Published: 9/6/2016 1:57:43 AM

Two weeks are in the books in high school football and, thankfully, most every school has played at least one game now - which gives us a better barometer of what they will look like this season.

A lot can still happen between now and the end of the season, however there are some conferences that begin league-play this week, meaning we are already getting to the meat and potatoes of the schedule. There's nothing wrong with that at all... it just makes the games that much more important.

On a sad note, the season has already come to an end for one school as Richfield has had to cancel their remaining schedule due to lack of numbers. That has left the schools that were going to play Richfield scrambling to fill their schedules, including teams in eastern Idaho. Hopefully, those schools are able to pick up new opponents.

With that, let's get to a recap of a busy weekend of eastern Idaho high school football:

The Bees came up just short of snagging their first 2-0 start to the year since 2012. While a loss is never desirable, the close loss against a team that was thought in the pre-season to contend for a playoff spot surely has to be a positive sign for Bonneville. Next up for the Bees: a date with archrival Hillcrest in the 25th Civil War. Bonneville has lost that battle 7 of the last 8 years. Will the goalposts change colors this year?

The Bobcats are for real. Madison puts up 40-plus points for the second straight week. Jeff Pinkham of the Post Register wrote that it's a different mentality for Madison this year. The offense is not as pass heavy as it was in previous years. Devan Berry passed for 116 yards. Blake Moseley ran for 147 yards to lead the ground game. That offensive balance will only help them as it will keep opposing defenses guessing. Idaho Falls is taking their lumps - expected considering the number of young, inexperienced players on the field. But Tiger Nation should keep their heads up - better days are ahead.

The Broncos come away with their second straight win and Pacen Hayes was a key factor, passing for 298 yards with three touchdowns. Jager Leavitt led the way on the ground with 89 yards and Nyko Flores had 115 yards and two touchdowns on seven receptions. Hillcrest was within striking distance of Blackfoot for most of the game, they just couldn't get it going consistently on drives. The rushing attack netted only 57 yards total, led by Bowen Oswald with 29 yards. The defense did come up with two interceptions, so that's a bright spot. The Knights will need to come together quickly as they play archrival Bonneville next - or they could be staring at an 0-3 record after this Friday night.

This game started out well with both teams exchanging touchdowns early in the first quarter... and then the flood gates opened against Rigby. Skyline's offense kicked into full gear and they showcased their many weapons on offense - Bridger Taylor at quarterback, Kyler Morgan and David Ames III at running back, Carson Lott at wide receiver along with Caleb Mayes. Before you knew it, the game was out of reach. Skyline, in my book, is worthy of their current rankings in the polls. David Ames III is a real candidate for Idaho Player of the Year. Rigby is young, but talented and should get better as the season rolls along. Their secondary will need to be stronger as they were eaten alive for the second straight week.

The first half went really well for the Rams. A couple of second half turnovers led to Eagle regaining momentum and the lead down the stretch. The Rams rushing attack wasn't on the same level in this one as it was the previous week against Lewiston, as they rushed for only 41 total yards. Highland is 0-2 to start the season for the first time since 2010, however these losses should only strengthen the Rams when they head into their conference schedule in a couple of weeks with the experiences gained. Another tough game this week as Capital comes to town, but there is no need to push the panic button just yet, Rams fans. 

The Diamondbacks entered this season having to replace 86% of their offense from last year (as reported by the Idaho State Journal). Then they had to replace quarterback Blaize Trulson as he went down with injury just prior to the start of the season. Those factors, combined with the inexperience coming in to fill roles, certainly showed on Friday night against Minico. While the defense was good, they aren't dominant enough to carry the Diamondbacks when their offense sputters - the offense will need to clean up the small mistakes that turned into big problems last week.

The Indians shrugged off their one-point overtime loss last week to Wood River and defeated the defending Great Basin Conference champions.  The defense was stellar against the run overall, but struggled a bit on pass defense as the Bruins racked up 266 yards through the air. That all being said, the offense did exactly what it needed to behind Kobee Gunter and Will Schumber - and that offense is only going to improve.

Well, it was a reality check for Preston after winning their first game in nearly two years last week in a 35-0 romp over Ogden (UT). Britten Atkinson had another good game, but the overall offense struggled against the defending 3A wyoming state champions. It doesn't get easier this week for the Indians either - Skyline comes to town for the first time.

This was a blowout from the beginning. The Diggers led 28-0 at halftime, led 49-0 after three quarters, and outgained Jackson on the ground 299 to -21 overall. At least Junior Gonzalez had some opportunities to pass the ball and work on that aspect of the game: he went 6-of-9 through the air for 142 yards. That work will be beneficial for the balance the Diggers are striving for on offense - especially once conference play rolls around in October.

There are few teams in the lower levels of 11-man football that can compete with the size of West Jefferson's offensive and defensive lines. South Fremont is one of those teams. They neutralized West J's double wing offense for most of the night. Reece Yancey passed for three touchdowns and ran for another - he's showing great poise for a first time starter. West Jefferson shouldn't be disappointed in the outcome - they are still contenders in 2A and can learn a lot about themselves from this game. Their matchup against Teton this week in some ways will be similar and give them a chance to correct their mistakes.

The Russets put together a very nice game against their archrival, including scoring plays from the defense and special teams. Shelley looked much more complete in this game compared to last week against Snow Canyon, UT. Future opponents won't be excited about that trend. Snake River showed their youth against the more experienced Russets, but they will continue to improve as the season moves along... however they will need to cut down on turnovers. If they can do that, the Panthers will be just fine.

This game surprised me a bit. After North fell to Filer last week and Teton blasted Jackson, WY, I wasn't so sure of the Huskies' chances in this one. Well, it's a good thing the game is played on the field instead of on paper. It was a close battle all the way through, led by Sawyer Dye's 140 rushing yards on just 10 carries. North had 368 rush yards and, get this, ZERO passing yards on three passing attempts. Is North's run game that good? Or did Teton's run defense just struggle that much? Regardless, Teton is going to have to shore up that area this week, because they host another double-wing team in West Jefferson next.

Not a good game for Tony Cade's crew. They trailed 36-0 after three quarters. Cade did tell the Idaho State Journal of how proud he was of his team and they way they battled after the first quarter. However, for American Falls to take the next step they can't have first quarters like that - they have to be in the game from the opening kickoff. This isn't the start that American Falls fans were hoping for, however they have an opportunity to get back on track this week against the surprising 2-0 Filer Wildcats.

Much like Preston, this was a reality check for the new-look Eagles against a much improved Filer squad. It wasn't an aerial game however: between the two teams, they completed one of eight total passes. For Marsh Valley to take the next step, they'll have to improve in the passing game certainly. But both schools are on the right track under new head coaches - the future is bright.

Six touchdowns by different players for Firth - talk about balance on the scoresheet. They also had relative balance on offense between the run and the pass, which will certainly help the Cougars come conference-play in the run-heavy Nuclear Conference. Something Firth will need to improve: PAT's. They converted only 3-of-8 against Soda Springs. The Cardinals struggled again and have only scored six points on offense through two games - and they only had 6 total yards of offense against Firth. The Cardinals will have to go back to the drawing board once again and continue to work on their offense - they need to find consistency so that their defense isn't constantly on the field.

The Bulldogs shut out the Dragons and, in the process, won their first game against a varsity team since Oct. 11, 2013 (when they beat West Jefferson 36-22). Their 2-0 start is their best in recent memory and they'll have a good chance to potentially move to 3-0 this week when they host Soda Springs. As for Malad, they certainly had their opportunities but couldn't capitalize. Their offense needs to find their groove quickly, as they have yet to score this season.

This game is always a nail-biter. No different this year as it went to double-overtime after both teams tied 0-0 after regulation. West Side may be young, but they are still West Side. The defense played much better this week, giving up 40 fewer points. Give them time and they will be a tough out come playoff time.

I think the score tells this one. Aberdeen is still a force and Jeff Duffin's crew is still the reiging champs. Wendell would just like to forget this one and move on. They would like their offense to score though: 0 points through two games.

This game ended up one-foot short of being the biggest upset in recent Idaho high school football history. Valley, ranked #1 and the defending state champions, stuffed Challis on the goal line to preserve the win. Last week, Challis broke their 11-game losing streak dating back to October 17, 2014. T.T. Cain and his staff have really worked wonders with this year's team after a rough first year. The new offense they've installed seems to be working and the defense is doing its job.

I don't blame Grace for not playing well in this game. Not only is Oakley talented and took it to the Grizzlies, but Grace's Connor Mickelson (a freshman) had to be life-flighted to Pocatello after taking a hit that caused internal bleeding. According to Jeff Papworth of the Idaho State Journal, Mickelson is out for the season and will be on bed rest for at least the next month. It's hard to get back mentally into playing mode when something like that happens to your teammate during the game. Grace already lost star player Efrain Velasquez in the offseason to injury. Their next game may define their season: will they play for their fallen teammates? Or will they allow it to consume them and their hopes for the season?

The Pirates are expected to contend for the 1AD2 state title this year. Sho-Ban hasn't played football since 2013 and weren't planning on having a football team this year until early last week. That pretty much tells the story here - two teams on polar opposite ends of the competitive spectrum. I'll say this: while Butte County completely dominated Sho-Ban, I'm happy for the Chiefs that they have football back. It sounds like there is a good amount of players who want to play (which they had struggled with in previous seasons) and if there is consistency from year-to-year with good coaching, they may finally get a solid program up and running. Kudos to those involved at Sho-Ban High School for stepping up to make it happen.

This game was never on the original schedule, however when Watersprings cancelled with Dietrich because of lack of players, the Blue Devils sought out Clark County for a game. The Bobcats, who had their contest last week against Richfield scrapped after they forfeited, gladly took the game. It was evenly matched early on as both teams traded possessions. Clark County put together several good drives deep into Dietrich territory, but they could never finish the deal. The Bobcats' passing game is a work in progress, but showed flashes on Thursday night. The defense just couldn't contain Dietrich's Garrett Astle, who should be in the mix for Idaho Player of the Year.

It was sweet revenge for North Gem as they defeated the team that knocked them out of last year's playoffs. Carey had to use a 70-yard hook-and-ladder play in the final seconds to even have a chance to tie it. But their two-point conversion attempt came up short. Four interceptions in the game isn't a good sign for North Gem - they'll need to work on that.

This was scheduled at the last minute after Richfield cancelled their game against Rockland this week. The win should certainly give a boost to Rockland, who broke a 10-game losing streak. The Bulldogs came up with not one, but two Pick-6's in the game.