Highland, winner of last 15 matchups, to host Pocatello in Black and Blue Bowl

POCATELLO — The last time Pocatello won the Black and Blue Bowl, this year’s seniors were just 2 years old.

Friday’s East Idaho Sports District 5 Game of the Week will feature the return of the Highland-Pocatello rivalry.

The Highland Rams (2-3, 0-0) have won their last 15 meetings with the Thunder (1-4, 0-4), including a 32-7 victory at Lookout Field last season.

Running back Cedric Mitchell led the Rams to victory last season, rushing for 130 yards and a touchdown. Two years ago, as a sophomore, he rushed for 59 yards and one score.

This season, as a senior, Mitchell is among the state’s 6A rushing leaders, averaging 92.6 yards and 1.2 touchdowns per game, adding three receiving touchdowns for nine scores on the season. Now he looks to finish his time as part of the Black and Blue rivalry with a signature performance.

Poky’s defense will try to prevent Mitchell and the Highland offense from ignition one week removed from holding the Bonneville Bees to seven points in a 7-6 loss. The Thunder also held Nampa to 14 in a 16-14 victory, their only win this season. But the defense did not fair so well in Pocatello’s three other games.

Through five games, Pocatello has surrendered 131 points (26.2 per game) while scoring just 79 (15.8) for a total point differential of minus-52 (minus-10.4 per game).

Highland, on the other hand, has scored 25-plus points four times in five games. Bolstered by a 36-0 victory over Lake City on Sept. 18 and a 41-7 victory last week at Century, the Rams average 29.8 points per game (149 total).

The Thunder last beat the Rams on Oct. 22, 2010 (25-17), but aside from a 25-point loss last year, they have kept the rivalry close of late. From 2022 to 2024, Poky lost its three meetings with Highland by 24 combined points (8 per game).

And this game isn’t just about the rivalry. For either team.

Now a member of the High Country Conference, Pocatello needs to start building some winning momentum. With just four games left on the schedule, the Thunder are running out of time to turn their season around.

Highland, which started the season with three straight losses, has looked very good the last two weeks. This week marks the Rams’ final tune-up before the start of conference play — with Madison and Rigby looming in back-to-back weeks right around the corner.

Kickoff at Highland High School is scheduled for 7 p.m.