Century to host first playoff game in 5 years after undefeated regular season

POCATELLO — One year ago, if someone from Century High School had told anyone not from Century that the Diamondbacks would host a 2025 playoff game, it would likely have been met with laughter.

But here we are, entering the first round of the 2025 Idaho High School Football State Championships, and the Diamondbacks, who entered the season having gone winless over the last two seasons, are an undefeated five-seed. They will host the Columbia Wildcats (6-3, 3-3) Friday night.

Century (8-0, 2-0) is led by its high-scoring offense, centering around dual-threat quarterback Justus Mangum and running back Tito Villano, who finished the season among the top 10 in the state in both rushing yards (1,045) and rushing touchdowns (15). That offensive unit averaged 35.86 points per game.

The Wildcats had their share of offensive outbursts this season, scoring more than 40 points three times — including last week in a 41-13 victory over the Canyon Ridge Riverhawks.

Canyon Ridge was one of two share opponents, joining the Nampa Bulldogs as teams to face both Century and Columbia this season.

The Diamondbacks beat the Riverhawks 34-6 to improve to 3-0. That victory came two weeks after Century opened its season with a 36-35 overtime victory over Nampa — the program’s first win in nearly three years.

Columbia also played the Bulldogs tight, to a 28-20 victory on Sept. 12.

While Century’s offense takes the marquee, the defense has been no slouch either, holding opponents to 10 or fewer points four times and allowing an average of 17.75 per game.

If that unit can put together one of those efforts this week, it would go a long way to earning the Diamondbacks their first tournament victory since 2020, as Columbia went 0-3 when scoring fewer than 24 points.

The game is scheduled to start at 7 p.m.