Week 7 recap and notes: Hillcrest still the team to beat in 5A, South Fremont to challenge Sugar-Salem in conference matchup

EASTERN IDAHO – As expected, the 5A District 5-6 race has been brutally competitive, with seven of the eight teams entering the week with at least two conference wins.

Also expected, Hillcrest (7-0, 5-0) continues to be the team to beat and is unbeaten after a 26-23 win at Idaho Falls.

Will Thompson passed for three TDs for the Tigers, two going to James Richeson. The Knights got rushing scores from Maddox Ellingford and Jake Stephens. Logan Taylor tossed a touchdown pass to Stephens.

Not expected is a four-game losing skid by Skyline (3-2, 3-4) which moves the Grizzlies to third place in the conference with an overall losing record.

At the start of the season, this week’s game between Skyline and Hillcrest looked like it could be for the conference lead. That’s not the case as the Grizzlies try to find anything positive to stop their skid.

The offense had struggled, but in last week’s loss to Blackfoot, Skyline gave up 55 points. That’s the most since a 61-14 loss to Highland in 2013.

Blackfoot, the conference coaches’ preseason pick to win the conference, sits in second place. A win over Pocatello this week could set up a showdown in the regular-season finale between Blackfoot (4-3, 4-1) and Hillcrest.

6A

With Madison’s win over Highland last week, the Bobcats sit at No. 6 in the current 6A MaxPreps rankings. Highland is seventh and Rigby is third behind Coeur d’Alene and Rocky Mountain.

4A

South Fremont had its three-game win streak snapped two weeks ago with a 42-35 loss at Preston.

After a bye last week, the Cougars (5-2) get a chance for a big bounce-back game when they host Sugar-Salem (6-1, 1-0) on Friday in their Mountain Rivers Conference opener.

The Diggers haven’t played in two weeks after last week’s Teton forfeit and a bye the previous week.

3A

West Jefferson ends its regular season at North Fremont this Friday.

The Panthers (7-1, 3-0) have won six straight including putting up 41 points against Salmon two weeks ago. Salmon (5-2, 1-1) had only given up 47 total points all season.

West Jefferson is No. 4 in the 3A MaxPreps rankings.

8-man

The 2A High Desert Conference has not been competitive with Grace and Challis sporting a 3-10 combined record.

The exception may be Butte County, which is 4-3 overall, but already has a forfeit win over Challis, and has played a tough 8-man schedule, with all three losses coming to teams ranked in the state media coaches’ poll.

The Pirates are at winless Murtaugh on Friday before facing Grace next week in the regular-season conference finale.

In the 1A Continental Divide Conference race, Rockland’s defense was too much for Mackay as the Miners fell 61-8, snapping a three-game win streak.