It’s a 3-peat for the unbeaten Hillcrest girls, plus a recap of other teams punching tickets to state

IDAHO FALLS – It wasn’t long after the Hillcrest girls soccer team celebrated another 5A District 5/6 title, that coach Brian Nelson talked about his team heading to the state tournament.

Again.

Saturday night’s 3-1 win over Skyline earned the Knights a third consecutive district trophy and kept the team unbeaten on the season at 17-0-1.

Despite the impressive record, Nelson said the goal is always to make it to the state tournament and not to focus on the unbeaten record.

A year ago Hillcrest entered the state tournament as the No. 1 seed and was also unbeaten.

They lost to Moscow 4-3 on penalty kicks and ended up winning the third-place trophy with a victory over Pocatello.

The blue trophy proved elusive in 2024 as well as the fifth-seeded Knights finished 1-2 at the state tournament.

Is the third time the charm?

Nelson noted that being unbeaten in the regular-season doesn’t mean much if you don’t finish strong.

“Last year we finished the regular-season undefeated and you get to state and lose a game, and that’s tough,” he said. “Now the goal is now to be undefeated … that’s three games we need to win.”

As for Saturday’s game, Brinley Nelson put the Knights up midway through the first half with a goal off a corner kick.

Skyline (13-3-3) tied it on a goal by Abby Davis, but Hillcrest regained the lead when Nelson found the net again with three minutes left in the half.

Kenlee Jarrell put home a header off a corner kick in the second half for the insurance goal.

“We put together a game plan and these girls executed,” Nelson said. “I’m super proud of them. Everyone of these girls deserve this.”

In the elimination part of the bracket, Pocatello beat Idaho Falls on Saturday and plays Skyline on Tuesday for the conference’s second slot to the 5A state tournament.

GIRLS

6A

Top-seeded Highland rolled through the District 4-5-6 tournament, earning the title and state berth with a 9-0 win Saturday over Rigby.

No. 2 Madison held off Thunder Ridge 3-0 to keep its season alive.

The Bobcats and Trojans play Tuesday in the play-in game for the conference’s second bid.

4A

Three-time state champion Sugar-Salem beat Firth 10-0 in the opening round of the Mountain Rivers Conference.

Teton beat Firth 5-2.

The Diggers and Timberwolves will play Tuesday at Rigby High with the winner earning the auto bid to the state tournament.

BOYS

6A

Thunder Ridge beat No. 1 Highland 2-1 to win its ninth straight title.

Canyon Ridge downed Rigby 6-1 and will play Highland on Tuesday with the winner advancing to a state play-in game.

5A

Top-seeded Idaho Falls won the District 5-6 High Country Conference tournament with a 4-0 victory Saturday over No. 2 Century.

The Diamondbacks face the winner of Saturday’s Skyline-Blackfoot matchup on Tuesday with that winner advancing to state.

4A

Teton, the top-seeded team in the Mountain Rivers Conference tournament, beat Firth 6-0 to advance to Tuesday’s championship match.

The Timberwolves play nemesis Sugar-Salem, which defeated South Fremont 5-1.

Tuesday’s championship match is at Rigby High.