Preview: Who’s the top 6A team in the High Country Conference? That battle starts this week

District 6 Game of the Week

Highland at Madison
Friday at 7 p.m.

EASTERN IDAHO – Yes, it’s not technically a District 6 matchup since Highland is District 5, so maybe we’ll call it the Game of the Week being played at a 6A campus.

Either way, this one starts off the race for what was expected to be a close fight in the High Country Conference.

That expectation hasn’t changed as teams begin conference play this week.

Madison (5-1) has been the best defensive team in 6A, giving up 4.33 points and earning three shutouts in its six games.

That includes a 21-0 victory over a typically high-scoring Skyline team two weeks ago. The Bobcats had a bye last week.

After opening the season with three losses, Highland (3-3) has won three straight and features one of the area’s top threats in Cedric Mitchell, who’s run for 544 yards and seven touchdowns, and has three receiving scores while averaging more than 13 yards per catch.

Madison beat Highland 28-17 in last year’s regular-season finale to earn the No. 2 seed in the east for the state playoffs, while Highland earned an at-large berth.

Madison has won the past two meetings, but Highland won 38-28 in 2023 on the way to the state championship.