Football championship preview: Rams, Russets and Pirates all play for state titles

5A championship
    Highland (11-0) vs. Coeur d’Alene (8-3), 8 p.m. Friday at the Kibbie Dome, Moscow
    Highland: The Rams overcame the semifinal hurdle of the past four seasons and beat up the Rocky Mountain Grizzlies 24-6 to advance to the Rams first title game since 2008.
    Highland held the state’s highest-scoring offense to six points and 287 total yards, and senior running back Thad Hansen kept up a torrid scoring pace with two touchdowns (and 84 yards rushing) on the ground and another score on a pass from quarterback Tommy Jewell.
    Hansen has 22 total touchdowns this year, one behind the fourth-best single-season mark of all time at Highland.

    Coeur d’Alene: The Vikings have won seven straight since losing to Highland 24-21 at Holt Arena Sept. 21.
    Coeur d’Alene has done it with a powerful offense that’s averaged 47 points a game and a stifling defense that has not given up more than 14 points since the defeat to the Rams.
    While Highland dispatched Rocky Mountain, Coeur d’Alene took apart Capital in a snowstorm 42-14. The Vikings led 34-7 at the half and racked up 397 rushing yards on 51 carries.
   
3A championship
    Fruitland (10-1) vs. Shelley (10-1), 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Holt Arena
    Fruitland: The good news for Grizzly fans: Fruitland is into the 3A state championship game for the eighth-straight season after upsetting Homedale on the road 30-29.
    The bad news for Grizzly fans: Fruitland has to play Shelley for the state title.
    The Russets defeated the Grizzlies for the 3A championship in 2012 (final score of 37-10), 2009 (25-14) and 2007 (19-13) by an average margin of two touchdowns.

    Shelley: Since dropping back down to the 3A classification for the 2012 season, Shelley has outscored its seven postseason opponents 288-51. That includes last season’s 27-point victory against the Grizzlies for the title.
    And just like a year ago, Shelley had to go through Gooding for a spot in the title game. Last Saturday, the Russets defeated the Senators through force of will.
    The teams were nearly identical in rushing yards (Shelley had 172 yards to Gooding’s 171), but Shelley quarterback Kaden Schmitt threw for 254 yards and four touchdowns as the Russets opened up a 18-point, fourth-quarter lead.

2A championship
    West Side (10-1) vs. Declo (9-2), 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Holt Arena
    Declo: Since losing to Wendell 7-6 early in October, the 2A defending state champions have reeled off six-straight victories.
    The Hornets used that midseason loss to reevaluate and they moved two offensive starters from skill positions to the offensive line.
    The end result? Declo is in its fourth state title game in the last six seasons after walloping Wendell 35-13 last weekend at Holt Arena.

    West Side: Firth outgained West Side 294 to 207 and the Pirates lost the turnover battle 2-0 in last Saturday’s 2A semifinal matchup.
    Yet, West Side prevailed in overtime to defeat Firth 24-18. Trevor Montes scored twice in the fourth quarter — one score via a 90-yard kickoff return — to knot the game at 18 and force the extra period.
    And in the Kansas City style overtime, Montes sprinted 10 yards to the end zone to end Firth’s season and catapult the Pirates into their first title game since 2010.

Championship games

Friday’s Games
5A
Highland vs. Coeur d’Alene
Kibbie Dome, Moscow, 8 p.m.
4A
Skyview vs. Bishop Kelly
BSU Stadium, Boise, 7:30 p.m.
1A DII
Council vs. Salmon River
BSU Stadium, Boise 5 p.m.

Saturday’s Games
3AFruitland vs. Shelley
Holt Arena, 2:30 p.m.
2A
Declo vs. West Side
Holt Arena, 5 p.m.
1DI
Troy vs. Hagerman
Holt Arena, Noon