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Written by: Matt Harris
Follow Matt on Twitter: @IdahoSportsMatt
The mid-point of the football season is next week.
Chew on that for a second.
Rather quickly, we are seeing teams that are rising to the top and those who are bottoming out of the playoff chase. Granted, most conference schedules just began or are getting underway now, but a lot can be determined from the non-conference schedule in most instances.
Where do teams sit this week in my mind? Read on for Week Three Observations:
Highland 37, Madison 20
Lots of passing in this one. Highland's Dakota Tillotson completed 22-of-32 passes for 359 yards and 4 TD's. Madison's Konner Stoneberg went 19-of-33 for 234 yards and 2 TD's. Bobcats head coach Mitch Buck put it plainly when speaking of Highland: "They're really good", he said to the Post Register. Yeah, they are pretty good.
Hillcrest 41, Twin Falls 12
If this game were a hashtag, it would be #Beatdown. Hillcrest ran, ran, and ran some more over the Bruins in the victory. The line play was excellent, the defense forced turnovers, and the Knights looked like a playoff contender. And they very well may be in the 5A state playoffs next month.
Idaho Falls 40, Pocatello 30
One thing that is decidedly different between the 2013 and 2014 versions of the Tigers: the aeriel attack. Idaho Falls' run game has been much more prominent this season as the passing game, well, is not the same as last year. Jake Thornberry had a HUGE game, rushing 26 times for 264 yards and 3 TD's, while passing for another. Pocatello, meanwhile, had more success through the air, although it didn't amount to picking up the 'W'.
Skyline 34, Rigby 20
This game wasn't as close as the score may indicate. Skyline led 34-7 midway through the fourth quarter because of two things: solid blocking and no turnovers. Benton Mitchell was calm and poised in the pocket because he had something that Skyline's QB's have been lacking in recent seasons: time in the pocket. Good blocking led to Mitchell making smart decisions and not turning the ball over by forcing a play. As for Rigby, they need to find their mojo on offense. It might start with the line play, too. Hayden Livingston was running for his life on Friday night. That can't continue if Rigby wants to have success.
Bonneville 32, Shelley 7
Alright. Raise your hand if you picked Shelley to beat Bonneville. I'm guessing most outside of Bonneville's boundaries probably did. Bees QB Bradley Smith absolutely dissected the Russets with precision and poise. Even Shelley head coach Travis Hobson admitted as much, when he told the Post Register, "That kid was an absolute killer tonight. We knew we had to contain him and just couldn't". Not bad for a guy making only his fourth varsity start ever. The loss may actually come at a good time for the Russets: they have a bye this week (spud harvest) and get two weeks to rest and prepare for their showdown with Snake River.
Blackfoot 42, Century 7
The Diamondbacks scored first on a 22-yard interception return. It was all downhill after that, which unfortunately for Century is the microcosm of their season thus far. Blackfoot continues to improve and the offense is really rounding into shape, especially the rushing attack. The Broncos take on Madison this week in the annual 'Buck Bowl', which will be broadcast on IdahoSports.com as part of the 'East Idaho Game Night' Series presented by Local News 8's SportsLine, IdahoSports.com, and Z103.
Preston 14, Snake River 12
Snake River is a very good team. I believe they will go deep in the 3A state playoffs this year. But Preston surprised me in this one. It was a close, low-scoring game that came down to the final possessions. Preston played well and made the big plays when they needed them. Now, will their non-conference success translate to wins against opponents on the 4A level, of which they played none during their first four games? We will get a much better picture of where Preston stands in the 4A District 5-6 conference when they host Pocatello on Friday.
Sugar-Salem 55, Marsh Valley 0
Ouch, ouch, and more ouch for the Eagles. The losing streak is now at 18 games. At some point, there has to be a breakthrough for Marsh Valley. Will it come this season? Sugar-Salem gets a rebound victory after getting blown out at home vs. Snake River. Derek Ostermiller ran for 208 yards and two touchdowns in the win, easily his best performance of the season.
South Fremont 27, Firth 26 (OT)
An incredible fourth quarter in St. Anthony. Firth takes the lead with 45 seconds left, then misses the extra point. South Fremont then ties the game at 20 with 2.8 seconds left... and has the extra point attempt blocked. The red Cougars end up winning in overtime after stuffing Firth's two-point conversion attempt. The blue Cougars just don't look the same this season: their line play hasn't been at the level we've seen it the last few years. South Fremont, meanwhile, gets Teton at home this Friday night in a big game standings-wise for playoff positioning.
Teton 35, Salmon 6
Redskins head coach Brody Birch told the Post Register that his team finally played 'a little cleaner game' than in their first three contests of the season. QB Freeman McCashland had a great night, completing 12-of-14 passes for 234 yards and 3 TD's. Salmon is still adjusting to life without Jedd Tibbitts. Head coach Ken Miner told the Post Register simply, "They (Teton) just completely dominated us".
Soda Springs 7, American Falls 6
The Cardinals defense held American Falls to zero points in the second half. But their offense is still struggling. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The defense can only do so much in games... the offense is going to have to get rolling at some point. The Beavers need to find some consistency as well, especially before their Oct. 10 & 17 dates with Snake River and Marsh Valley, respectively. Lose both of those games and miss the playoffs.
Malad 48, North Fremont 12
The offense continues to click for the Dragons, especially with Derek Checketts playing the role of "Mr. Do-Everything". I'm intrigued to see how the 2A South East Idaho Conference plays out. Up to this point, the combined record of Malad's first four opponents is 2-12. The Huskies are off to a rough start this year at 0-3. Fortunately for North Fremont, the Nuclear Conference received four bids to the state tournament. With only five teams in the conference, they conceivably only need to win one game to qualify.
Aberdeen 64, Ririe 0
Poor Ririe. They just can't seem to find any sort of groove. You'll have to go back nearly three week to find the last time they hit the scoreboard (a 41-7 loss vs. Malad). The conference schedule is up next. Can they secure a victory and dramatically increase their chances of making the playoffs? Aberdeen is a lot like Malad in some ways. They can score, they can defend, but how good have their opponents been so far? Their combined record has is 2-13. Much like Malad, we'll really see where Aberdeen falls in line when conference play opens up this week.
West Side 56, Melba 20
The Pirates physically dominated Melba from the outset and did what West Side seems to do every game: ram the ball down your throat. They shut out Melba in the first half while leading by several scores. The 2A's seem to be very competitive this year, and West Side has plans to be in the mix once again.
Butte County 36, Glenns Ferry 12
It was the Jeremie Hjelm show in Arco on Friday night. The junior running back rushed 20 times for 231 yards and 3 TD's, while racking up 12 tackles on defense. Not a bad night at all. The Pirates play at Challis this week in a crucial conference game. Even though Butte County will get a second crack at Challis later on in the year (each team in their conference plays twice during the regular season), the first matchup will be key in setting the tone.
Challis 78, Grace 64
I wrote in the Week Three edition of the 'Hurricane Harris Hot 5' that this could be a shootout. If this is a preview of what's to come in conference play, this could be the most exciting conference, scoring wise, in East Idaho. It was a slugfest from start to finish. It'll be a clash of offenses when these teams face off against Butte County, a traditional power-run team. Two of the three teams in the conference make the postseason. Grace has the week off, while Challis is at home to Butte County.
Rockland 47, Watersprings Christian 27
It was the Permann/Freeman show for Rockland on Friday night. Rex Permann had 3 TD's, Spencer Permann had 1 TD, and Zach Freeman accounted for 4 TD's. Watersprings Christian continues to struggle after winning the Sawtooth East Division in their first year of eligibility. It doesn't look like it will get much easier with the remaining schedule either. Daniel Buell was a bright spot, rushing for 113 yards and two touchdowns on nine carries, while catching three passes for 155 yards and another TD.
North Gem 28, Clark County 22 (OT)
After trailing 14-0 at the end of the first quarter, North Gem battled back thanks to Dallin Lloyd's effort. He had two rushing TD's including a 70-yd kickoff return in the win. Clark County suffers their first loss of the season, but it was an important one. Only three conference games remain and Clark County theoretically needs to win one of them to snag at least the lowest seed for the playoffs.
Mackay 48, Greenleaf Friends 6
The Miners hammered Greenleaf in a game that came to fruition with the cancellation of Sho-Ban's season. Jacob Green led the Miners with 2 TD passes, 1 TD rush, 15 tackles, and 1 interception on defense. Mackay looks to be near the top of the Sawtooth East Division. The Miners host Watersprings Christian this week to begin conference play.
Bye Week Teams: Bear Lake, West Jefferson
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