Three Magic Valley teams will head to the ICCU Dome in Pocatello this weekend to try to finish the quest to win a state championship. No. 1 Carey and No.
2 Dietrich will clash in the 1A championship at 7 p.m. Thursday while No.
1 Declo will battle No. 3 West Side in the 3A championship at 5:30 p.m.
Friday. These games are regular season rematches featuring teams that have been at or near the top of the classification rankings for the entire season. Here’s what to watch for in both games.
1A: No. 1 Carey vs. No.
2 Dietrich, Thursday, 7 p.m. Dietrich quarterback Connor Perkins breaks a tackle by Carey's Eddie Gamino during their game Friday night at Dietrich High School.
The Panthers and Blue Devils will play for the 1A state championship Thursday at 7 p.m. at the ICCU Dome in Pocatello.
Any way you slice it, the Panthers (10-1 overall) and Blue Devils (10-1) have been the two best teams in 1A all season. Carey boasts the top scoring offense and defense while Dietrich ranks second in those categories. The two teams feature dynamic senior quarterbacks.
Preston Wood leads Carey and Connor Perkins leads Dietrich. The Panthers stumped the Wolverines from the beginning. The past few years of pent-up postseason frustration exorcised in no doubt fashion.
All year, Connor Perkins has been the engine for a Dietrich team chasing a state championship. Tri-Valley found out why in the 1A semifinals. Dietrich beat Carey 34-28 in 2020 for the program’s only state title, then lost to Kendr.