Here we are at the ledge looking over the 2012 state quarter final playoffs this week. I swear it was just last week I was stressing about making sure all the new broadcast teams were ready for the first web cast at the end of August. How fast the season flew by.
There are 24 games this week, and they are all good ones. Choosing just a few for Paul's Picks wasn't easy, so I changed the rules again. I am going to do one main pick from each classification and then pick a winner and score from the other three games. And away we go....
5A
Borah(7-2) vs Highland(7-2) - Some have said that Borah was underrated the entire season while Highland got high ranks because of their reputation. I see this as a game that will prove half the critics right and the other half wrong. Borah emerged from a very evenly matched 5A as the #1 seed, only to be rewarded with a game against the team ranked #2 in the state in the Media Polls and the Power Rankings.
Paul's Pick - Highland over Borah 34-28
Madison over Capital - 30-17
CDA over Rocky Mt - 28-21
Eagle over Lake City - 38-28
4A
Blackfoot(8-1) vs Bishop Kelly(8-1) - Same overall record. Tied in the Power Rankings. Blackfoot ranked all year #1 in the Media Poll and BK ranked #3 the last few weeks. This is a semi final game worthy of being played on November 17th at Dona Larsen Park in Boise. This is a classic East vs West game that will have a lot of eyeballs watching the web cast and final score.
Paul's Pick - Blackfoot over BK 46-36
Middleton over Twin Falls - 35-17
Skyview over Minico - 28-14
Bonneville over Moscow - 48-28
3A
Shelley(9-0) vs Snake River(7-3) - These next door neighbors might not have played each other this year, but there is a lot of pride riding on this game. Snake River is the defending 3A state champion. Shelley won the 3A title three years ago before taking a two year break and going to 4A. The Russets are back and want to thank the Panthers for keeping their trophy warm, but Snake River isn't quite ready to hand it over.
Paul's Pick - Shelley over Snake River 42-35
Fruitland over Payette - 35-26
Gooding over Teton - 28-20
Timberlake over Weiser - 40-20
2A
Marsing(8-1) vs Salmon(6-1) - "Hey Salmon, you have to get on the bus and travel for a few hours to get to your semi final game." Salmon, "Yaaaawwwnn". With the state of Idaho burning out of control all summer, Salmon played their "home" games at Terreton, home of West Jefferson, some two hours away from Salmon. Most of their away games weren't any closer. Marsing capped their rise from the ashes of the 2A WIC to win the conference championship this year.
Paul's Pick - Salmon over Marsing - 37-28
Firth over Wendell - 50-20
New Plymouth over West Side - 35-28
Declo over Grangeville - 48-42
1AD1
Hagerman(9-0) vs Butte County(7-2) - It's the Pirate Bowl Part Deux. The Butte County Pirates came closer than anyone else this season to beating the #1 ranked, and defending state champion, Hagerman Pirates. Did Butte County learn from that game how to bring down the champion?
Paul's Pick - Hagerman over Butte County - 42-26
Kamiah over Genesee - 45-30
Raft River over Challis - 36-26
Wallace over Troy - 60-40
1AD2
Kootenai(6-3) vs Garden Valley(7-2) - Two of Kootenai's three losses came at the hands of top 5 ranked 1AD1 powerhouse Wallace. Garden Valley's only loss came to fellow 1AD2 A-lister, Salmon River. Two great 8-man programs.
Paul's Pick - Garden Valley over Kootenai 62-53
Dietrich over Castleford - 55-42
Lighthouse over Carey - 58-45
Salmon River over Deary - 42-35
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