Sports Line Power Rankings, Week 6
The Sugar-Salem Diggers made the biggest jump in Sports Line’s week six Power Rankings, jumping into the top five, but no change was made to the top three as Aberdeen and Snake River continue to lead the way.
Biggest Gain: 4. Sugar-Salem (+5)
Biggest Loss: Rigby, Pocatello, and Bear Lake (-4)
Sports Line’s power-rankings formula measures a team’s total performance using win-loss record, point differential and strength of schedule. In 2014, the top five teams in SL’s rankings all played their way into their respective state championship games. Three of those teams; Highland, Snake River and West Side, ultimately won their titles. Blackfoot and Aberdeen were the only two inside the top five to lose in the final weekend.
Sugar-Salem’s road victory over a larger school Friday night gave the Diggers the highest weekly output at 160 points. Tyler Richins’ squad continues to surge after its only loss to Snake River on September 11. The Mountain Rivers Conference sends three teams to the 3A state tournament this year, and the league has set itself up for ultimate drama down the stretch. All four teams have a winning overall record. South Fremont currently has the only conference loss among the four, so a defeat at the hands of Sugar-Salem Friday night in their rivalry game could spell doom for the Cougars’ season. The Diggers could put themselves in the driver’s seat with a win as Shelley and Teton play to keep pace in Bingham County.
Another league with dramatic finishes ahead appears to be the 5A High Country Conference. The league is guaranteed three spots to state, and a fourth could potentially grab a wild card spot. Skyline and Highland lead the six schools, both with 2-0 records in the conference. The Grizz host the Rams Friday night, so expect a shootout between the two. Skyline went on the road and beat Coeur d’Alene in week one. CDA then went into Pocatello and defeated the Rams, giving Highland its only loss of the season on September 27. But, correlation of common opponents won’t necessarily mean a victory for Skyline. Hillcrest and Madison both are fighting to stay inside the top three in the league, and the Knights and ‘Cats should pick up victories this week as they face the bottom two teams in our rankings. Hillcrest plays Bonneville in the “Civil War” rivalry, and Madison hosts Idaho Falls.
Looking ahead to Week 7 in Idaho, two teams are facing a must-win in the 4A ranks as Blackfoot visits Preston. While the Indians haven’t won a game this season, they are only 0-1 in league play. That’s the same record Blackfoot holds in the conference. A loss for either team could put playoff chances on the line because District 5-6 send just three of the five teams to state. Rigby is the only undefeated team in the league at 1-0, and Century already has two league wins. If the Trojans defeat Pocatello, the playoff scenarios clear up for each team. If Poky defeats Rigby, things become a jumbled mess with two weeks to play.
Enjoy the games!
