State soccer primer: Thursday’s opening round to feature 2 all-eastern Idaho matchups

EASTERN IDAHO — The state soccer tournament starts Thursday, with 15 local teams competing across eight brackets.

Six of those teams are returning to the tournament after claiming trophies last year, including reigning back-to-back 4A girls’ state champions Sugar-Salem. The Highland girls are coming off a consolation championship, as are the Skyline girls and Teton Boys. The Hillcrest girls finished third last year, while the Marsh Valley girls finished second to Sugar-Salem.

The Digger girls are one of just two teams from the east that enter the tournament as their bracket’s top seed, joining the Teton boys.

Three eastern Idaho schools will be represented in both the girls’ and boys’ tournaments — Highland, Teton and Sugar-Salem.

Thursday’s busy schedule, which will take over five separate venues, will include two games featuring a pair of local teams,

Here is all 13 Thursday games featuring local squads.

6A boys, at Hillcrest High School

No. 7 Thunder Ridge faces No. 2 Mountain View at 9 a.m. The two teams faced off on Aug. 22, with the Titans falling 1-0. Thunder Ridge has won six straight games, including a perfect run to a district championship.

No. 8 Highland faces top-seeded Coeur d’Alene at 3 p.m. This is the Rams’ boys soccer team’s first-ever appearance in the state tournament. They took down Owyhee in penalty kicks in the play-in round to earn their spot.

5A boys, at Field of Dreams in Sandpoint

No. 5 Idaho Falls faces No. 4 Jerome at 1 p.m. The Tigers’ lone loss this season came on Sept. 8, 1-0 against conference rival Skyline. Since that loss, Idaho Falls has won 14 in a row while allowing just one goal over its last six games.

No. 8 Century faces No. 1 Sandpoint at 3 p.m. The Diamondbacks have lost to 5A opponents just three times this season — with two of those losses coming against Idaho Falls.

4A boys, at Burley High School

No. 1 Teton faces No. 8 American Falls at 3 p.m. The Timberwolves beat American Falls both times the two teams played this season, outscoring the Beavers 13-2.

No. 2 Sugar-Salem faces No. 7 Wendell at 3 p.m. The Diggers have lost twice all season, both times to Teton.

6A girls, at Bonneville High School

No. 8 Highland faces No. 1 Timberline at 3 p.m. The Rams lost to Timberline, 2-0, on Aug. 22. Highland has won five straight, outscoring its opponents by a combined 29 goals to two.

5A girls, at Field of Dream in Sandpoint

No. 2 Hillcrest faces No. 7 Sandpoint at 9:30 a.m. The Knights are undefeated this season, with a 2-2 tie against Skyline on Sept. 1. Hillcrest has scored 10 or more goals four times in its last seven games.

No. 6 Pocatello faces No. 3 Wood River at 11:30 a.m. The Thunder won the state championship in 2024 but lost to Hillcrest in last year’s third-place game. All five of Pocatello’s losses this season have come against conference foes — and fellow state tournament qualifiers — Hillcrest and Skyline.

No. 4 Skyline faces No. 5 Moscow at 1:30 p.m. The Grizzlies, led by the state’s leading goal scorer Isley Dixon (37), have scored 10 or more goals eight times in 20 games this season. Skyline has lost twice to 5A opponents, both to Hillcrest.

4A girls at Twin Falls High School

No. 6 Teton faces No. 3 Kimberly at 11 a.m The Timberwolves have held their opponents scoreless eight times this season — not including a forfeit win over American Falls on Sept. 19.

No. 4 Marsh Valley faces No. 5 McCall-Donnelly at 1 p.m. The Eagles’ only loss this season came on Aug. 27 — a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Sugar-Salem. Marsh Valley has allowed three goals across nine games since Sept. 16 — going 8-0-1 over that stretch.

No. 1 Sugar-Salem faces No. 8 Preston at 3 p.m. The Diggers beat Preston 5-1 on Oct. 1, the only time the two teams have met this season. Sugar-Salem has allowed multiple goals just twice this season — to 6A Canyon Ridge and Twin Falls, the No. 1 seed in the 5A tournament. Four of Preston’s five losses this season have come against either Sugar-Salem or No. 4 Marsh Valley.