Week 0 Roundup: Led by Drake Sage, West Side among several D5 teams who start season with win

EASTERN IDAHO — West Side’s Drake Sage, coming off a season in which he was selected for All-State teams at two different positions, started his senior campaign with a solid performance, leading the Pirates to victory.

The Aberdeen Tigers, Grace Grizzlies, American Falls Beavers, Bear Lake Bears and North Gem Cowboys all joined West Side in victory, while Preston, Snake River, Marsh Valley, Malad and Highland opened the 2026 season with losses.

In the East Idaho Sports District 5 Game of the Week, Highland could not overcome Eagle’s success on fourth down in a 33-28 loss. The Mustangs were a perfect 6-for-6 on fourth down. Senior Cedric Mitchell carried the load for the Rams in defeat, finishing with 144 yards of total offense and three rushing touchdowns.

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American Falls beat Malad 24-7 in Malad City, and Preston fell 49-20 at home against Logan (UT). Marsh Valley, playing its first varsity game in nearly a year, lost, 32-29, to the Bear Lake Bears at Marsh Valley High School.

The Eagles, though, did produce on of the week’s highlight plays, when senior Kash Fullmer scored on a 100-yard pick-six.

The Grace Grizzlies, coming off an appearance in the state semifinals but with a largely new cast of characters, started their season with a 36-26 home win over Murtaugh.

North Gem, another team coming off a solid season but with new faces in key positions, traveled to Riverdale, Utah, to beat the Utah Military Academy 28-24.

Aberdeen used its signature ground-and-pound style to earn a season-opening home victory, beating Salmon 14-8.

The West Side Pirates, in search of state championship No. 4 in the past six years, got their season off to a strong start with a 29-7 home victory over the Snake River Panthers.

West Side was led by Sage, who was selected as a First-Team All-State running back a year ago — and Second-Team All-State linebacker. The senior running back finished the game with 155 yards and four touchdowns on 17 carries, adding two catches for 18 yards for an offense that tallied just 35 pass yards.

Sage and the Pirates, among the favorites to win the 3A state title this season, will travel to Firth to take on the Cougars this week and will almost certainly key its top 3A spot in the weekly media polls.