High School on SI Idaho High School Football Preseason Top 15 State Rankings

Led by a trio of all-state returners, No. 1 Rigby looks to repeat as Class 6A champions

Rocky Mountain will look to take the final step after falling to Rigby in last year's 6A semifinals and win the program's first Idaho state title since 2020. / Photo by Lane Mathews

The 2025 high school football season in the Gem State is just over a month away from starting, and that means it is time to reveal the High School on SI Idaho high school football preseason top 15 rankings.

Here is the complete list of the preseason top 15 rankings with a breakdown for each team:

1. Rigby

Last season: 11-1, Idaho 6A state champion

The Trojans won their fourth state championship in six years last fall, with senior QB Jacob Flowers (a second-team all-state selection and one of Idaho's top players to watch this fall) directing an attack that also brings back RB Amani Morel (1,113 yards and 17 touchdowns as a first-team all-state pick) and WR Owen Golding. Second-team all-state LB Ethan Hickman will be a leader on defense.

2. Rocky Mountain

Last season: 10-1, Idaho 6A semifinalist

The Grizzlies will be loaded for bear after losing a taut semifinal to Rigby last year, bringing back a wealth of talent, including Gatorade Player of the Year OL Jax Tanner (a BYU commit), Boise State-bound DE Rowan Rupp (63 tackles, 22 for loss, 11 sacks) and Washington State commit TE Drew Byrd. To the mix, they'll add Boise State commit Rasean Jones, an Oregon 4A all-state WR/DB who caught 59 passes for 896 yards and 11 touchdowns as a junior.

3. Coeur d'Alene

Last season: 8-3, Idaho 6A semifinalist

The Vikings were North Idaho's top team a year ago, led by Inland Empire Offensive Player of the Year QB Caden Symons, who completed almost two-thirds of his passes (194 of 294) for 2,869 yards and 25 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He'll have almost an entirely new receiving corps to throw to, but a defense led by second-team all-state LB Ben Murray (123 tackles, 10 for loss) and LB Ian Dahlin (133 tackles, three sacks) will buy time for the offense to gel.

4. Hillcrest

Last season: 10-3, Idaho 5A state champion

The Knights won their first state title since 2018 by upsetting conference rival Skyline, and with 5A Player of the Year QB Tyson Sweetwood back, they'll make a stout title defense. Sweetwood threw for 2,660 yards and 23 touchdowns with 10 interceptions while also rushing for 995 yards and 16 scores, while first-team all-state RB/LB Dax Sargent (617 yards, eight TDs; 93 tackles, 10 for loss) and DL Damien Simmons (62 tackles, 12 for loss, 10.5 sacks) also return, as does WR Mason Davis (40 catches for 508 yards and three TDs).

5. Eagle

Last season: 9-3, Idaho 6A finalist

The Mustangs reached the title game for the first time since 2011 last year, and they return a pair of weapons who could get them back to Albertsons Stadium again this fall with QB Austin Ramsey, the Southern Idaho Conference River Division co-Player of the year who threw for 1,779 yards and 23 touchdowns, and second-team all-state RB Noah Burnham, who ran for 1,236 yards and nine touchdowns despite missing two games due to injury.

6. Madison

Last season: 9-2, Idaho 6A quarterfinalist

The Bobcats hope not to play second fiddle to Rigby in Southeast Idaho yet again, with first-team all-state OT Carter Apelu anchoring a line that powered 6A's leading rushing attack (255 yards per game) and returns RB/LB Cash Summers and WR Brock Hammond.

7. Skyline

Last season: 10-3, Idaho 5A finalist

The Grizzlies will be among the favorites in 5A again this year thanks to senior SB/CB Zyan Crockett, a first-team all-state selection who led the team in rushing (742 yards and 13 touchdowns) and receiving (52 catches for 943 yards and 10 TDs), and RB Liam Lynch (356 yards and two TDs).

8. Highland

Last season: 6-4, lost in Idaho 6A first round

For some programs, posting a 14th consecutive winning season and qualifying for state for a 34th consecutive year would be an accomplishment. However, for the Rams, suffering their first four-game losing streak in over two decades to end the season left a sour taste that standouts like QB Keaton Belnap (1,509 total yards, 15 touchdowns) and junior brothers RB Cedric Mitchell (104 carries for 545 yards rushing; a team-high 29 catches for 341 yards receiving) and LB Malakai Mitchell (team-high 91 tackles) hope to wash away this fall.

9. Sugar-Salem

Last season: 9-2, Idaho 4A state champion

The Diggers captured a third consecutive state title and sixth in seven seasons last year, and while they'll need to replace their quarterback and top three rushers, junior QB Frank Fillmore (12-of-15 for 142 yards and a touchdown as the primary backup) and senior RB/LB Kimball Tonks (309 rushing yards, seven TDs; 44 tackles, three pass breakups) will look to ease the transition.

10. Bishop Kelly

Last season: 9-2, Idaho 5A quarterfinalist

The 2023 Class 5A champs were upset by Minico in the quarterfinals last year, but they'll look to defend their SIC title with second-team all-state QB Ben Avella and WR Dominic Wolthuis reprising their connection alongside RB Ryan Arellano and DL Quentin Powers.

11. Post Falls

Last season: 7-4, Idaho 6A quarterfinalist

Can the Trojans challenge Coeur d'Alene for North Idaho supremacy? If so, they'll need for players like OL Alex Scholes, WR Jace Ostlund and TE/DE Cruze Woydziak to step forward. One ace up their sleeve is sophomore K Bradyn Singleton, one of the state's top specialists.

12. Minico

Last season: 9-3, Idaho 5A semifinalist

The Spartans won their third Great Basin League title in four years last season en route to the state semifinals. They'll need to replace standout RB Reston Sonner Cranney, but they bring back the rest of their offensive core with QB Braxon Trenkle and receivers Ethan Heward and Jaiden Sanders. Second-team all-state LB Boady Baker leads the defense.

13. Homedale

Last season: 10-2, Idaho 4A runner-up

The Trojans won eight 2A championships from 1977-97, and after reaching the semifinals two years ago, they came close to ending that title drought last season. Among their core players returning are QB Xavier Uranga, who was 127 of 181 for 1,908 yards and 23 touchdowns as a junior, along with the backfield tandem of Javid Blewett (698 yards, eight TDs) and Kade Hall (469 yards, seven TDs) and LB Tyce Fisher (80 tackles, 11 for loss, three sacks).

14. Owyhee

Last season: 5-4, lost in 6A play-in round

The Storm were a young team last year that was on the wrong end of several one-score games and saw coach Jason Burton suspended at the end of the season after the team used an ineligible player earlier in the season. But with players like MaxPreps Idaho Offensive Player of the Year WR Ryan Brekke and fellow seniors Kole Frogley, Nathan Keith, Asher Gaudet and Logan Haustveit back, expect them to contend in the Southern Idaho Conference.

15. Meridian

Last season: 3-6

Expect a bounce-back campaign for the Warriors, who just three years ago were playing for a 5A state title but suffered their first losing season in five years last fall. They'll be led by Utah commit LB LaGary Mitchell (79 tackles, three sacks, six pass breakups) and WR Holden Coy.