Week 9 Idaho high school football preview: Top games to watch, players to see, score predictions

Here is an inside look at the top high school football games across the state of Idaho during the ninth full weekend of 2022.

CLASS 5A

NO. 3 EAGLE MUSTANGS (6-2) at NO. 1 MERIDIAN WARRIORS (8-0)

7 p.m. (MST) Friday at Meridian High School

Game nugget: 5A Southern Idaho Conference title at stake.

About the Mustangs: Eagle is not the same team that was ran out of the building by Meridian two months ago in a 36-14 loss. The Mustangs have rattled off five consecutive wins and have vastly improved their offense since then - primarily with the ground game of RB Roy Hull and company. But QB Jake Longson is quite the runner too.

About the Warriors: Meridian already has a first-round bye and a home quarterfinal game locked up. But a win here would likely give the Warriors the No. 1 seed and something they haven’t had in 15 years - an SIC championship. Meridian has run roughshod through the regular season with state’s top defense (6.9 ppg given up, 23 turnovers) and second-ranked offense (35.9 ppg).

SBLive Idaho pick: Meridian, 28-14.

CLASS 4A

NO. 2 MINICO SPARTANS (7-1) at NO. 3 TWIN FALLS BRUINS (7-1)

7 p.m. (MST) Friday at Twin Falls High School

Game nugget: 4A Great Basin Conference championship on the line.

About the Spartans: Overlooked in the preseason (not ranked in state media poll), the Spartans now find themselves on the cusp of back-to-back league titles. Minico has yet to lose to a team from Idaho, thanks to its second-ranked defense (11.4 ppg) and a rushing attack averaging better than 317 yards, led by RBs Jafeth Bendele (1,015 yards, 17 TDs) and Juan Garza (487 yards, four TDs).

About the Bruins: Twin Falls found itself in this position a year ago, but fell, 26-19, to Minico in the finale. A rematch victory would net its first league title since 2018. Riding a five-game winning streak, all by double-digit margins, including over Burley and Canyon Ridge, the Bruins are opportunistic on defense by forcing turnovers (24). DL  Aidan Villasenor has five sacks.

SBLive Idaho pick: Minico, 27-21.

SHELLY RUSSETS (4-4) at NO. 4 SKYLINE GRIZZLIES (5-3)

7 p.m. (MST) Friday at Ravsten Stadium, Idaho Falls

Game nugget: Winner is 4A High Country Conference champion.

About the Russets: The revival of Shelley seemed on shaky ground after three early-season losses by an average of 16 points. But the Russets have won four of their past five games, including a win over No. 8 Blackfoot, to be in position for its first league title since moving up to 3A in 2018. Do-it-all RB Ryker Clinger, who runs, catches and returns kickoffs, is a handful.

About the Grizzlies: Despite an up-and-down stretch for the two-time reigning state champions - their first shutout loss in three seasons, followed by a stunning defeat to Bonneville - they can still win their third consecutive league crown. The offense (29.4 ppg), which surprisingly is ranked 11th, needs to be better with WR Kenyon Sadiq (736 yards, seven TDs) and company.

SBLive Idaho pick: Skyline, 35-24.

CLASS 3A

NO. 1 SUGAR-SALEM DIGGERS (7-0) at NO. 6 SOUTH FREMONT COUGARS (6-2)

7 p.m. (MST) Friday at South Fremont High School, St. Anthony

Game Nugget: 3A Mountain Rivers Conference championship at stake.

About the Diggers: This may be Sugar-Salem’s most dominant run yet - and it’s won three out of the past four state titles. The Diggers have defeated every opponent by a minimum of 19 points with an average margin of victory of 41.4. But none of those previous championship teams did that. They’ve been unstoppable on offense with the trio of QB Daniel Neal, RB Carson Harris and WR Ty Hirrlinger, along with a defense that has given up just 59 total points.

About the Cougars: After a 5-0 start, South Fremont has cooled down a bit, capped by a surprising double-digit loss last week to one-win Marsh Valley. But the Cougars can still win their first league title since they were 2019 co-champions (and before that, 1993 was last title). Dual-threat QB Bryce Johnson leads the team in both passing and rushing, and has WR Preston Stoddard as a perimeter threat.

SBLive Idaho pick: Sugar-Salem, 48-13.

CLASS 2A

NO. 4 ABERDEEN TIGERS (5-2) at NO. 1 BEAR LAKE BEARS (6-1)

7 p.m. (MST) Friday at Bear Lake High School, Montpelier

Game Nugget: 2A South East Idaho Conference hangs in balance.

About the Tigers: Aberdeen already has as many wins right now than it did the last three seasons. A Tigers’ win would create a three-way tie between them, Bear Lake and West Side with all having beaten one other. They will look to cause that chaos by getting back to their run offense that has been so effective for them, led by RB Brody Beck.

About the Bears: Bear Lake can break the four-year conference stranglehold of West Side with a win - which is fitting considering it was the Bears who ended the Pirates' 35-game winning streak earlier this fall. QB Tayson Neal (1,140 yards, 15 TDs) and WR Tyler Beresford (751 all-purpose yards) will look to deliver them the first conference championship since 2016.

SBLive Idaho pick: Bear Lake, 31-23.