Idaho high school football playoff brackets are set: Who got in and who missed out

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The road to a state championship is officially set, and the final week of Idaho high school football brought plenty of surprises across eastern Idaho.

From Pocatello making a last-minute jump into the 5A playoffs to Thunder Ridge falling out of the 6A field, the final MaxPreps rankings played a major role in deciding which teams will continue their seasons.

All six classifications feature 12-team brackets, with the top four seeds receiving first-round byes. However, those seeds aren't determined the same way in every classification, and most brackets will be reseeded following the opening round.

Here's how eastern Idaho teams stack up heading into the state tournament.

6A: Thunder Ridge falls out as Rigby claims conference title

Just one week after a dramatic 21-20 win over Madison, Thunder Ridge saw its postseason hopes come to an end.

The Titans entered the final week ranked 11th in MaxPreps, but a 38-0 loss to Highland dropped them to 14th, outside the 12-team playoff field.

Highland's win had the opposite effect for the Rams, who climbed to fourth in the final MaxPreps rankings and earned the fifth seed in the state tournament. Highland will host No. 12 Lake City in the opening round.

Rigby left little doubt about who would win the High Country Conference, defeating Madison 35-3 to secure the conference championship and the No. 2 seed. The Trojans will enjoy a first-round bye.

Despite losing to Rigby, Madison still qualified for the playoffs through the conference's three-team point-differential tiebreaker. The Bobcats earned the No. 7 seed and will host No. 10 Capital.

One important distinction in 6A is that the top four playoff seeds are reserved for designated conference qualifiers. That's why Highland is the fourth-ranked team according to MaxPreps but enters the tournament as the fifth seed.

Unlike the other five classifications, 6A will not reseed teams after the first round. The bracket is fixed all the way to the championship.

5A: Pocatello makes a late push while Skyline falls out

Few teams benefited more from the final week than Pocatello.

The Thunder entered Friday ranked 16th, four spots outside the playoff field. But after shutting out Century 13-0, Pocatello climbed all the way to 12th, claiming the final postseason berth.

Pocatello will now travel to face fifth-seeded Lewiston in the opening round.

Shelley also made a significant jump. The Russets defeated Skyline 41-0, climbing from 11th to ninth in the rankings.

For Skyline, the loss proved costly. The Grizzlies dropped from 10th to 15th, going from a projected playoff team to missing the tournament entirely.

Shelley will now face No. 8 Blackfoot, which enters the postseason coming off a 34-22 win over Hillcrest.

Bonneville also took care of business in its final regular-season game. The Bees shut out Idaho Falls 33-0, moving from 12th to 11th and securing a first-round trip to sixth-seeded Twin Falls.

Idaho Falls finished 17th in the rankings, while Century came in at 14th, leaving both teams out of the postseason.

Hillcrest, meanwhile, held onto the No. 3 seed despite suffering its first loss of the season against Blackfoot. The Knights will receive a first-round bye.

4A: American Falls drops out as South Fremont and Sugar-Salem advance

American Falls entered the final week ranked 10th, putting the Beavers in position for a playoff berth.

But a 33-16 loss to Preston sent American Falls down to 13th, one spot outside the postseason field.

Preston climbed from 11th to ninth and secured a conference championship and automatic playoff bid.

South Fremont finished the regular season with a 19-0 shutout victory over Teton, securing the No. 8 seed. The Cougars will host ninth-seeded Preston in the opening round.

The matchup gives South Fremont an opportunity for revenge after Preston won their regular-season meeting 42-35 on October 2.

Sugar-Salem enters the tournament in an even better position. The Diggers earned the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye, putting them one win away from reaching the state semifinals.

3A: Malad misses the playoffs despite wins over two qualifying teams

One of the more surprising postseason exclusions comes in 3A, where Malad finished 13th and missed the 12-team field.

The Dragons finished the regular season 5-4, with wins over both Ririe and Aberdeen, two teams that ultimately qualified for state.

However, consecutive 14-0 losses to Declo and top-ranked West Side hurt Malad's final position in the computer rankings.

Ririe took advantage of its final regular-season opportunity, defeating Firth 54-6 to climb from 12th to 11th.

Aberdeen also secured its spot, beating Soda Springs 30-6 and finishing 12th.

Both teams will begin the playoffs on the road. Ririe travels to face sixth-ranked Buhl, while Aberdeen heads north to take on fifth-ranked Grangeville.

West Side finished its regular season undefeated, earning the No. 1 seed, while West Jefferson secured the fourth seed. Both teams receive first-round byes.

2A: Butte County earns bye as Grace narrowly makes the field

Butte County will head into the 2A state tournament with some extra rest after a dominant finish to the regular season.

The Pirates defeated Grace 58-12 to claim the High Desert Conference championship. Although Butte County finished sixth in the final MaxPreps rankings, its conference title was enough to secure a first-round bye.

Grace wasn't as fortunate with its seeding, but the Grizzlies still managed to keep their season alive.

Despite the loss to Butte County, Grace finished 12th in the final rankings, narrowly edging Valley for the final spot. The difference between the two teams was less than half a MaxPreps rating point.

The Grizzlies will now travel to face Raft River, which enters the tournament ranked third after a 42-0 loss to Hagerman in its conference championship game.

Raft River's situation highlights how important conference titles are under the playoff format. Although the Trojans finished three spots ahead of Butte County in the computer rankings, they'll have to play in the opening round while the Pirates receive a bye.

1A: Rockland earns a bye while Mackay hangs on

Rockland couldn't have asked for a much better finish to its regular season.

The Bulldogs defeated North Gem 54-6 to finish undefeated and secure the No. 2 seed in the 1A state tournament.

Rockland will receive a first-round bye, putting the Bulldogs directly into the quarterfinals.

Mackay also managed to extend its season, although the Miners had to wait for the final rankings to find out their fate.

Despite not playing during the final week, Mackay held onto the 12th and final playoff spot, finishing just ahead of Genesee.

The Miners will travel to face fifth-ranked Council, which defeated Salmon River 28-6 to capture its conference championship.

Interestingly, Council won't receive a bye despite winning its conference. Only the four highest-ranked conference champions in 1A receive automatic spots in the quarterfinals, leaving the Lumberjacks to play in the opening round.

Elsewhere in eastern Idaho, North Gem finished 15th and Watersprings came in 20th, leaving both teams outside the playoff field.

Fans can view the complete brackets for all six classifications through IdahoSports.com.