Treasure Valley to Host Trifecta of Football Title Games
The high school football State 5A, 4A and 3A championships will be decided in the Treasure Valley on Saturday including a double header at Albertson's Stadium.
Game day begins at 10 a.m. on the Blue with No.1 Rocky Mountain 11-0 vs. No3 Highland 10-1 and the defending state champs. The 4A title game will follow at 1 p.m. with Hillcrest 11-1 vs. Bishop Kelly 10-1.
Meantime at Middleton High school 11-0 Homedale and 9-1 Sugar-Salem will collide for the 3A crown at 1 p.m.
The selection of the 5A and 4A title games to be played in Boise was greeted with some surprise by certain newspaper outlets. Highland hosted the 5A state title game last year and the 4A championship was also contested in Pocatello and the Idaho High School Activities Association has had a long standing policy to rotate football title games when cross state teams competed.
I was told before broadcasting Fridays Rocky Mountain vs.Coeur d' Alene game on Sports radio 630 The Fan that if Rocky won the 5A title game would be in Boise and if the Vikings won the game would be played in Moscow.
The only surprise for me was the announcement the 5A championship game would be relegated to at 10 a.m. Saturday morning kickoff!
Really? The most anticipated game on the year doesn't deserve prime time? How about BK-Sugar-Salem at 1 pm followed by the 5A game.
Attendance wise that makes much more sense as 5A fans show up early to see the finish of the 4A game and 4A fans hang on to catch part of the 5A title game.
There is no reason to kickoff any football game, high school or other wise at 10 a.m. on a Saturday morning especially since the real goal for holding the playoffs is to raise revenue. Raising the championship trophy is a player bonus.
For me a noon 4A kickoff and 3:30pm 5A kickoff would have been the way to go on a Saturday...or how about a Friday Night Lights championship, now that's high school football.
By the way 630 The Fan, which has broadcast 5A SIC action all season including three playoff games, is committed to air the Idaho-Florida football game at 10 a.m. Saturday (Noon Gainsville time) and that will pre-empt our ability to broadcast the 5A title game.
We appreciate all those you have followed the high school football season with us and get ready for hoops as we tip-off the prep basketball season Friday December 7th.