Week 6 recap and notes: Ravsten Stadium goes orange, No. 1 Rigby goes down, Butte County gets another challenge

EASTERN IDAHO — It’s getting serious as the calendar turns to October and the football playoffs are on the horizon.

Here’s a look at the past week of action in District 6, including rivalry games, matchups, records and even orange paint.

How competitive is the 6A conference?

The 6A High Country Conference kicks off conference play this week.

Madison, Rigby and Thunder Ridge are a combined 14-4. Highland (3-3) has won its last three games by a combined score of 94-15.

Expect a wild finish to see who claims the title.

Coeur d’Alene, which handed Rigby its first loss of the season last week, is No. 1 in the MaxPreps rankings with the Trojans No. 2. Madison is No. 6, followed by Highland at No. 7.

Thunder Ridge is 14th, but the Titans control their own fate with all three conference games remaining.

Rivalry games

Most of the area’s big rivalry games haven’t been competitive, but that changed last week with Idaho Falls’ 28-21 win over Skyline in the Emotion Bowl.

Skyline had won 11 of the past 12 meetings, with the last Idaho Falls win coming in 2021.

That result shakes up the conference as teams vie for playoff positioning.

Hillcrest, which continued its Civil War dominance with a 22-10 win over Bonneville on Friday, is still atop the conference standings at 4-0 and 6-0 overall.

The Knights are No. 2 in the MaxPreps rankings behind Bishop Kelly.
Skyline (3-3), Bonneville (3-3), Blackfoot (3-3), and Shelley (2-4) are ranked ninth-12th, respectively.

Idaho Falls (3-3) is 14th.

Momentum?

Idaho Falls coach Dustin Medellin noted after Saturday’s win over Skyline that while the Emotion Bowl victory was sweet, it shouldn’t be the defining moment of the season.

The Tigers get another test this week when they face Hillcrest.

The Knights have beaten the Tigers four straight games. The last Idaho Falls win came in 2021, when Hillcrest finished the season 0-9 in coach Brennon Mossholder’s first season.

Well rested

Sugar-Salem (5-1) comes off a bye week before starting Mountain Rivers Conference play this week against Teton (1-5).

At 5-2, South Fremont is having its best season since finishing 7-4 in 2022.

The Cougars had their three-game win streak snapped at Preston last week, but have a bye this week before an Oct. 16 showdown with Sugar-Salem.

West Jefferson tops Nuclear Conference

The Panthers beat Salmon 41-14 last week to improve to 2-0 in conference and 6-1 overall.

Canon Calder carried the load, rushing for 208 yards on 27 carries for West Jefferson.

Salmon (5-2, 1-1) had not given up more than 14 points in any game this season.

Coming off a bye, North Fremont (3-3, 1-0) held off Firth 14-12 to pick up its first conference win.

8-man recap

Challis forfeited its game with Butte County.

The Pirates (4-2, 1-0) have had a tough schedule, losing to Hagerman, which is No. 1 in the 2A state media poll, and Carey, which is the No. 2 team in 1A.

Things won’t get any easier as Butte County hosts Raft River this week. The Trojans are No. 2 in the 2A state poll.

Mackay’s Grayden Bruley ran for 236 yards and six touchdowns in a win over Watersprings, earning the Miners (4-3, 2-0) their second win in the Continental Divide Conference.

That sets up this week’s showdown with Rockland (6-0, 1-0) for the top spot in the conference.