WEEK 1

Ririe at Melba (Saturday, Aug. 23, 4 PM)

Ririe enjoyed a breakthrough season in 2024, finishing 7-3 with a trip to the 2A quarterfinals. Along the way, the Bulldogs hosted their first playoff game in school history. Melba, meanwhile, just missed out on the postseason after finishing 2-6. The Mustangs may have simply been a year away, as many sophomores and juniors were relied upon. The season opener will be a great measuring stick for where Melba’s program truly is.

WEEK 2

Firth at West Side (Friday, Aug. 30, 7 PM)

Remarkably, this is the 16th season in a row that will feature the Cougars and Pirates matching wits in the season opener. There’s been some exciting finishes over that time, and some lopsided affairs, as well, but the one constant: West Side winning. The Pirates have taken 12 of the 15 prior matchups, including the last eight. The last Firth win came in 2016, but make no mistake, the Cougars will be ready to give West Side their best shot yet again in 2025.

WEEK 3

Aberdeen at Declo (Friday, Sept. 5, 7 PM)

Declo lost just two times in 2024: the states championship game against West Side, and an 8-0 setback to Aberdeen in early September. Ironically, Aberdeen’s season also ended at the hands of West Side in the 3A semifinals, and further complicating matters is the fact that all three of those teams share a conference. With just one first round bye available, every game matters, which makes this early September showdown pivotal.

WEEK 4

Marsing at Ririe (Friday, Sept. 12, 7 PM)

The Huskies and Bulldogs met twice last season, and Ririe emerged the victor in both contests. Ririe traveled to Marsing and handed the Huskies a 49-18 loss. Then, in the opening round of the 2A playoffs, Marsing traveled to Ririe and narrowed the gap, but still fell short, 28-15. I’m intrigued to see how much further the gap has been closed between these two.

WEEK 5

Orofino at New Plymouth (Friday, Sept. 19, 7 PM)

This is a non-conference battle of programs that have suffered through prolonged stretches of fits and starts recently. Both programs are working in rookie head coaches: former Weiser standout Brody von Brethorst leads New Plymouth, while former Orofino team captain Seth Melton returns to coach his alma mater. Which coach can generate enough enthusiasm to bring up program numbers? That’s the question that will be answered here.

WEEK 6

Declo at West Side (Friday, Sept. 26, 7 PM)

The Hornets and Pirates have enjoyed some truly epic battles over the past decade. The matchups used to only occur deep into the 3A postseason, but last year, District 4’s Declo and Wendell officially joined District 5’s Southern Idaho Conference. And right away we got a double dip between these rivals. Declo won the regular season matchup 6-0, while West Side got revenge in the 2A state championship game, 28-6.

WEEK 7

Melba at Nampa Christian (Friday, Oct. 3, 7 PM)

Every team in the Western Idaho Conference has circled Nampa Christian on its schedule in 2025. The Trojans won the WIC last year and are loaded for bear once again. I know the Trojans will be good this year, but I’m really curious to see how Melba is looking by the time October rolls around.

WEEK 8

Grangeville at St. Maries (Friday, Oct. 10, 7 PM)

This is a great measuring stick game for both Central Idaho League programs. Grangeville has dominated the CIL recently, but the Bulldogs were hit hard by graduation losses. How much has the gap narrowed between Grangeville and the field? Before Grangeville came around, St. Maries was the CIL’s premier program, but the Lumberjacks have struggled to find traction since the tragic passing of head coach Craig Tefft three years ago. Former Lumberjack standout Hayden Humphrey is coaching his alma mater for the first time, and it will be interesting to see how far along they’ve come by Week 8.

WEEK 9

West Side at Aberdeen (Friday, Oct. 17, 7 PM)

The third and final installment in the Aberdeen-Declo-West Side entanglement, Aberdeen will be extra motivated in this one. During the Tigers’ 9-2 campaign a season ago, their only two losses came to the Pirates: 14-12 in the regular season, 29-0 in the 3A semifinals. The margins are expected to be razor-thin once again.

WEEK 10

North Fremont at West Jefferson (Friday, Oct. 24, 7 PM)

Qualifying for the 3A postseason the past couple of years has been challenging. There’s been some really good teams left on the sidelines, and that trend could continue this year. I get the feeling that the loser of this game will be sweating out the official bracket release in late October.