losing streak. A confidence-boosting win on senior night would go a long way as Burley prepares for a crucial conference game against Canyon Ridge next week in the season finale.

Raft River @ Butte County

7 p.m. Friday

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Raft River and Butte County will get a great playoff tune-up game this Friday night as the Trojans make the trip up to Arco to take on the Pirates. Raft River (5-1) is coming off a big 26-12 win over Murtaugh last week. The defending 1AD1 runner-up Trojans’ only loss this season came against 2021 state champion Oakley back in Week 3. Butte County (4-1) has similarly looked dominant in 2022, scoring 60+ points in all four of the team’s wins. The Pirates lone blemish came against another Snake River Conference opponent, Carey. Last season, Raft River beat Butte County 46-28 at home.

Vallivue @ Emmett

7 p.m. Friday

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The No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the 4A Southern Idaho Conference (SIC) will face off Friday night when the Vallivue Falcons battle the Emmett Huskies. On paper, Vallivue (4-3, 4-1 SIC) and Emmett (5-2, 2-1) seem evenly matched. Both the Falcons and Huskies were dominated by SIC leader and 4A’s No. 1 team Bishop Kelly but have otherwise looked like solid playoff contenders. Friday’s game is likely to be high scoring, as both teams average more than 38 points per game. The winner of this game will greatly increase their chances at earning a first-round home playoff game.

Blackfoot @ Idaho Falls

7 p.m. Friday

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Friday is senior night for the Idaho Falls and it will be a very important 4A High Country Conference (HCC) contest as the Tigers host the reeling Blackfoot Broncos at Ravsten Stadium. If the playoffs started today, Idaho Falls (2-5, 1-2 HCC) would be in the playoffs, but after a loss last week to Shelley, the cut line is inching closer and closer for the Tigers. Blackfoot (3-4, 1-2 HCC), meanwhile, is fairly comfortably in the playoff picture by virtue of a strong MaxPreps ranking but the Broncos have now lost four straight games after starting the season 3-0. All four of the losses have come in one-score games against some of the best 4A and 5A teams in the state, so it is not time to panic for Blackfoot fans, but the Broncos desperately need to get back in the win column as they close out the regular season and prepare for what they hope will be another deep playoff run.

Boise @ Kuna

7 p.m. Friday

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Just one year removed from a 1-8 season, the Kuna Kavemen (3-4, 1-4 SIC River) are on the brink of 5A playoff qualification. The good news: Kuna hosts Boise (2-5, 0-5), the last place team in the SIC River Division and the Kavemen will play winless Timberline (0-7) in next week’s SIC Division crossover matchup. The bad news: Kuna is currently on a three-game losing streak and sits behind both Owyhee and Borah in the playoff standings. To sneak into the playoffs, the Kavemen need to win out and get some help from the teams ahead.

Lake City @ Lewiston

7 p.m. Friday

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The Lewiston Bengals were red hot, winners of five straight, before losing a heartbreaking 5A Inland Empire League (IEL) game at Post Falls last Friday. Lewiston (5-2, 0-1 IEL) now find themselves in danger of missing the 5A playoffs. Luckily for the Bengals, they will be back home this Friday to host Lake City (2-5, 0-1). The Timberwolves have struggled this season, losing 14-2 last week in a defensive struggle against Coeur d’Alene.

Coeur d’Alene @ Post Falls

7 p.m. Friday

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Possibly no game in the state has greater playoff implications than Friday’s showdown between Coeur d’Alene (4-3, 1-0 IEL) and Post Falls (5-2, 1-0 IEL). Both the Vikings and Trojans picked up big league wins last weekend in two completely opposite ways. Coeur d’Alene slogged out a 14-2 win over crosstown rival Lake City in a game where the two teams combined for zero offensive touchdowns and eight turnovers. Post Falls, meanwhile, held off the talented Lewiston Bengals 42-35 in a back-and-forth shootout. Now, the IEL championship hangs in the balance as the Vikings and Trojans prepare for the biggest game of the season for each squad. The winner sits in the driver’s seat of the IEL standings and is all but a lock for a 5A state playoff berth, while the loser will have to fight to sneak into the playoff bracket. And then again, maybe the Vikings will win this week and then lose next week at Lewiston, setting up another Kansas tiebreaker like the one the three teams played last season. Tune in Friday to find out and buckle up, because this should be a good one.

Teton @ Sugar-Salem

7:30 p.m. Friday

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Two weeks ago, many might have looked at this Teton-Sugar-Salem matchup as the de-facto 3A Mountain Rivers Conference (MRC) championship game. Well, South Fremont had something to say about that. Coming off a stinging loss to Snake River the previous week, the Cougars (6-1, 1-0 MRC) shocked the Timberwolves 28-26 to claim first place in the conference standings, at least for the moment. Now, entering the final game of the year on the road against the defending state runner-up Diggers (6-0), Teton (6-1, 0-1) is in a tough spot. Lose Friday night, and there is a good shot the Timberwolves will spend the entirety of the playoffs on the road. If Teton wants to have any chance against the dominant Sugar-Salem, they are going to need to put a lot of points on the board, because the Diggers have the highest-scoring offense in 3A football at nearly 49 points per game.

Dietrich @ Camas County

4 p.m. Friday

The 1AD2 Sawtooth Conference hierarchy is beginning to take shape after Dietrich (6-0, 3-0 Sawtooth) picked up a huge 26-20 win over Castleford last Friday. But Camas County (5-1, 2-1) will have something to say about that as the Mushers host the Blue Devils Friday afternoon for senior night. Two weeks ago, Camas County lost for the first time this season, 26-8, against Castleford. Despite that defeat, the Mushers have little fear of missing the playoffs. However, if they were to pick up the upset win against Dietrich Friday, it would not only cause three-way tie at the top of the conference standings but also give the Mushers a better shot at avoiding a road game in the first round of the 1AD2 playoffs. For the Blue Devils, its simple: win and the conference championship and a home playoff game is secured. Plus, receiving the first seed out of District 4 would allow Dietrich to be placed on the opposite side of the bracket from Kendrick.

Kimberly @ Buhl

7 p.m. Friday

The 3A Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference (SCIC) championship will be decided Friday evening in Buhl as the Indians (6-1, 2-0 SCIC) host the Kimberly Bulldogs (6-1, 2-0). Buhl has been on quite the run this season. After losing the season opener 24-0 against defending 3A state champion Weiser, the Indians have won six straight games and none of them have really been close. Just one year removed from a 3-6 season, Buhl now finds itself one win away from earning a conference championship and home playoff game. The Indians have a top five scoring defense in 3A, allowing less than 10 points per game, and Buhl will need that side of the ball to show up against the Bulldogs potent offensive attack. Scoring 43 points per game, Kimberly has picked up some big wins this season and appeared to be the conference favorite before getting tripped up in a nonconference game against Marsh Valley back in mid-September. Since then, the Bulldogs have regained their confidence and are currently riding a three-game win streak of their own.

Twin Falls @ Canyon Ridge

7 p.m. Friday

Twin Falls has a great shot to set up a de facto 4A Great Basim Conference (GBC) championship game next week at home against Minico in the regular season finale. But before the Bruins (6-1, 3-0 GBC) start looking too far ahead, they will first need to go on the road and beat Canyon Ridge (5-1, 2-1), a potential 4A playoff team in their own right. Twin Falls will enter Friday’s game winners of four straight, including a huge 48-32 victory over Burley last week. The Riverhawks, on the other hand, are still licking their wounds from the 69-7 pounding they received at home against Minico two weeks ago. Canyon Ridge did rebound last week for a win over GBC basement dweller Mountain Home, but it was not pretty. The Riverhawks currently sit on the bubble in the 4A playoff race. With two final home games against Twin Falls and then Burley next week, Canyon Ridge will need at least one win, if not two, to improve the team’s MaxPreps ranking and sneak into the playoffs.

Wallace @ Clark Fork

7 p.m. Friday

Win and you are in. It’s that simple for Clark Fork (4-3, 3-2 NSL). After losing for the second time to perennial 1AD2 North Star League (NSL) power Mullan-St. Regis 56-40 last Friday, the Wampus Cats now turn their sights to rival Wallace (4-2, 3-2) in the final game of the regular season. Clark Fork won at Wallace 42-14 back on Sept. 9. A win this time at home on senior night would vault he Wampus Cats to their first playoff appearance in 15 years and earn them a home playoff game in the first round.

Garden Valley @ Council

7 p.m. Friday

The de facto 1AD2 Long Pin Conference (LPC) championship game will be played Friday night in Council as the Lumberjacks (5-2, 3-0 LPC) host the undefeated Wolverines of Garden Valley. Council’s two losses this season came against a pair of 1AD1 playoff teams in Notus and Kamiah. The Lumberjacks will enter Friday’s contest on a three-game winning streak since entering conference play. Garden Valley (6-0, 3-0), however, has looked like one of the best teams in all 1AD2 football this year. The Wolverines average more than 61 points per game while giving up only 7 points per contest. Garden Valley has posted three shutouts this season, including an impressive 50-0 throttling of the LPC’s third-place team Tri-Valley two weeks ago.

North Fremont @ Firth

7 p.m. Friday

Last Friday, North Fremont stunningly lost its first regular season game since October 20, 2017, breaking a streak of 36 consecutive regular-season victories. The Huskies will need to flush last week’s 24-0 shutout loss to Aberdeen and turn the page quickly as they prepare for the de facto 2A Nuclear Conference championship game Friday against rival Firth (4-2, 2-0 Nuclear). North Fremont (5-1, 2-0) and Firth met in last season’s 2A semifinals, and the Cougars came away with a huge 12-8 road win that avenged a 22-21 loss to the Huskies in the regular season. If Friday’s game is anything like the last two meetings, fans are in for a dog fight. The Cougars only two losses this season came against three-time defending 2A champion West Side and Bear Lake, who handed the Pirates their first loss since 2019 a couple of weeks ago. So, Firth is battle tested and ready to give the Huskies a battle this week. If the Cougars were to win, they would secure their first Nuclear Conference championship since 2017 and lock up a first-round bye in the playoffs.

Highland (Pocatello) @ Madison

7 p.m. Friday

What. A. Game. We do not have the space here to chronicle Highland’s incredible 43-42 comeback win over defending 5A champion and District 5-6 favorites Rigby but the Rams proved they have what it takes to hang with the best teams in the state and perform under pressure. This week, Highland (4-3, 1-0 District 5-6) will need to come back down from the high of last Friday’s win and focus in for a huge road contest against Madison (5-2, 1-0) that could decide the district championship. The Bobcats have quietly put together a nice season and they are now on the cusp of a district title. However, over the next two weeks, Madison will really see what it is made of. First up, senior night against the defending 5A runners-up before hitting the road next week to take on Rigby in the season finale.

Nampa @ Mountain View

7 p.m. Friday

Next week marks the 5A SIC crossover games, where each team from the Foothills and River Divisions will match up with the same seed on the other side. The top three in the Foothills Division is pretty much a lock: Meridian No. 1, Rocky Mountain No. 2 and Middleton No. 3. The River Division is not quite as clear. That is why Friday’s matchup between Nampa (5-2, 4-1 SIC River) and Mountain View (4-3, 4-1) is so important. The winner will lock up the No. 2 seed and improve their chances of a home playoff game, but they will also have to play Rocky Mountain next week. The loser will get the No. 3 spot but will play a more manageable contest with Middleton next Friday. Obviously, both teams want to win but the crossover matchups this year do make for an intriguing added storyline.

Carey @ Murtaugh

7 p.m. Friday

If the season ended today, Carey (4-2, 3-1 SRC) would get one of District 4’s three automatic bids to the 1AD1 state tournament and Murtaugh (4-2, 2-2) would be an at-large qualifier. However, all of that could change Friday night when the Panthers go on the road to play the Red Devils. In its first season in the 1AD1 ranks, Carey has continually proved that is has what it takes to compete with the larger 8-man schools. Both of the Panthers losses this season were by a single score, and both were to playoff teams. Carey will have to prove itself once more over the next two weeks to earn a home playoff game, however. The Panthers are on the road this week before returning home to play Raft River next Friday. Similarly, Murtaugh has looked like a playoff caliber team this year. All four of the Red Devils wins have been blowouts and their only losses have been to Oakley and Raft River — the top two teams in all 1AD1 football. Friday’s Snake River Conference showdown should be a good one as both teams vie for playoff seeding.

Lapwai @ Potlatch

7 p.m. Friday

The parity in the 1AD1 Whitepine League is almost palpable this season. The only sure thing, seemingly, is that Kamiah looks to be head and shoulders above the pack. Aside from that, the next five teams in the standings — including Lapwai (3-3, 2-3 Whitepine) and Potlatch (4-2, 3-2) — are all essentially battling for two playoff spots, and it is truly anyone’s spots to take. One of the major dominos to fall will come Friday as the Loggers host the Wildcats. Potlatch appeared to be a lock for one of the playoff spots before losing 20-6 at home last week to Clearwater Valley. Now, the Loggers will have to try and slow down Lapwai and star quarterback Terrell Ellenwood-Jones this week before hitting the road to take on the Kamiah next Friday. After a 1-3 start to the season, the Wildcats seemed out of playoff contention this year. Then, their offense came alive, led by Ellenwood-Jones. Lapwai picked up wins over Troy and Prairie in consecutive weeks and could now play themselves into the postseason with wins over Potlatch and Genesee next week.

Aberdeen @ West Side

7 p.m. Friday

As was mentioned in last week’s Weekend Preview, the Aberdeen Tigers (5-1, 2-0 SEIC) are in the midst of a gauntlet against three of 2A’s best teams in the final three weeks of the regular season. So far so good for Head Coach Braden Driscoll and his Tigers. Aberdeen picked up a huge 24-0 shutout win against perennial 2A power North Fremont last week. Next up: a trip to Dayton to play the three-time defending champion West Side Pirates. Granted, the Pirates currently sit in third place in the stacked 2A South East Idaho Conference (SEIC) after a one-point loss to Bear Lake a couple weeks ago. But then again, that was West Side’s first loss since 2019…and it was on the road…by one point. On paper, this looks like a very evenly matched contest: both squads score roughly 35 points per game and allow only 10. But football is not played on paper, and the Pirates’ pedigree and experience likely give them the edge. But whatever you do, just do not count out the Tigers.