Idaho high school football state quarterfinals preview: Top 5 playoff games to watch

Here is an inside look at the top high school football games across the state of Idaho for the quarterfinals of the IHSAA state playoffs (Nov. 6):
5A Quarterfinals(5A playoff bracket)
Eagle Mustangs (6-1) at Rigby Trojans (8-0)
7 p.m. (MST) Friday at Rigby High School
Last state playoff meeting: Eagle and Rigby will be facing off in the quarterfinals for the second consecutive season. The Trojans won last year’s showdown 56-28 en route to their first state title.
About the Mustangs: Outside of a seven-point mid-September loss at Rocky Mountain, Eagle has been nearly flawless this season on both sides of the ball. The Mustangs, who are coming off a first-round 49-0 bludgeoning of Thunder Ridge, lead 5A in scoring offense (47.9 points per game) and defense (7.9). Eagle quarterback Ben Ford had a six-touchdown evening (five rushing, one passing) to kick off the playoffs.
About the Trojans: Rigby received a first-round bye and enters the quarterfinals on an 18-game win streak dating to last season. The Trojans are loaded in the trenches and have plenty of skill position players to terrorize the opposition. In the team’s regular-season finale against Madison, quarterback Tiger Adolpho fired four touchdowns passes, three going to tight end Con Dansie. Running back Zheik Falevai also had three scores in the blowout win.
Highland Rams (8-2) at Rocky Mountain Grizzlies (6-0)
7 p.m. (MST) Friday at Rocky Mountain High School, Meridian
Last state playoff meeting: In the 2018 state title game, Rocky Mountain stopped a late two-point conversion attempt and held on for a 24-22 victory over Highland.
About the Rams: Highland will try to establish the run with talented back Kaleb Demuzio, who carried 39 times for 242 yards and a score in last week’s 42-28 comeback win over Meridian. Quarterback Easton Durham gives the Rams a true dual threat behind center. After last season’s run to the state semifinals, Highland’s only losses in 2020 have come against Rigby and Utah’s Sky View.
About the Grizzlies: Rocky Mountain’s explosive offense is averaging 43.3 points per game with quarterback Kobe Warr leading the show. The Grizzlies are big and athletic up front and have a Division I talent in Zack Black, a Montana State commit. Rocky Mountain ran the table in the Southern Idaho Conference West to earn a first-round bye.
4A Quarterfinals (4A playoff bracket)
Blackfoot Broncos (8-1) at Emmett Huskies (8-2)
7 p.m. (MST) Friday at Emmett High School
Last state playoff meeting: First meeting
About the Broncos: Blackfoot has won five consecutive games since a 14-3 home loss to High Country Conference rival Skyline. In last week’s 42-12 first-round playoff rout of Vallivue, Ja’Vonte King caught six passes for 104 yards and a career-high four touchdowns. Quarterback Jace Grimmett and running back Teegan Thomas also are dangerous players for the Broncos.
About the Huskies: With four victories over the previous two seasons, Emmett surprised many by winning the Southern Idaho Conference title. Running back Westyn Smith is the Huskies’ top offensive threat with 1,474 rushing yards. Quarterback Caden Young has passed for 1,491 yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for 1,154 more yards.
Moscow Bears (4-1) at Sandpoint Bulldogs (4-4)
7 p.m. (MST) Friday at Barlow Stadium, Sandpoint
Last state playoff meeting: First meeting
About the Bears: Moscow’s only loss came Oct. 16 at Sandpoint, an Inland Empire League game in which the Bears led 6-0 at halftime. Lane Hanson ran for 111 yards and two touchdowns last week as Moscow went on the road and defeated Jerome, 45-7. The Bears piled up more than 300 yards on the ground and forced six turnovers in their first road playoff victory since 1992.
About the Bulldogs: After a 1-4 start to the season, Sandpoint has won its past three games entering the quarterfinals, including a 30-27 nail-biter over Hillcrest to open the playoffs. Quarterback Parker Pettit threw for 309 yards in the Bulldogs’ first matchup with Moscow. His favorite target was Cody Newhart, who had touchdown receptions of 92 and 75 yards.
3A Quarterfinals (3A playoff bracket)
South Fremont Cougars (7-2) vs. Gooding Senators (8-1)
4 p.m. (MST) Friday at Madison High School, Rexburg
Last state playoff meeting: Gooding earned a thrilling 34-33 victory over South Fremont in the 2015 state quarterfinals.
About the Cougars: It’s been a wild few weeks for South Fremont, which stunned two-time defending state champion Sugar-Salem on Oct. 16 and fell to Teton the following week to create a three-way tie in the three-team Mountain Rivers Conference. The Cougars finished second in a Kansas City tiebreaker to qualify for the playoffs and edged American Falls 27-23 in the first round, their fourth consecutive game decided by one possession.
About the Senators: Gooding took a more traditional path to the playoffs by winning the Sawtooth Central Idaho Conference. It came down to the final week of the regular season asKurtis Atkinson ran in a two-point conversion in overtime, sealing a 36-35 victory for the Senators over Kimberly that clinched the league title. The dramatic ending gave Gooding a first-round bye.
-- Bob Lundeberg