Published: 9/12/2016 1:53:01 PM

Three games into the 2016 season and we are finally getting a sense of which direction teams throughout Idaho are headed - both good and bad.

We've begun to see the tendencies of each team and how they prefer to operate. And, with conference play approaching for many teams, it becomes even more cruicial for good execution of those tendencies as the season rolls along.

Oh, by the way, we've already completed a third of the season... hardly seems fair that high school football moves so quickly.

Here's the roundup of games played involving eastern Idaho schools from week two action - The Friday Night Flashback.

Bonneville led this one heading into the fourth quarter. Then the wheels fell off and Hillcrest turn the game upside on its head despite their struggles for three quarters. The Knights, who are loaded with sophomores in key positions, can thank backup quarterback Kyle Austin for giving them the jolt they needed with his run-game execution. I compare this game to the BYU/Utah rivalry game from Saturday: Bonneville collected more turnovers (as BYU did), yet Hillcrest was able to tread their way through the mistakes, create chances of their own, and get their third straight Civil War victory, including their eighth in the last nine. With this being a conference game, Bonneville will need to most likely take down at least two of the trio of Rigby, Madison, and Highland to earn a playoff spot. Hillcrest most likely only needs one more conference win to snag a trip to the postseason... most likely.

I think Highland's poor start has been well publicized already (first 0-3 start since 1969), so we don't need to get too much into that. However the Rams (in my estimation) have started with arguably the toughest schedule in all of Idaho. Head coach Gino Mariani talked about that same thing with the Idaho State Journal prior to the game. No excuses for Highland though - they need to get better and they need to get healthy. They also haven't played a conference game and won't until September 29th, meaning plenty of time to improve. Their secondary will need to mature - they were torched by Capital quarterback Drew Korf. Consistency will be big for Highland as they look to get back on track.

A real defensive battle here. Pocatello frustrated Madison all night long, holding the Bobcats to 241 yards of total offense which is much lower than their output during the first two weeks. Madison was more effective overall on defense, limiting Pocatello to 112 yards passing and minus-26 yards rushing, making it even more remarkable that Pocatello forced overtime. Madison's first two wins were blowouts, Pocatello's first two games were tight affairs. Did Pocatello find the defensive blueprint to slow down Madison? This game speaks volumes more for the Indians than it does the Bobcats - they may be a real threat in 4A District 5-6. Madison is still 3-0 however and should probably stay at #5 in the polls, in my opinion. 

A real defensive slugfest at Kuna High on Friday night. The Kavemen can thank Cody Trautman and Tyson Fuss for turning the tide late in the game - both had key interceptions. Rigby is still getting better, but has a long way to go. The loss means it's the first 0-3 start for Rigby in the Randy Waite era and worst since 2012. The defense seems to be starting to gel... but when will the offense catch up for the Trojans? Conference play starts on September 30th for Rigby... will they have it together by then?

The Broncos secured a convincing win thanks to their smothering defense and steady offense. If Blackfoot keeps playing like this, they will go deep into the 4A playoffs. On the other hand, Century is struggling immensely. They were senior-heavy last year and are breaking new players all across the board - and it's showing. Diamondbacks head coach Travis Hobson told the Idaho State Journal after the loss that "there were bright spots, but overall there wasn't a lot to be satisfied over." A bigger issue? That was Century's first conference game of the year and will now have to most likely win three of the next four conference contests in order to make the playoffs.

At last, relief for Tiger Nation. Not only is the 16-game losing streak over for Idaho Falls, but the Tigers didn't turn the ball over either. According to the Post Register, Idaho Falls also had four touchdowns called back because of penalties, which is a rather large amount. It's a good building block of Idaho Falls as they get the streak off their chest, but there is still a lot of work to be done - and the next three games on the schedule are arguably the toughest of the year for the Tigers as they'll play Pocatello, Skyline, and Blackfoot.

The Grizzlies are averaging 51.3 points per game on offense through three games, an impressive number. The teams they have played have a combined record of 2-7, but the numbers are still looking good for Skyline. Their schedule is back-loaded much like last year, meaning their biggest tests are at the end of the season when they should be peaking. If you're a Skyline fan, you're hoping the Grizz don't peak too early. David Ames III tacked on four more touchdowns - he is a force to be reckoned with. Preston is still in rebuilding mode, but the pieces are there to set up well for the future.

I thought heading into this game at it might be close. Boy was I wrong. Shelley steamrolled the Riverhawks on the ground to the tune of 252 yards, while not allowing a single offensive touchdown to Canyon Ridge (their only score came on a fumble recovery in the end zone). The Russets are already better at this point this year than they were at any time last year and that's a credit to Jake Monahan and his staff molding their schemes to the personnel available to them. Shelley is making a case for a number one ranking in the IdahoSports.com Poll and State Media Poll. The rest of 3A needs to watch out.

The Cougars are off to their best start in recent memory at 3-0 overall, scoring all 26 of their points in the first half. The way the conference is shaping up so far prior to league play, the Mountain Rivers Conference is going to be CRAZY competitive once October hits. Credit to Bear Lake for shutting the Cougars out in the second half, but the season hasn't started for Bear Lake the way that many thought it would - they were one of the preseason favorites to win the conference. They've only played two games thus far, but they can't get down on themselves - conference play hasn't started yet and anything can happen.

The Diggers improved to 3-0 with their first win over Snake River since 2012 - and it was all powered through their 279 yards rushing. I feel like Sugar's run-oriented offense is much like the old pick-and-roll days of John Stockton and Karl Malone: you know it's coming... but you just can't stop it. Interestingly enough, the Diggers completed just one pass on Friday night... which went for a 49-yard touchdown to Jaron Rose. When was the last time Snake River started the season 0-3? A tough non-conference schedule to start plus new personnel plus a new coaching staff normally equals a slow start. The offense has only scored 20 points all year long. Don't sleep on the Panthers yet though - they still may make some noise when the games matter even more late in the season.

The common theme in Teton's two losses to North Fremont and West Jefferson? Both schools ran the double wing offense and Teton couldn't stop it. That's problematic for the Redskins, who still have to face run-heavy teams in Sugar-Salem, Shelley, and Declo on their schedule. As for West Jefferson, it was a good win over a 3A team to help prep them for a showdown this Saturday afternoon in Homedale. Whoever controls the line of scrimmage in this game stands a greater chance of winning.

The Beavers finally picked up their first win of the season against an improved Filer squad. American Falls more than doubled their point total from the previous two weeks as the offense really came together. The defense will need to step up as they allowed Filer their highest point total of the year thus far. With Snake River's slow start and Marsh Valley's improvement, the 3A South East Idaho Conference may be more wide open that originally thought - however, there is a lot of football left.

This game was almost identical score-wise from last year, when West Side won 22-16. It was the ultimate ball-control and time-of-possession game. There weren't many possessions to be had and every single one of them mattered. The Eagles are certainly more competitive this year with a fresh outlook and new coaching staff. Give them time and they could have a nice thing going in Arimo. As for West Side, they are still young but posting a 2-1 record isn't bad by any means. One of West Side's strengths each year is how much they improve from week-to-week. This is certainly the case again this year.

In a duel of double-wing offenses, the Tigers outlasted the Huskies in a game that could have gone either way. Rivin Mack had 167 yards rushing for Aberdeen while North Fremont's Sawyer Dye posted 104 rushing yards. Both teams showed that despite graduating key players from last season's teams that they will still be tough to beat come playoff time. I expect both squads to make noise come November.

Rough start to the year for Salmon. They've given up 83 points so far through two games and have yet to score on offense. Not too long ago, Salmon was a force to be reckoned with in football... those days seem to be long gone. I hope that Salmon can get their program turned around and on solid footing.

Talk about a balanced performance overall. Three different quarterbacks with at least four completed passes each. Three different running backs with at least 35 yards rushing each. That balance can pose tons of problems for 2A teams. Firth is averaging 51.7 points per game on offense and giving up 4.6 points per game on defense. That's a solid number, even though their opponents have combined for a 2-7 record. As for Malad... they haven't scored a single point yet this season. The rebuild may be a lot longer than what new head coach Rick Driessen was anticipating.

The Bulldogs are off to their best start since the year 2000 and have already posted more wins this season since 2009, when they finished 3-6. As a reward, Ririe now gets to play Aberdeen and West Jefferson - both on the road. However, optimism is high in Ririe as they look to end their four-year playoff drought. As for Soda Springs, the rebuilding effort continues under second-year head coach Cliff Garbett. The Cardinals managed just 104 yards of total offense. Soda Springs has one more non-conference game to try to right the ship before conference play hits.

Well, a 60-point dominating blowout is one way to honor a fallen, injured teammate. Grace was finally able to unleash their offense at the expense of Murtaugh. The Grizzlies are now 2-1 on the year and 1-1 in the Snake River Conference. Every game matters from here on out as they play eight conference games total. 

The defense that Challis is now running is clearly making a huge difference, as they've limited opponents to 15.3 points per game this year. Last year? Challis gave up 53.8 points per game. That's a nearly 40 point turnaround. The offense averages 18 points per game right now, but with the defense playing so well it's giving them time to correct mistakes and improve in execution.

Butte County couldn't have asked for a worse scenario: According to the Post Register, they gave up a 77-yd kickoff return for a touchdown, tossed two interceptions, had three fumbles, and dropped 10 passes overall... and was STILL in striking distance of Dietrich. Brett Waymire had a nice game on the ground, accounting for 108 yards on 10 attempts. The Pirates passing game will need to improve though: they went a combined 9-of-30 for 175 yards. If they can do that, they will be just fine.

The Panthers smashed Clark County for their first win of the year. Clark County, however, has yet to win a game they've actually played in (they have a forfeit win courtesy of Richfield from Aug. 26). The Bobcats are young and still learning... graduating as many talented seniors as they did is certainly not helping them with the learning curve either.

The Lions made quick work of Watersprings, holding a 40-8 lead at halftime. This was Watersprings first game of the year as they had to forfeit last week against Dietrich because of lack of healthy players. This week, their main running back Kyson Poletti went down with injury. I certainly hope the injury bug stays away from Watersprings... they would be the fourth 1AD2 program this year to cancel their season or play a JV schedule only because of health/lack of numbers.

The Hornets led 36-8 after the first half and rolled from there. Execution is the name of the game right now for Rockland. Bulldogs head coach Andy Nelson told the Idaho State Journal that they "need to clean up their game a little bit. We're not executing as well as as we should." Rockland gets another chance this next week as they host 2-1 Rimrock.