Published: 9/27/2016 5:14:22 PM

Water. Everywhere.

It was a wet, muddy, slippery, and wild weekend in eastern Idaho high school football. Fortunately, I was spared being drenched by the torrential downpour that made its way through this side of the state on Thursday and Friday (shoutout to Justin Jones at Rigby HS for putting us inside the pressbox for our broadcast - it's MUCH appreciated). Unfortunately, thanks to the Skyline student section, I along with the broadcast equipment got dusted in baby powder that they threw into the air to open the second half of the Emotion Bowl (don't worry Skyline, I'm not mad at all). If that's the worst thing that happened to me this past weekend, I'll take it.

Here's the Friday Night Flashback for this week.

Everytime I would check Twitter to see updates, the Bees were trailing but slowing creeping closer to tying or taking the lead after trailing 20-6 after the first quarter. As Jason Enes wrote in the Post Register, it's amazing to see how much success Bonneville had through the air despite the weather conditions. Saia Taufatofua was 18-of-33 passing and 198 yards through the air - his counterpart Chase Chandler of Minico completed only 2-of-9 passes for 36 yards (although he made up for it with 156 yards rushing). Good comeback for Bonneville in less than ideal conditions after being down big early.

As I sat inside the Rigby pressbox on Friday night looking for score updates on Twitter during a commercial break, I spotted the Madison/Hillcrest score... with Hillcrest up 21-0. I said that out loud and everyone immediately turned towards me and said, "Wait, what?". They couldn't believe that the Knights were up that big on the road in Rexburg. Neither could I, after seeing the beatdown that the Bobcats leveled on Blackfoot the week before. But, credit to Hillcrest for battling the way they did. And credit to Madison for making a 29-point comeback despite the stats saying that should have lost by a lot. The big difference? Turnovers. Four of them for Hillcrest in the second half. Clean those up and Hillcrest could be in contention for a playoff spot. 

Seeing this in person, I did not wish to be out on the field. At all. It looked miserable out there for the fans, let alone for the players. But, as I tend to mention on our broadcasts, I always look forward to halftime adjustments made by both teams. Blackfoot made good adjustments to give them an 18-6 lead after the thrid quarter. Rigby made more adjustments down the stretch to get the eventual win. And how about Braden Youngstroms night? 29 rushes for 229 yards and four touchdowns. He definitely earned the honor of being named the IdahoSports.com Player of the Game.

The 60th Black n' Blue Bowl's results were much like many of the previous 59 editions have been - Highland getting the 'W'. The Rams have won 45 of the 60 matchups now - it's too bad that both schools aren't in the same classification anymore, which I think would make this game more meaningful outside of city bragging rights. This is probably the most complete game that Highland has played to date, which is good news if you're a Rams fan with conference play beginning this week. Pocatello needs to regroup quickly. They play at upstart Preston this week in a game that could make or break either teams' chances at snagging a playoff berth.

After the first quarter, Skyline led 3-0. Idaho Falls' energy was able to match Skyline's and the Tigers kept pace with the Grizz. However, Skyline woke up in the second quarter and rolled from that point on to a huge win in the annual rivalry. Skyline's offense is multi-faceted - they can beat you through the air and on the ground with multiple players. That's going to be very tough to stop for opponents down the stretch. Idaho Falls, while disappointed they lost the Emotion Bowl, shouldn't be disappointed about the prospects for the remainder of their season - they are in contention for a playoff spot.

There was no throwing of the football 53 times this week for Preston. Instead, the ran the ball right down the throat of Century en route to a big win. This has to be a positive sign for Preston, who was struggled recent seasons with consistency. If they can harness both the run and pass game together at the same time? Preston could be a dark horse candidate for a playoff spot. As for Century, the Diamondbacks are still struggling with injuries and replacing last year's seniors... their chances of a return trip to the state tournament are looking slimmer and slimmer each week. Century also had quite the scare when head coach Travis Hobson collapsed during the football game and was taken to the hospital by ambulance. It's the second time in less than a year that Hobson has collapsed during a game. Fortunately, he's feeling better and just wants to get back to work.

These two teams have met up for five straight seasons. And for five straight seasons, Shelley has beaten Gooding. This one came down to a 27-yard field goal by Redgie Smith with 32 seconds left. The Russets have already matched their win total from last year and are setting themselves up for what should be a fantastic conference race in the uber-competitive Mountain Rivers Conference. As for Gooding, they are doing everything they can to get toughened up for the state playoffs and don't mind being 2-3 as none of the games had league implications. However, this week is HUGE for them - a home game against a ranked Kimberly squad which may end up being one of the best games of the year. Whoever wins has the inside track to winning the league title.

When was the last time South Fremont started out 5-0? When was the last time Snake River started out 0-4? I don't have the answer to either question, but it's definitely been awhile. The Cougars started the game hot, then cooled off almost too much in the second half. South Fremont coach Chad Hill told the Post Register that "Snake River came out to play in the second half. They were aggressive." The Cougars have had 'lulls' in their games recently, meaning that they start hot and then get stuck in neutral for a large chunk of the game before waking up and sealing the deal. They will have to eradicate that tendency before conference play. Snake River, despite not winning a game, is still going to be in contention for a playoff berth. They are getting better and teams should be on the lookout.

This has not been a good year for Teton against teams that run the double-wing offense. In the three games they've played against teams who run it, they are 0-3... and they still have to face the run-oriented Sugar-Salem Diggers in two weeks. Teton head coach Brody Birch told the Post Register that they "probably made three trips to the red zone with no touchdowns" against Declo. It's tough to win when you can't convert opportunities that close in your opponents territory. Fortunately for Teton, they have another non-conference game left before league play, which means more time to work out the kinks. Declo should be battle tested come playoff time - they play eight non-conference games, mainly against 3A schools with some 2A schools mixed in. 

Believe it or not, this was only Bear Lake's third game of the season. They picked up their first win along the way too in the rain and mud. According to the Idaho State Journal, Bear Lake won despite only 65 yards of offense... SIXTY FIVE YARDS! A 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown aided their cause. Marsh Valley has seemingly returned to the reality of needing to continue the hard work to turn around the program. They are certainly taking their lumps, but Doug Armstrong can help get the program back on track.

The Tigers made this one quickly into a running clock, scoring 34 points in the first quarter en route to a 48-6 halftime lead. Aberdeen was the heavy favorite in this game and it showed. Hulizes Ortiz had himself a game, rushing 12 times for 179 yards and four touchdowns. The Tigers get a week off to recuperate and rest and prepare for the remainder of their conference schedule. Malad has a big game this week - at home against Soda Springs. Why is it so big? This game most likely represents their best remaining chance to get a win this year.

The Cardinals got off to a good start in this game with a Thomas Nielsen touchdown run, but West Side dominated from that point on. Tate Buttars only rushed for 83 yards for the Pirates, but he put four touchdowns on the board. I know the West Side coaching staff has been preaching that this is their most inexperienced group in a long time, but they seem to be looking well prepared and like a traditional West Side team to me. Soda Springs got a good performance from Andrew Stewart, who rushed for 103 yards and a touchdown. Like Malad in the previous recap, Soda Springs needs a win this week. NEEDS it.
West Side's next game: Sept. 30 at Bear Lake
Soda Springs' next game: Sept. 30 at Malad

Kudos to Ririe for coming out swinging against the Panthers. They went toe-to-toe with third-ranked West Jefferson and came up two scores short. They have certainly improved over the last few years and can surprise an unprepared team. West Jefferson was prepared for them on Friday night - they weren't prepared, however, for the number of fumbles in the game. Panthers head coach Jason Taylor told the Post Register that "they had a couple of fumbles. We had several fumbles. Kinda odd things that we haven't had trouble with up to this point." combine that with Taylor mentioning that Terreton didn't get drenched in rain like the rest of eastern Idaho did, and it could be a cause for concern. The Panthers will have to get that cleaned up quickly - a big game at North Fremont awaits.

This was a close game - for a half. Firth led 8-0 at half before turning on the jets and pounding Salmon into submission. The rain certainly affected their play, with Firth coach Keith Drake telling the Post Register that Salmon was 'better prepared' for the conditions. Much like the halftime adjustments that I talk about frequently on broadcasts, it's safe to say the Cougars made some adjustments of their own - ones which clearly paid off. Salmon has three games left on their schedule with their best chance at picking up a win against Ririe this week on the road. If they can't win this week, it's going to be extremely tough to snag a win with their remaining schedule.

I had wondered heading into this game if the Trojans would learn from the near-miss experience of Valley in regards to playing against Challis' defense. The answer is a resounding yes. When Valley played Challis, they expected a totally different defense and it almost cost them. Raft River knew what was coming to them on Friday night. They knew what to expect from Challis' defense. That, along with their stellar offense which churned out 42 straight points in the first half, was big for Raft River. Challis had a tough task ahead of them against the number one ranked team in 1AD1, but I'm not sure they expected the blowout that occured. As they will attest, Raft River is for real and should be regarded as the favorite to win the 1AD1 state championship.

The margin for error in the Snake River Conference is thin - very thin - for Grace. The Grizzlies already have two losses in conference play and, should they pick up a third, would be in jeopardy of missing the state playoffs. With only three berths available to state this year, Grace will have to be perfect the rest of the way (in my estimation) if they want to make it to the playoffs. They were able to navigate their way past Hagerman, who has stumbled to a 1-4 record. The Grizzlies have plenty of tests remaining, including trips to Valley and Glenns Ferry. It's not going to be easy for the Grizzlies, but it is possible.

It's tough to play the game of football when there aren't many substitute players available. In Watersprings' case, they had two. Butte County overwhelmed the Warriors, leading 44-0 midway through the second quarter. However, the Pirates acknowledged how hard it is to play when short on numbers. Butte County head coach Sam Thorngren told the Post Register, "They get a lot of respect from us. I don't think people realize how hard it is to play with only one or two subs." Watersprings coach John Yadon also told the Post Register, "As much as I hate to lose to Butte County, they're so gracious. Anytime they couldn't stomped us, they haven't." That's all that needs to be said about this one.

Rockland has worked their way back into the conference picture. After a winless season last year, Andrew Nelson and his staff have really done an excellent job in rebuilding the Bulldogs team. Their defense has improved and they will find themselves in a play-in game come late October. As for Clark County, they desperately need to find another facet in their offense to help them achieve balance. Otherwise, teams will just load up the box and force them to beat them through the air.

North Gem was down 20-6 after the first quarter. While Horseshoe Bend got their early shots in, the Cowboys took control and dominated the remainder of the game, scoring 30 straight points to pull out the victory. Dylan Low and Walker Davids led the way with 175 and 96 rushing yards respectively while combining for four touchdowns. North Gem needs to keep the momentum up - they are the current front runners in the conference and would have a much better chance of advancing past the play-in round should that trend continue.