This Weeks Top Games

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mountain View v Nampa</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mountain View looks to bounce back after a heartbreaking defeat to Eagle last week that knocked them out of the SIC championship game. Last seasons conference champions are now looking to win against Nampa in order to secure a home game in the playoffs this year at least in the first round. Led by their defense which has been stellar all year especially with players like Owen McBride and the linebacking core of [player_tooltip player_id='340765' first='Ivan' last='Perkins'], [player_tooltip player_id='341491' first='Maximus' last='Maile'], and [player_tooltip player_id='396016' first='Mason' last='Chiles'] along with stellar safety Wyatt Farnsworth. Mountain View has struggled at times offensively but still have [player_tooltip player_id='336850' first='Dawson' last='Wahl'] and Justin McGee in the backfield that can explode for huge game. It is going to be up to the Mavericks who now control their own destiny if they are going to play a more consistent brand of football. Nampa on the other hand is no longer a surprise in the 5A SIC they are a legit team with really good pieces especially on offense where the top running back Daniel Carrillo is an absolute monster. Gabe Navarro and Dante Avijan also add a ton of explosion on the offensive side of the ball for the Bulldogs. Nampa plays stout enough defense behind Ethan Kincheloe, Daniel Almaraz and [player_tooltip player_id='336848' first='Payton' last='Gunter'] to really make a game against some of the toughest opponents in the league. If Nampa wins then the play off race in the West becomes that much more confusing as now it will come down to the crossover week to settle who will have a home game in the first round. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Post Falls v Coeur d'Alene</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Another big game that has major playoff implications if Post Falls wins this game they earn the number one seed in the North going into the last week of the season. If Coeur d'Alene wins then it will come down to who wins between Lake City and Lewiston as Coeur d'Alene would have to beat Lewiston if they win this week but if Lewiston loses then Coeur d'Alene becomes the number one seed in the North. It can get very confusing but to make things simple Post Falls needs to win this week in order to be the outright number one and let the rest of the teams in their league battle for the number two seed. Post Falls is coming off a big win against Lewiston and will need to focusing on this weeks task of taking out the perennial top dog of the league in a good Coeur d'Alene team. This is a statement game for Post Falls who is coming off a season that saw them barely miss the playoffs last year. The Vikings though have a little work to do as they will need a win this week and a Lewiston loss in order to rap up the number one seed and home field advantage in the 5A playoffs. Led by an ever improving offense and opportunistic defense the Vikings are always a team to keep an eye out on as they had early struggles this season but have come on as of late. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Highland v Madison</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This is the top game of the week because it will help clear up some of the confusion that is 5A football going into the last week of the season. If Highland win this game they have secured the top seed in the East which means they will host in the second round of the playoffs and get the first round bye. If Madison wins the game they like Coeur d'Alene have a little bit more work to do as they must beat Rigby in the last game of the season in order to secure the number one seed since this conference is only a three team race. Highland is coming off a huge win against Rigby where they were down 21 points and made a comeback to win 43-42. Led by junior quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='440467' first='Drew' last='Hymas'] who is improving each week and some talented pieces like [player_tooltip player_id='239243' first='Kai' last='Callen'] on offense the Rams are starting to come together down the stretch. [player_tooltip player_id='336863' first='Mason' last='Fullmer'] and [player_tooltip player_id='336940' first='Colton' last='George'] are arguably two of the best defenders in the whole state, who are a nightmare for opposing offenses. Madison on the other hand is in no small sense of the word scrappy. They have so much heart as a team led by Ben Dredge who is a do it all player for them they are just as scary in their five wide offense as anyone else in the state. This should be a top one to watch and all eyes will be on this game as it has huge implications on the playoffs. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Kimberly v Buhl</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The top two teams in the conference square off this week as Kimberly who has had a really good season led by quarterback Kade Larson with wide receivers Connor Laughlin and [player_tooltip player_id='336944' first='Michael' last='Goff'] look to secure the league title this week against Buhl. One of the top offenses in the state Kimberly uses their spread offense to devastating effect where they can explode for huge points and play solid team defense that makes opposing offenses earn every yard. Buhl plays a much different game then Kimberly as they like to rely on their offensive line to open up holes for players like Jayce Bower. They are built for the power run game and use it to control the majority of the games they have played this year. Not to mention they are equally dangerous on the defensive line which has caused problems all year for the team that they have played. This is chance to solidify their spot in the playoffs so whoever wins should feel pretty good going into the last week of the season. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->