It's hard to believe that football will come to a close this Friday night.

Hundreds of games, thousands of players, and tons of great memories can be taken from this season. Each year has it's own storylines and this season is no different. 

But alas, as the old adage goes: "All good things must come to an end".... even if it is just for another 9 months or so.

After everything that has been done/accomplished this season, it all boils down to the six State Championship games. And wouldn't you know it, there are five teams from Eastern Idaho, namely District 6, that are all vying for those Milk Bowl banners.

The big question: Can East Idaho go 5-for-5 in the State Championship games?

This year's 5A Milk Bowl features a team that everyone expected to be there (Coeur d'Alene) and one that hardly anyone expected to be there (Madison) at the beginning of the season. The Bobcats have run off 11 straight victories against the competition, including wins over Capital and Lake City in the playoffs and Highland and Blackfoot in the regular season. Madison returns to the state championship after a 10-year absence while also being in the playoffs for the first time since 2005. 

Coeur d'Alene, meanwhile, is gunning for the first ever "3-Peat" at the 5A level. After back-to-back losses against Skyline, Wash. and Highland,the chatter about the Coeur d'Alene 3-Peat vanished. The Vikings aren't done yet... however they will be facing one of the most dynamic teams in the State this season. Not only does Madison have Sam Baldwin at running back, but they feature five wide receivers over 6'1 AND a defense which has limited the competition to only 11.4 points per game this season. 

Could Coeur d'Alene knock off the Bobcats and earn that coveted 3-Peat? Or will Madison prove that they are worthy once again of their #1 ranking in the state?

The 4A Milk Bowl features the lone rematch of last year: Blackfoot vs. Middleton. The Broncos are looking for back-to-back state titles for the first time in school history. They have played well all season long outside of their loss to Madison in mid-October. Blackfoot has also faced two physical teams in the State Tournament thus far in Bishop Kelly and Skyview. This week, their third straight matchup against the Southern Idaho Conference awaits as they square off against the Middleton Vikings. The Vikings are a team that use all four-downs to pick up a first down and will run you over if you give them a glimmer of daylight. 

This year, however, Middleton has an advantage over Blackfoot in that the game will be held pretty much in their own back yard, with Dona Larson Park being a grand total of 25 miles away from Middleton, compared to Blackfoot's 250 miles. 

The 3A Milk Bowl is a matchup that a LOT of people have been talking about all year long: Shelley vs. Fruitland. After spending two years in the 4A classification, the Russets are back with a vengeance this year at 3A, simply mowing down opponents left and right while going undefeated along with an impressive non-conference schedule this season. Chad Leckington and McKay Cannon along with many other players have given the Russets a lot of weapons to work with offensively. 

Fruitland, meanwhile, is once again back where they are expected to be come the third weekend of November each year. Can Joe Martarano and the Grizzlies reclaim their position on top of the Idaho 3A football mountain? Arguably, this may be the best matchup of the weekend.

The 2A Milk Bowl features two undefeated teams in what should be a heavy-weight battle on Friday afternoon at Holt Arena. Both Declo and Firth have been on a crash-course, seemingly, for the State Championship this season. Both teams received first place votes in the state-wide media polls this year and both teams are at the top of the IdahoSports.com Power Rankings. 

The big question for Firth will be if they can adjust their game-plan as a result of the loss of QB Jake Orme, who left last week's semi-final game with a broken collarbone. As for Declo, can they get their ground game going against a stingy Firth run defense? It's sure to be a thriller in Pocatello on Friday.

The 1A Division 1 Milk Bowl features an interesting storyline with both teams in the title game having previously played at the 2A level. Butte County seems to have rounded into form after their Pirate Bowl I loss to Hagerman on Oct. 12. Tyler Andreason has been a nightmare for opposing defenses to stop, along with the rest of the Butte County rushing attack. 

Kamiah, meanwhile, squeaked out a victory over Troy last weekend in what sounded like a controversial ending. Will Kamiah be able to re-group, re-focus, and complete their undefeated season? Or will Butte County be able to overcome the long road trip to Moscow and run over the Kubs?

Finally, the 1A Division 2 Milk Bowl does not feature teams from East Idaho, however,that doesn't mean that we shouldn't talk about it. First of all, congratulations to Salmon River and Lighthouse Christian on making it to this point of the tournament. It should be a fun game to watch on Friday night at 5:00 p.m. from Eagle High School as Salmon River enters the game fresh off a 36-12 hammering of the #1 team in 1AD2, the Dietrich Blue Devils. Lighthouse Christian, however, is the reigning state champions. You can't count out their experience in the title game. 

A lot of hardware and banners will be given out on Friday afternoon/night. A lot of memories will be made and a lot of high school careers will end after these games. 

If you can attend any of these great matchups, DO IT! Attending these games in person is something that the kids who play appreciate greatly and will remember for the rest of their lives. I know I did, having had the opportunity to have played in a few state championship games myself. But if you can't attend in person, IdahoSports.com has got you covered with all six Milk Bowl State Championship games LIVE!