Looking ahead to an exciting final week of regular season prep football

As a bonus to our readers who have followed us into Year 3, the East Idaho Sports staff will post a special story on Sundays – Could be a column, opinion, feature, or just something fun and goofy. Hope you enjoy, and thanks again for coming along on this journey.

NOTE: All mentioned state rankings are as of Friday. MaxPreps rankings have yet to be updated following Week 8 games.

EASTERN IDAHO — All that we, as sports fans, could ask for is that late-season games carry meaning.

As the Idaho high school football regular season rounds the corner into the final week, we have precisely that.

Of the eight conferences that make up eastern Idaho, only three conference titles have been claimed, with the other five up for grabs this week. Making things even more interesting, of the five conference championships that will be decided on the regular season’s final Friday, three will be decided in games between the two teams in the hunt.

Here is what’s on the menu this week at football fields across eastern Idaho:

So much to be decided in 6A District 5-6?

The Rigby Trojans (7-1, 6-2) have won five conference championships in the last seven seasons — and five state championships over that same stretch.

In 10 years under head coach Armando Gonzalez, Rigby has not just dominated the state, they have controlled what is now the 6A High Country Conference. And while their chief conference competition over that stretch has been Highland, if you ask anyone within the program, the Trojans will tell you their biggest rival is “that team up north” — or, as everyone else knows them, the Madison Bobcats (6-2, 1-1).

Well, Rigby and their team up north will do battle on Friday at Rigby High School.

But there is so much left to be decided.

If Rigby beats Madison, the Trojans will add another conference championship to their loaded trophy case.

But a Madison win triggers tiebreakers, which rely far too heavily on a MaxPreps ranking system that currently has Homedale ranked ahead of Rigby.

Additionally, two teams will qualify for state, with another three at-large bids in play. So Thunder Ridge (5-3, 1-1), who beat Madison by one last week and lost to Rigby by one the week before, are still very much in play for a playoff spot, though they will need to beat Highland (3-5, 0-2) on the road.

If Rigby beats Madison and Highland beats Thunder Ridge, everything is cut and dried. Any other outcome sends the entire conference into a tailspin. It would be very interesting.

It is also worth noting that both Madison, ranked sixth among 6A teams by MaxPreps, and Highland, ranked seventh, are both in play for at-large bids as they sit.

No. 13 Thunder Ridge was on the outside looking in as of last week — before a victory over the Bobcats.

Who will join the Knights at the 5A tourney

All eight 5A teams that call eastern Idaho home now play in the same conference after this year’s realignment. But the 5A High Country Conference receives just one automatic state bid, which has already been claimed by conference champion Hillcrest (8-0, 6-0).

But there are eight at-large bids, meaning Hillcrest will not be the only local 5A squad playing for a trophy.

According to the MaxPreps 5A rankings, 8th-ranked Blackfoot (4-4, 4-2), 10th-ranked Skyline (3-5, 2-4), 11th-ranked Shelley (4-4, 3-3), 12th-ranked Bonneville (3-5, 2-4), 13th-ranked Century (3-5, 2-4) and 14th-ranked Idaho Falls (4-4, 3-3) were all in play for an at-large bid entering Week 8.

With losses, Century and Bonneville may have fallen from the ranks of playoff hopefuls. But, really, who knows with MaxPreps.

This week, Blackfoot, coming off a loss at Pocatello (2-6, 1-5), will take a crack at Hillcrest, needing a win — or, at very least, a strong showing — to stay in the playoff hunt. Idaho Falls will be at Bonneville and Shelley will be at Skyline, while Century will be at Pocatello.

Three of those games could determine which local teams will take part in the state tournament, which begins on Oct. 30.

So, the golden question is, can four local teams — or maybe even five — make the 5A state field?

AF @ Preston for the crown

The Snake River Panthers (0-8, 0-2) have owned what is now the 4A South East Idaho Conference, winning the last four conference titles. But a new champ will be crowned this week when American Falls (5-3, 2-0) visits Preston (3-4, 2-0), the conference’s newest member.

No tie-breakers necessary. The winner of that game will be the conference champ and receive the auto-bid.

The loser will be in play for one of seven at-large bids, with American Falls and Preston entering the week as MaxPreps’ No. 10- and No. 11-ranked teams, respectively.

In another surprising call from the confusing MaxPreps system, the winless Panthers, at 15, enter the final week ranked ahead of the Bear Lake Bears (4-4, 0-2), at 17.

Diggers chasing more blue goal

The only conference in eastern Idaho that does not have a compelling story to follow is the 4A Mountain Rivers Conference.

Sugar-Salem (7-1, 2-0) won the conference championship last week by beating South Fremont (5-3, 0-1), but the Cougars are a virtual lock for an at-large bid, entering the week as the No. 8-ranked 4A team. Teton (1-6, 0-1) is all but out of the playoff race at 18.

West Side’s home hurdle breathes fire

The No. 1-ranked West Side Pirates (8-0, 3-0) are on the prowl for their 10th all-time state championship, and seventh under longtime head coach Tyson Moser. But the first matter of business is another conference title, and the road to that title goes through the mouth of the dragon.

Malad (5-3, 3-0) visits West Side this week in another game that will decide a conference title.

The last time the Dragons beat the Pirates was in 2010, but the game is played on the field not in the history books.

Malad, who beat Aberdeen (4-4, 1-2) on Oct. 16, enters the week ranked 13th, behind the No. 11 Tigers and No. 12 Ririe Bulldogs, another team the Dragons own a win over this year. So they may need some help to claim one of six at-large bids, should they lose at West Side.

Aberdeen, on the other hand, could secure a playoff spot with a home win over Soda Springs (3-4, 1-2).

Savages and Bulldogs scrapping for West Jeff’s scraps

With a win at North Fremont this week, West Jefferson claimed the 4A Nuclear Conference title. On a bye this week, the Panthers (8-1, 4-0) can kick their collective feet up and wait for the tourney to start next week.

Salmon (5-3, 1-2), at 14 in the MaxPreps rankings, and Ririe are both within striking distance of the at-large spots, and both are in action — though they will regrettably not be facing each other.

Ririe will host Firth (0-7, 0-3), while Salmon will be at home against North Fremont (3-5, 1-2).

Pirates v. Grizzlies for everything

The 2A High Desert Conference is another simple one.

A conference title will be decided when the Grace Grizzlies (3-5, 0-1) visit the Butte County Pirates (5-3, 1-0).

Grace does have an outside shot at one of seven at-large bids, but the Grizzlies’ best hope is the conference title auto-bid. Should Grace pull off the road win, Butte County would be an at-large selection.

Bulldogs chomp their way to state, while Miners and Cowboys hope for at-large spots

Not only are the conference-champion Rockland Bulldogs (8-0, 3-0) undefeated, they have won their eight games by an average of 55.6 points.

Rockland will take its show on the road on Friday to face the North Gem Cowboys (5-3, 2-1), who are among the teams in the mix for seven at-large bids. The Mackay Miners (5-4, 3-1) are another one of those teams, but can do nothing in the season’s final week to bolster their resume, as they are on a bye.