Top storylines: Conference titles, playoff positioning on the line in Week 8
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Here’s a look at some of the top storylines for Week 8 as the regular season winds down.
More 3A drama
If Aberdeen wins at West Side, the Tigers will be the conference champ and earn a first-round bye in the state tournament.
The Tigers (6-0, 3-0) already own wins over Malad (3-3, 2-1) and Declo (6-1, 2-1) — two of the three one-loss (in division) teams. Beating the Pirates (5-1, 2-1) would knock them from those ranks and give Aberdeen the tie-breaker over all conference foes.
West Side, on the other hand, has lost to Declo and has yet to play Malad. So, if they win there will be a series of tie-breaker scenarios to consider.
Aberdeen has been a 3A power all season, pitching three shutouts and boasting an average margin of victory of more than 20 points — scoring 26.67 points per game while allowing just 6.33.
West Side has been a bit of a juggernaut as well, scoring 30 or more in all five wins. But in their lone loss, coming at Declo on Sept. 27, they were outscored 6-0.
This potentially conference-deciding game is the most compelling on the District 5 and 6 schedules this weekend.
It is worth noting, Malad will be at Declo Friday.
Madison trying to avoid a trap game
Madison travels to Minico this week. This is a non-conference game that means nothing in the standings, and could mean everything for the remainder of the season.
Madison comes off a loss to rival Rigby, but would clinch a playoff berth next week with a win against Highland.
Minico, which leads the Great Basin Conference, also has a big game next week against Twin Falls.
This one could be a trap game for both teams if they get caught looking ahead to next week.
The end result won’t hurt either team’s playoff chances, but a win would provide some momentum heading into next week’s games.
Nuclear Conference showdown
The Nuclear Conference is always entertaining and this year it’s even more competitive with four of the five teams sporting winning records and all five in good position to earn playoff spots.
Firth is in control of the conference at 3-0 and has wins over Ririe and North Fremont, and would conclude a perfect conference season with a win over West Jefferson.
A loss by the Panthers might not impact their playoff positioning due to strength of schedule, but an upset win would shake things up.
The biggest game Friday is Ririe at North Fremont. The winner is firmly in second place in the conference.
An impactful 5A matchup
The 5A South East Idaho Conference will likely crown its victor this weekend as well, when Pocatello travels to Preston.
Pocatello (4-2, 0-0) will play both of its conference games to close the season, starting with Preston (2-5, 1-0), who already own a victory over winless Century.
Considering overall schedules, while this game will almost certainly decide the conference championship it lacks the intrigue of some of the other similarly impactful games — like Aberdeen-West Side.
Yet another champ could be crowned
By upsetting Marsh Valley last week, Snake River has created something of a logjam at the top of the 4A South East Idaho Conference.
The Panthers (4-3, 2-0) are alone at the top of the standings, with wins over the Eagles (4-2, 0-1) and Bear Lake (2-5, 1-1). This weekend, they go for the conference sweep at American Falls.
The Beavers (4-3, 0-1) are a game opponent, despite suffering a home loss to Bear Lake last week. American Falls played Aberdeen to a tight 20-18 loss. In fact, all three of their losses have been one-score defeats — 21-17 to Buhl, and 20-14 to the Bears.
If Snake River wins, they are conference champs. If American Falls wins, next week’s games become very interesting — with tie-breaker scenarios on the line.
Battle of the Pirates
Butte County at Hagerman. This should be a fun one. Butte County is ranked No. 2 in the 2A state media poll and Hagerman is No. 5.
It’s a classic 8-man game with two high-scoring teams – Butte County averages nearly 54 points and Hagerman averages more than 65 points per game.
With most players playing on both sides of the ball, the winner will likely be the team that took its conditioning seriously.