High school football action kicks off this weekend

Football season starts this week in the Treasure Valley.

The high school football season kicks off Friday with 10 local teams participating in nine ‘Week 0’ games.

Of those nine games, one involves two local teams with Marsing hosting Cole Valley Christian. Marsing is coming off of its first playoff appearance since 2013 and looking to continue building under new head coach Mike Foristiere, while the visiting Chargers are making the move up to the 4A level in the IHSAA’s new classification system.

One of Cole Valley’s new 4A Snake River Valley Conference foes, Homedale, will open the season with a rematch of last year’s 3A State Quarterfinal game against Snake River. Homedale, which will host Friday’s game, won last season’s playoff game 28-0. The Trojans are the six-time defending SRV champions.

That game is one of the four games on the local docket to feature two state playoff games from a season ago.

At the 5A level, Skyview opens the season at Minico, with both teams playing in the 4A state tournament a season ago, while Emmett opens the season hosting Canyon Ridge. Both games are on Friday. Fruitland travels to Kimberly to open the season Saturday evening in a matchup between two 3A state tournament teams from 2023.

Other 5A games this week see Nampa hosting Century and Columbia traveling to Winnemucca, Nevada, to face Lowry High on Friday. Caldwell, playing an independent schedule for the third straight year, will host Wood River, also on Friday.

In 3A, New Plymouth travels to play Firth on Friday evening.