Notebook: Cream rises to the top as Rigby, Skyline, Hillcrest, West Side, Sugar-Salem, Butte County among those set for semifinals
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It was a big weekend of quarterfinal action, but now it’s time for everyone to put on their big-boy pants and get ready for the semifinals.
Here’s a first look at this week’s matchups.
It’s a Pirates vs. Pirates showdown in 2A
Butte County gets a chance to avenge its only loss this season when the Pirates take on the Hagerman Pirates in the 2A semifinals Thursday at the ICCU Dome in Pocatello.
Kickoff is 5:30 p.m.
Hagerman held Butte County to a season-low 14 points in a 30-14 win on Oct. 18.
Since then, Butte County (8-1) has scored 120 points over the past two games, including 72 in last week’s playoff win over Rimrock.
Hagerman (10-1) averages nearly 58 points, but this matchup will likely be determined on defense.
Butte County will likely need more than 14 points to win and Hagerman has already proven it can win a shootout, taking down Valley 56-52 last week.
Speaking of defense …
Aberdeen advanced to the 3A semifinals with a 35-8 win over North Fremont.
The Tigers have not given up more than 14 points in any game since a 20-18 win over American Falls in its season opener.
Aberdeen gets a rematch with West Side, which handed the Tigers their only loss, 14-12.
More 3A fun …
Ririe did Ririe things as Kolter Lewis ran for 140 yards and two scores and Rafe Newton added 148 yards on the ground, but it wasn’t enough as perennial power West Side came away with a 28-14 win to advance to a semifinal matchup with Aberdeen.
The 3A semifinals include No. 1 Declo, No. 2 Aberdeen and No. 3 West Side. The party crasher is No. 5 Firth, which knocked off No. 4 Grangeville 15-14.
Firth plays Declo Saturday at 4 p.m. in the ICCU Dome. Aberdeen vs. West Side follows at 7 p.m.
Speaking of rematches …
Skyline and Hillcrest have a path to the 5A championship game if they can get past tough semifinals matchups.
Top-seeded Skyline (9-2) takes on Minico (9-1), the Great Basin champion, Saturday at 1 p.m. at the ICCU Dome.
Minico is seeded fifth, but took out Emmett and then beat defending state champ Bishop Kelly 41-35 last week.
No. 2 Hillcrest beat conference foe Blackfoot 35-7 and won its two playoff games by a combined score of 70-7.
Skyline beat Hillcrest 28-16 in a conference game back on Sept. 20.
The Knights (8-3) will have to get past No. 3 Lakeland (9-2), which won the Inland Empire 6A/5A Conference.
Lakeland has the top scoring defense in 5A at 11.9 points.
Speaking of rematches II
In 6A, East No. 1 Rigby (9-1) is on the road at West No. 1 Rocky Mountain (10-0) on Friday.
Because of the way 6A sets its bracket, the top two teams in the MaxPreps rankings will actually meet in the semifinals instead of a potential matchup in the finals.
The two teams have a playoff history and have been the top teams to beat in the state’s highest division over the past seven years, with Rigby winning three titles and Rocky Mountain winning two, including a championship victory over the Trojans in 2020.
The winner will face the winner of Eagle vs. Coeur d’Alene in the title game.
Did we say rematch?
Only one in-Idaho team has beaten Sugar-Salem since the end of the 2021 season.
Hello Kimberly.
The Bulldogs (7-3) beat the Diggers (7-2) 17-14 back on Sept. 20 in what was an early-season shocker.
The teams will meet again Thursday in the 4A semifinals. Kickoff is 8:15 p.m. at the ICCU Dome.
Since that game, Sugar-Salem has won four straight by an average margin of 49.5 to 11.5.
Kimberly, seeded fourth in the bracket, has won six straight and knocked off Fruitland 27-26 last week in overtime to advance to the semis.
The usual suspects in 4A, Homedale and Weiser, play in the other semifinal.