ORDER GAME PHOTOS

The fall is officially here.

I am not sure what it looks like in your part of the state, but the leaves are changing and the temperature is beginning to drop up here in North Idaho. And it is beautiful.

There is nothing like sitting out in the warm, golden sun for an evening sporting event with the crisp, fall air hitting your face. Plus it is the beloved season of pumpkin spice, corn mazes, fall festivals, and best of all — fall sports.

As we are nearing the middle of the fall sports regular season, be sure to soak in the fun and beautiful weather this weekend at whatever sporting event you might find yourself. There are lots of good ones on deck, and you can read about all of them below.

And as always, if I missed a big game I should have covered, botched a spelling or maybe even wrote something you appreciated, please let me know. My email is crweaner@liberty.edu and my X (Twitter) handle is @christianweaner. I always appreciate your feedback!

FOOTBALL

5A

Highland (Poc.) @ Pocatello

7 p.m. Friday

Watch Live

Friday night's colossal matchup between 5A Highland and 4A Pocatello should be one of the games of the week not only in East Idaho but in the whole state. The Rams (3-0) have already asserted themselves as one of the 5A frontrunners thus far, as they are leading their classification with 47 points per game while racking up nearly 400 yards of total offense per contest. Head Coach Nick Sorrell has the Highland offense clicking on all cylinders, and so far no one has been able to slow it down. Pocatello (2-0), meanwhile, is a little bit more of an unknown commodity with only two games played so far, but all indications point to the Thunder being a formidable force this season, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Pocatello has allowed opponents to score just eight points per game in their road victories. Most impressively, the Thunder held a high-powered Twin Falls offense, which entered last Friday's game averaging 61 points per game, to just a single score in their 20-7 win last Friday. Lookout Credit Union Field should be rocking Friday night as Pocatello plays its long-awaited home opener against the toughest team on its schedule so far.

Nampa @ Kuna

7 p.m. Friday

Watch Live

It's been a tough couple of weeks for the Kuna Kavemen, who opened the year 2-0 before back-to-back losses to No. 1-ranked Eagle and 5A Southern Idaho Conference (SIC) upstart Borah. But, Kuna (2-2) will look to regroup and gain back some confidence as the team returns home for its Homecoming game against a struggling Nampa squad. After a surprise run to the 5A playoffs last fall, the Bulldogs (0-3) have had a tough go of it so far in 2023. Nampa will need to try and slow down the potent Kuna rushing attack, which is leading 5A with 249 rushing yards per game if the Bulldogs hope to play spoiler on Friday night.

Mountain View vs. Borah

7 p.m. Friday

One of the most intriguing matchups of the weekend will go down Friday night at Dona Larson Park as Borah plays Mountain View. The Mavericks (2-1, 0-1 SIC River) made two major statements to open the season, taking down 5A powers Meridian and Rocky Mountain in consecutive weeks. Then, on a short week, Owyhee went to Mountain View last Thursday and shocked the Mavericks 24-17 for one of the biggest upsets of the season thus far. Now, to make matters worse, Mountain View will have to go into hostile territory and play a talented Lions team that currently sits atop the SIC Rivers Division standings. Entering the season picked fourth in the Rivers Division and sixth overall in the 5A SIC, Borah (4-0) is quietly putting together a solid resume, albeit against some lesser opponents. But, after a big 35-7 thumping of Kuna last Friday, the Lions believe they have what it takes to hang with the SIC elite, and they will have a chance to prove it Friday night against a formidable and frustrated Mountain View team.

Lakeland @ Coeur d'Alene

7 p.m. Friday

One of the marquee games in North Idaho this weekend will take place Friday evening on the new turf at Coeur d'Alene High School as the Lakeland Hawks take on the Vikings. The Hawks (3-1) are coming off a surprising 21-10 defeat at West Valley (WA) last week and will need to bring their A-game if they hope to avenge last season's stinging 14-13 loss to Coeur d'Alene. Head Coach Shawn Amos and the Vikings (2-1) should be well-rested and ready to go after enjoying an off week. Coeur d'Alene already has a pair of impressive wins over Rigby and Sandpoint under its belt, and they will look for another one at home Friday against a dangerous Hawks team that took down Lake City earlier this year.

Eagle @ Owyhee

7 p.m. Friday

Owyhee picked up one of the biggest wins in program history last week, defeating then-undefeated Mountain View on its home field, and the fourth-ranked Storm (3-1, 1-1 SIC Rivers) will get yet another huge test Friday as they host 5A's No. 1 team. Eagle (3-0, 1-0) continues to show its prowess and ability to win tough games, as the Mustangs churned out a 7-3 victory over Rocky Mountain last Friday to remain undefeated. Eagle has won with offensive fireworks, besting Meridian 36-33 in Week 0, and has won with impenetrable defense, but the Mustangs are going to need both sides of the ball to show up Friday if they want to take down a confident Owyhee team on its home turf.

4A

Bonneville @ Idaho Falls

7 p.m. Friday

Watch Live

Last week, Bonneville's huge home showdown against defending 5A champion Rigby was heartbreakingly cut short when Bees running back Tim Williams sustained a gruesome leg injury that left no one wanting to continue. Losing just 7-0 late in the first quarter, Bonneville (2-1) opted to forfeit the game, taking its first loss of the season. But Head Coach Bobby Romander has a tough bunch, and they will look to bounce back and honor their injured teammate as they travel to Idaho Falls for both teams' 4A High Country Conference (HCC) opener. The Tigers (1-2) opened the season with a huge overtime win over 5A Thunder Ridge, but Head Coach Marty Duffin's squad has struggled since, falling to Twin Falls and Madison in consecutive weeks. Both Idaho Falls and Bonneville were right on the cutline for the 2022 4A playoffs, and both teams have hopes of making the field this fall, making Friday night's battle at Ravsten Stadium extremely important.

Timberlake @ Moscow

7 p.m. Friday

Watch Live

Both Timberlake and Moscow have at least one blowout victory on the year, but both teams also have a pair of one-score, back-breaking losses. Now they will clash in what should be an entertaining game in Moscow on Friday night. The Tigers (2-2) opened the season 2-0 with a pair of big wins over Grangeville and South Fremont but have since lost two in a row. Timberlake lost 38-32 at Shadle Park (WA) two weeks ago and fell again last Friday at home against McCall-Donnelly by a score of 31-26. Head Coach Kelly Amos' Tigers look to be a playoff-caliber squad, but they still need to clean a few things up to reach their full potential. The Bears (1-2), meanwhile, are on a two-game skid of their own. After dominating Kellogg 34-0 in the season opener, Moscow (WA) lost 30-29 to Clarkston in Week 2 and then fell 17-10 at Pullman (WA) last week. Despite the losses, the Bears have shown a lot of improvement in year No. 2 under Head Coach Rob Bafus. A home win over a good Timberlake team would go a long way for Moscow as it prepares for some challenging matchups with 4A and 5A Inland Empire League (IEL) teams for the rest of the year.

Skyline @ Hillcrest

7 p.m. Friday

In the preseason coaches' poll, Skyline and Hillcrest were picked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the HCC standings, and the Griz and Knights have looked like the best two teams in the conference thus far. Hillcrest (3-0, 1-0 HCC) has had increasingly impressive results in each of its three games so far this year, pounding Century 40-0 in Week 1, blowing out 5A Thunder Ridge 41-14 in Week 2 and annihilating Blackfoot 41-7 last week. For those keeping score at home, that is 40.67 points per game scored and only 7 points per contest allowed. Impressive stuff from a Knights team that will look to dethrone the three-time defending 4A champs on Friday night. Speaking of those champs, Skyline (2-1) picked up a solid bounce-back win over Thunder Ridge 34-20 last week after losing to 5A Highland the week before. The Grizzlies also won against Layton (UT) during the Rocky Mountain Rumble. Head Coach Scott Berger's squad will truly begin its title defense this week as Skyline opens conference play. The Grizzlies beat the Knights 43-24 last season and have not lost to Hillcrest since 2018.  

Sandpoint vs. Homedale

2 p.m. Saturday

The Sandpoint and Homedale football programs have a lot in common in recent years. Both the 4A Bulldogs and 3A Trojans have been two of the most consistent state title contenders in their respective classifications over the past several years, yet neither has quite made it over the hump and claimed that allusive championship. And both teams have big expectations in 2023, making Saturday's hallway matinee, which will be played in Hermiston, Oregon, a huge game with major confidence and playoff-seeding implications. After losing to Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene in consecutive weeks, Sandpoint (1-2) went to the University of Montana last week and pulled out its first win of the season, beating a talented Raymond (Alberta) team 27-20. The Bulldogs were without starting quarterback Hunter Garcia, who missed the game with an injury, but junior Drew Lehman stepped in and stepped up in a big way, completing 12-of-16 passes for 183 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Homedale (3-0), meanwhile, has looked locked in and exceedingly dominant so far this year after coming up short in the 3A State Championship Game against archrival Sugar-Salem last fall. The Trojans have smacked all three of their opponents so far this season, putting up more than 52 points per contest while allowing only nine points per game. Homedale played at Sandpoint last year, and the Bulldogs pulled out a 28-21 win in a hard-fought game that could have gone either way. Fans can expect another dogfight Saturday in Hermiston as these two squads continue building their 2023 resumes.

3A

Cole Valley Christian @ Weiser

7 p.m. Friday

Cole Valley Christian will play a 3A Snake River Valley Conference (SRV) squad for the third straight week as they head to Weiser for a tough matchup against the undefeated Wolverines. It has been "so far, so good" for the Chargers (2-1) so far against the SRV, as they walloped Parma 62-6 in Week 2 and pummeled Payette 27-6 last week. But Weiser is a different challenge, and one that Head Coach Mark Moreno's squad is going to need to be ready for if they hope to compete. The Wolverines (3-0) won at Buhl in Week 1 42-21 and have won the past two weeks in complete blowouts against overmatched LaGrande (OR) and Bonners Ferry teams. Weiser was a 3A state semifinalist last year, and Head Coach Tom Harrison's team looks to have the talent and capability to compete for a title again this fall. Cole Valley should be a good test for the Wolverines as they look forward to starting SRV play in the coming weeks.

2A

Kellogg @ St. Maries

7 p.m. Friday

It is not often that we would include a matchup of unbeaten teams in this weekly preview of big games, but Friday's matchup between the 2022 2A Central Idaho League (CIL) champions and the 2023 preseason favorites is worth noting. Kellogg (0-3), sans the Luna twins (who are now playing college football at the University of Miami), has unsurprisingly struggled out of the gates. The Wildcats got pounded by 4A Moscow in Week 1, but have since showed significant signs of improvement in closer losses to 2A power North Fremont and Newport (WA). St. Maries (0-3), meanwhile, has played a brutal non-conference schedule, losing games to Melba, Riverside (WA), and Freeman (WA), who have a combined record of 5-1 on the year. The Lumberjacks snuck into the 2A playoffs last fall with a 3-6 record on the year, but Head Coach Greg Rouse's team has high expectations this fall, and avenging a 44-21 loss to Kellogg from last year would be a great place to start in the conference opener for both teams.

Melba @ North Fremont

6 p.m. Saturday

Speaking of Melba, the No. 5-ranked Mustangs will play in the 2A game of the week as they take on fellow 2A stalwart and the No. 1 team in the classification, North Fremont. The Mustangs (2-0) and Huskies (3-0) will meet halfway in Declo for what should be an outstanding game. In addition to the win over St. Maries, Melba also pounded 3A Gooding last week 28-6. The Huskies, meanwhile, have looked especially impressive thus far, as they opened the season with a huge 28-6 win over defending 2A champion Bear Lake. North Fremont also has a pair of blowout victories over Kellogg and Malad on its resume already this year. The Huskies will look to build on that success Saturday evening in Declo against a Melba squad that they could likely see again come late October or November. North Fremont beat Melba 26-6 last fall and has won each of the past three matchups between the teams.

1AD1

Grace @ Notus

6 p.m. Friday

Watch Live

A pair of 2022 1AD1 conference champions will do battle Friday night as No. 5 Grace travels to the Treasure Valley to take on an undefeated and No. 4-ranked Notus squad in a big non-conference showdown. The Grizzlies (3-1) were the 1AD1 state runners-up last season, and they look like true title contenders once again in 2023. Grace has posted dominant wins over Carey and St. Joseph (UT) in addition to an impressive 34-16 victory over El Capitan (AZ) in Week 0, a team that has not lost since that game against the Grizzlies. The sole blemish on Grace's resume thus far was a one-score loss against Lighthouse Christian, who also looks legit thanks to the game-breaking abilities of senior Justice Schrader. The Pirates, meanwhile have played half as many games as the Grizzlies but have looked nearly as impressive. Notus went on the road in Week 1 to defeat Clearwater Valley 72-54, and the Pirates plundered Greenleaf Friends 65-13 two weeks ago. With a week off last week, Notus should be well-rested and ready to go for its home opener against the toughest team on its schedule this year. If the Pirates can win Friday night, they have a good shot of running the table and earning a high seed in the 2023 1AD1 playoffs.

Kamiah @ Council

7 p.m. Friday

Watch Live

Fans will get another matchup of 2022 conference winners Friday evening as Kamiah goes on the road against Council, the No. 5-ranked team in 1AD2 football. The Kubs (1-1) will need to rebound quickly after getting shellshocked last week in a 40-12 loss to Logos on their home field. Kamiah was a state semifinalist last fall, and the Kubs still believe they can compete with the best. Council (2-1) came up just short of its own state semifinal appearance last fall, losing 6-0 in the quarterfinals to Castleford, and the Lumberjacks have looked solid out of the gates in 2023. Council played at the No. 1 team in all of 8-man football, Kendrick, in Week 1 and held its own in a 66-14 loss. Since then, the Lumberjacks have been locked in, shredding Lewis County 55-0 and chopping down Horseshoe Bend 44-0 last Friday. Council has a tough stretch on the horizon, as each of their next four opponents after Kamiah has a winning record right now, so the Lumberjacks are going to need to bring their A-game if they want to stay hot and hand the Kubs their second straight loss.

Oakley @ Raft River

7 p.m. Friday

Watch Live

Friday night will be a rematch of the 2021 1AD1 State Championship Game as three-time defending champion Oakley heads to Malta for a Snake River Conference (SRC) matchup against rival Raft River. After losing on the blue turf at Albertsons Stadium to Kendrick two weeks ago, the Hornets (2-1, 1-0 SRC) mowed over Murtaugh 76-38 last week to get back on track. Head Coach Brennan Jones looks to have another capable team at Oakley, who will look to beat Raft River for the third consecutive time. The Trojans (1-1, 0-1), meanwhile, are hoping to rebound after a stinging 40-12 loss at Lighthouse Christian last week. Raft River opened its season with a quality 44-30 win over Tri-Valley, and the Trojans are a proven commodity not only as SRC contenders but as 1AD1 powers, so they will need to play their best Friday if they want to avoid a home loss to their talented rivals.

1AD2

Clark Fork @ Lakeside

7 p.m. Friday

Watch Live

The 1AD2 North Star League (NSL) has already featured some great matchups so far this season, and Friday's battle between Clark Fork and Lakeside should be no different. Through three games, the Wampus Cats (2-1, 2-1 NSL) have one blowout win and two hard-fought games that came down to the wire. Clark Fork lost the first of the two close games to Mullan-St. Regis in Week 0, but pulled out a win in the other, besting Wallace 20-14 last Friday. Now, Clark Fork will get another test as they head to Worley for a matchup with a Lakeside team that has looked good the past two weeks. The Knights (2-1, 1-0) got popped by Logos in Week 1, but that loss looks a lot better considering how well the Logos has played in recent weeks. Since then, Lakeside has posted a pair of nice wins, beating Wallace 52-34 and Deary 42-34. Lakeside and Clark Fork could end up battling for playoff contention, as they will play a second time in the season finale on Oct. 20, but whoever can pull out the win this week will have a big leg up in the NSL standings heading into the meat of conference play.

Cascade @ Tri-Valley

7 p.m. Friday

One of the best stories so far this fall has been the Cascade Ramblers, who are off to a 3-0 start to the season in their first year of varsity competition since 2018. Led by second-year head coach Keala Hoe, the Ramblers have notched some quality wins, beating Timberline (Weippe) as well as a pair of 2022 playoff teams in Idaho City and Lewis County. Next up is Cascade's toughest challenge yet as they travel to Cambridge to play a Tri-Valley (2-1, 1-0 Long Pin) squad that has scored at least 50 points in the past two weeks. After losing to 1AD1 Raft River in Week 1, the Titans have looked good in blowout wins over Rimrock and Salmon River. If Cascade hopes to keep its Cinderella run going and cement itself as a true 1AD2 Long Pin Conference contender, the Ramblers will need to play mistake-free football on Friday night.

BOYS SOCCER

5A

Highland (Poc.) @ Canyon Ridge

10 a.m. Saturday

The Highland Rams (4-3-2) will make the trip over to the Magic Valley Saturday morning for an intriguing 4A/5A crossover match against the 4A Great Basin League (GBL)-leading Canyon Ridge Riverhawks. After losing a couple of tough matches last week, the Rams have been playing well in their last few matches, which include draws against Madison and Thunder Ridge and a 2-0 win over Skyline on Wednesday. The Riverhawks (8-1), meanwhile, have looked like true title contenders so far this season. After losing to Thunder Ridge in its season opener, Canyon Ridge has ripped off eight straight victories, including a huge 2-1 overtime win over GBL rival Wood River last Saturday. Saturday's match in Twin Falls should be a good tune-up for both of these teams as they continue preparing themselves for playoff runs later this season.

4A

Wood River @ Sun Valley Community School

1 p.m. Saturday

Speaking of Wood River, the Wolverines (7-1-1) picked up their first loss of the season last week against league rival Canyon Ridge, and now they will prepare for yet another tough match against undefeated Sun Valley Community School (SVCS). Wood River has challenged itself with a quality non-conference schedule that has included numerous playoff-caliber teams, and Saturday's trip to Hailey to play the Cutthroats is another example of this. SVCS (8-0) has looked dominant so far this season, scoring more than five goals per game while allowing less than a goal per match, on average. Five of the Cutthroats' eight wins have been shutouts and none have been close, so Saturday's contest against a talented 4A squad should be a great measuring stick opportunity for the 3A High Desert Conference favorites.

3A

Teton @ American Falls

1 p.m. Saturday

All three of American Falls' losses this season have come in non-conference matchups against 3A Mountain Rivers Conference (MRC) opponents, and on Saturday the Beavers (4-3-3) will play yet another strong MRC team at home. It has been a challenging, but competitive week for the Beavers this week, who played to a tie against Aberdeen and lost 2-1 against the defending 3A champion Sugar-Salem Diggers. Saturday's match will be the second time American Falls has played Teton, and the Beavers will be looking to avenge a 1-0 loss from Aug. 26. The Timberwolves (6-0), meanwhile, have looked like one of the best teams in 3A so far this season. Teton has allowed only two goals in their six games this year. The Timberwolves' only close match of the season was the aforementioned 1-0 win over American Falls, so Saturday should be another quality match to add to Teton's resume.

GIRLS SOCCER

5A

Canyon Ridge @ Highland (Poc.)

10 a.m. Saturday

Just like on the boys' side, Saturday morning's Canyon Ridge-Highland match should be fun to watch as two of Idaho's best squads meet up for a non-conference tilt. The Rams (5-3-1) enter the match on a three-match winning streak highlighted by a 1-0 victory over conference rival Thunder Ridge on Monday. Similarly, Canyon Ridge (7-2-1) has won four in a row and the Riverhawks have asserted them as one of the top two teams in the GBL this season.

4A

Twin Falls @ Pocatello

11 a.m. Saturday

The 4A match of the weekend will feature a pair of conference front-runners as Twin Falls travels to take on Pocatello. The Bruins (6-2-1), last season's 4A runners-up sit atop the 4A GBL standings and appear to be state title contenders once again in 2023. After losing a couple of matches early in the season, Twin Falls has not lost since Aug. 23. The Thunder (9-0), on the other hand, have not lost yet this season. Period. Pocatello has nine wins in as many matches and the Thunder have outscored their opponents 44-5 on the year. One of Pocatello's only close matches came in a 2-1 victory over Twin Falls earlier this season. Saturday the Thunder will look to defend Lookout Credit Union Field in a potential 4A State Tournament preview match.

3A

Teton @ American Falls

11 a.m. Saturday

Both Teton and American Falls were 3A State Tournament teams a season ago, and both squads look to make it back again this season, which means Saturday's non-conference contest will be a great test for both the Timberwolves and Beavers. After losing a couple of matches in August, including a 2-0 defeat against Teton, American Falls (7-2) has looked fantastic in September. The Beavers are 4-0 this month and have outscored opponents 33-2. The Timberwolves (3-2), meanwhile, have oddly only played five matches so far this year. Teton last took the pitch on Sept. 7 when they pounded Aberdeen 13-0. Hopefully, the long layoff has provided some much-needed rest for the Timberwolves as they now head into a stretch of seven games in 11 days, beginning with this tough road match at American Falls on Saturday.

VOLLEYBALL

Bonneville Classic

The Bonneville Bees will look to defend their 2022 Bonneville Classic crown at home this weekend, as they enter the tournament with only one loss on the year so far. Bonneville will be joined by a few fearsome 4A foes, including fifth-ranked Idaho Falls, Century, Blackfoot, Pocatello, and Skyline.

Idaho Classic

The Treasure Valley will host a treasure trove of talented volleyball squads this weekend as Mountain View hosts the annual Idaho Classic. The 2023 field is loaded, to say the least, and will include 1A schools Hagerman, Horseshoe Bend, Greenleaf Friends, Council, Liberty Charter, Cascade, and Lighthouse Christian, 2A teams Cole Valley Christian, Declo and Nampa Christian, as well as American Falls, McCall-Donnelly and Filer from the 3A ranks.

Twin Falls Invitational

Some great volleyball matchups will go down this weekend in Twin Falls as the Bruins host the Twin Falls Invitational. Every team participating was either ranked in the top five or listed among the teams "also receiving votes" in last week's coaches poll, meaning there will be no easy matches. In addition to the No. 4-ranked Bruins, the remainder of the field will be Kimberly, Columbia, Shelley, Thunder Ridge, Rocky Mountain and Timberline (Boise).

Timberlake Tournament

North Idaho volleyball fans will be in for a treat as the Timberlake Tournament will bring together some old 3A Intermountain League rivals in Bonners Ferry, Kellogg and the host Timberlake Tigers. Also joining the field will be the 5A Lake City Timberwolves, who will look to gain some confidence as they head into the remainder of their challenging 4A/5A IEL schedule.

Lakeland @ Post Falls

1:30 p.m. Saturday

The rivalry matches are heating up in the combined 4A/5A IEL, and Saturday should be a great show as 4A Lakeland, which has shown that it can hang with the best 5A squads, travels to Post Falls to compete in a tri-match that also includes Central Valley from Washington. The Hawks finished second at the Freeman (WA) Rip-A-Shot Tournament last weekend, and continued the hot streak this week, taking down Lewiston and splitting a home tri-match with Timberlake and Coeur d'Alene. Meanwhile, Trojans senior setter/right-side hitter Kylie Munday was honored this week as the Coeur d'Alene Press Athlete of the Week. Munday recently surpassed her older sister, Allison, to become the school record holder for kills and now has more than 1,000 in her career. Post Falls is off to another fast start to the 2023 campaign and will look to keep it going Saturday against two quality opponents.