WEEK 1

Sho-Ban at Challis (Friday, Aug. 22, 7 PM)

Mark this one down as strictly curiosity-based.  Sho-Ban hasn’t fielded a football team since 2019.  That was pre-COVID, and means that this year’s crop of players were in junior high or even elementary school the last time the Chiefs competed on the gridiron.  Sho-Ban has tried to generate interest in fielding a team the past couple of years, but ultimately folded in the summer months.  This year, though, interest has stayed strong, and Sho-Ban will start with a Rocky Mountain Conference foe right off the bat in Challis.

WEEK 2

Council vs. Lakeside at Prairie HS (Friday, Aug. 29, 1 PM)

How about an early afternoon neutral-site game to whet your appetite?  Lakeside and Council will meet in the middle at Prairie High School, located in Cottonwood, for a game that could have significant MaxPreps rankings implications down the road.  The Lumberjacks went 7-2 a season ago, winning the Long Pin Conference on their way to a first-round bye in the postseason.  Alas, their quarterfinal matchup against Long Pin riavl Garden Valley ended in a 22-20 defeat.  Lakeside went 6-2 in 2024, but missed out on the playoffs with a 54-46 loss to Wallace in the regular season finale.  A double digit lead evaporated for the Knights in the fourth quarter, and with that loss, their strength of schedule wasn’t strong enough to earn an at-large bid to the playoffs via MaxPreps.

WEEK 3

Dietrich at Rockland (Friday, Sept. 5, 4 PM)

The Blue Devils hosted Rockland last season and narrowly escaped with a 30-26 victory.  That win set the tone for a 10-2 season that concluded with an appearance in the 1A state championship game.  Do-it-all quarterback Connor Perkins has graduated, but most of the running backs and receivers are back for Dietrich.  Rockland, meanwhile, used three different quarterbacks a year ago due to injuries, and still managed to win the Rocky Mountain Conference and advance to the 1A quarterfinals.  All of that experience makes Rockland the favorites in east Idaho again this year.

WEEK 4

Salmon River at Lewis County (Friday, Sept. 12, 7 PM)

Two young teams that are slowly building towards success, this game could prove to be an elimination-type affair when it comes to postseason participation via MaxPreps rankings.  Salmon River won last year’s matchup, 36-6, and only lost three seniors to graduation.  Lewis County limped through an injury-plagued 2024, and also said goodbye to just three seniors.  Which team improved the most over the offseason?  We’ll find out soon enough.

WEEK 5

North Gem at Garden Valley (Friday, Sept. 19, 7 PM)

A fun non-conference matchup between two perennial playoff participants featuring vastly different strategies.  The Wolverines won on the road last year, traveling to Bancroft and turning away the Cowboys 44-12.  They used four different quarterbacks in the win.  North Gem, meanwhile, used one QB, but in their run-heavy option attack, attempted less than four passes total in the matchup.

WEEK 6

Garden Valley at Tri-Valley (Friday, Sept. 26, 7 PM)

Garden Valley, Tri-Valley and Council were all evenly matched last year in the Long Pin Conference, with every matchup vital to determining a regular season champion.  That includes Tri-Valley’s 26-24 win at Garden Valley that featured several heart-stopping plays.  All three teams will again be tough outs in 2025, so this matchup could go a long way towards determining who wears the conference crown this season.

WEEK 7

Rockland at Carey (Friday, Oct. 3, 7 PM)

Carey resumed its perch atop the 1A mountaintop in 2024, finishing 11-1 overall and outscoring opponents 660 to 144.  The Panthers’ defense looks stout again this year, with standouts like Will Parke, Stockton Sears, Gabe Saili and Madden Perkes all returning.  Can Rockland’s wide-open offense find a way to crack the Carey nut, after losing on their home field last year 64-6?  This game should tell us a lot about where both teams sit in the 1A hierarchy.

WEEK 8

Dietrich at Carey (Friday, Oct. 10, 7 PM)

The longtime Sawtooth Conference rivals renew their battle with a matchup that could determine not just the conference title, but perhaps the overall number one seed in the postseason.  These two met in the 1A state championship last year, with Carey erasing an early deficit to surge past the Devils 44-30.

WEEK 9

Coeur du Christ at Wallace (Friday, Oct. 17, 7 PM)

The North Star League is often forgotten.  It’s a tight-knit league of four teams tucked away in scenic North Idaho.  But make no mistake, some high-flying offense reside here.  Wallace sophomore quarterback Cooper Miller earned MVP honors as a freshman last season, and has several talented playmakers he can distribute the ball to.  Coeur du Christ Academy, meanwhile, competed in varsity football for the first time last season, and went 3-5 in their maiden voyage.  Former NFL quarterback Kellen Clemens is the Saints’ head coach, and his son, sophomore Grant Clemens, quarterbacks the offense.

WEEK 10

Deary at Genesee (Friday, Oct. 24, 7 PM)

The Whitepine League championship could be on the line in this one.  Both of these teams were exceptionally young last season, and with the Whitepine only receiving one bid to the playoffs last year because of MaxPreps math, a conference title is the only way to guarantee a spot in the playoffs.  Both coaches, Tim Olson of Deary and Jason Hanson of Genesee, are widely respected and watching these two match wits will be entertaining.