Idaho Falls Cracks Top Five In Prep Football Rankings
The top teams stood pat, but Idaho’s high school football deck saw plenty of shuffling this week as at least one ranked team in each division lost.
The result is five new teams in the weekly Associated Press poll of the state’s sportswriters and broadcasters.
The list of newcomers starts with Idaho Falls in A-1 Division I. After knocking off second-ranked Pocatello two weeks ago, the Tigers continued to roll last week with a victory over Bonneville. That, coupled with No. 3 Capital’s loss to Borah, put Idaho Falls in the fifth spot.
Top-ranked Highland of Pocatello - the only unbeaten team left in the division - continued its bid to repeat as state champion with a 41-0 shellacking of Blackfoot. Centennial kept pace at No. 2 by blanking Minico, while Capital’s loss allowed Pocatello to climb a notch to third with a victory over Hillcrest. Idle Twin Falls moved up to fourth.
Idle Madison of Rexburg remained the top pick in A-1 Division II, with Lewiston closing the gap after a 39-19 victory over Clarkston, Wash. Sandpoint beat Lake City to remain third, while Eagle’s victory over Skyview of Nampa kept the Mustangs fourth.
Bonneville’s loss to Idaho Falls dropped the Bees from the rankings, allowing Post Falls, which defeated Shadle Park, Wash., into the fifth position.
The top two A-2 teams were unchallenged last week, but Nos. 3 and 4 fell to unranked foes. No. 1 Snake River kept its slate clean by dumping Soda Springs, and Bishop Kelly beat Payette. 37-0.
Weiser, however, fell to Emmett and slipped to fourth, while the Huskies entered the poll at No. 5. Previously fourth-ranked Middleton fell from the poll after losing to Kuna, and American Falls climbed two spots to third after downing Marsh Valley.
The A-3 ranks saw a rare tie last week, with second-ranked Teton playing A-2 Sugar-Salem to a draw. Two-time defending champion Glenns Ferry remained the top pick after beating No. 5 Wendell, knocking the Trojans out of the poll.
Teton slipped to third as Kamiah, which beat Potlatch, moved up to No. 2. West Jefferson stayed fourth with a victory over Ririe. Grangeville returned to the poll at fifth.
The teams remained the same in the A-4 rankings, although the order changed.
Nampa Christian remained No. 1 after defeating Maranatha, and Mackay climbed to No. 2 on the strength of a victory over Oakley, dropping Raft River to third despite the Trojans’ 34-31 squeaker over then-No. 4 Murtaugh. The Red Devils fell to fifth, while Wilder used a victory over Rimrock to move up to No. 4.
The news in eight-man football was No. 2 Carey’s 38-0 loss to fifth-ranked Rockland. That blowout dropped the Panthers from the rankings - the first time Carey has been unranked in several years.
Defending champion Deary remained No. 1 after a bye week. North Gem was No. 2 after beating Camas County. Cascade beat Salmon River to move up to third, followed by Rockland and newcomer Council.