The end of the Utah regular season means a breather for the top teams in the Beehive State and a chance to recalibrate the High School On SI Mountain West high school football Top 25 rankings.
In doing so, we flipped our top two Utah teams, moving Mountain Ridge, which has been the top team in the state’s top division all year, into the top spot in the region and dropping 4A Ridgeline to No. 3 behind Bishop Kelly, Idaho’s reigning 5A state champion.
Three teams dropped out of the rankings this week — Morgan and Lehi out of Utah and Billings Central Catholic of Montana — making the way for Box Elder (UT) to return and Boise (ID) and Ellendale/Edgeley/Kulm (ND) to debut.
Here are this week’s Mountain West high school football Top 25 rankings, bringing together the best teams from Utah, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota and South Dakota.
Previous weeks: Preseason | Wk1 | Wk2 | Wk3 | Wk4 | Wk5 | Wk6 | Wk7
1. Mountain Ridge (Herriman, UT) (10-0)
Last week: 3 | Def. Westlake (Saratoga Springs, UT) 21-13
Jaxon Hunt tossed three touchdown passes as our newly minted No. 1 team enters the Utah 6A playoffs as the No. 2 seed after finishing the first 10-0 regular season in program history.
Next up: vs. Cedar Valley (Eagle Mountain, UT), Oct. 30
2. Bishop Kelly (Boise, ID) (8-0)
Last week: 2 | Def. Skyview (Nampa, ID) 65-0
The Knights held Skyview to 117 total yards, with Eli Laynes nearly matching that in five carries, gaining 111 yards with a touchdown as Bishop Kelly romped to victory.
Next up: vs. Skyview (Nampa, ID), Oct. 16
3. Ridgeline (Millville, UT) (10-0)
Last week: 1 | Def. Bear River (Garland, UT) 56-30
The top seed in the 4A playoffs got a seven-touchdown night from Noah Fiefia to complete a perfect regular season.
Next up: vs. Mountain View (Orem, UT), Oct. 30
4. Skyridge (Lehi, UT) (8-1)
Last week: 4 | Def. No. 24 American Fork (UT) 21-15
The Falcons secured the top seed in the 6A playoffs behind two short touchdown runs by Beckham Bennett and a 9-yard TD pass from Jagger Fountaine to Omarian Sanders.
Next up: vs. Riverton (UT), Oct. 30
5. Corner Canyon (Draper, UT) (8-2)
Last week: 5 | Def. then-No. 19 Lehi (UT) 34-7
The three-time defending 6A champions are the No. 3 seed in the bracket after building a 34-0 lead in their finale behind two touchdown runs from Levi Hines.
Next up: vs. Bingham (South Jordan, UT), Oct. 30
6. West (Salt Lake City) (10-0)
Last week: 6 | Def. Cyprus (Magna, UT) 75-0
The Panthers completed their first undefeated regular season since 1993 and wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the 5A playoffs.
Next up: vs. Roy (UT), Oct. 30
7. Coeur d’Alene (ID) (8-0)
Last week: 7 | Def. Lake City (Coeur d’Alene, ID) 42-14
Six different Vikings found the end zone in their annual Inland Empire League rivalry game.
Next up: vs. Lake City (Coeur d’Alene, ID), Oct. 16
8. Rigby (ID) (7-1)
Last week: 8 | Def. Highland (Pocatello, ID) 21-18
The Trojans overcame an early 10-0 deficit as Evan Freeman threw for one touchdown and ran for another.
Next up: at Highland (Pocatello, ID), Oct. 16
9. Star Valley (Afton, WY) (7-1)
Last week: 9 | Def. Evanston (WY) 48-0
The Braves outgained Evanston 503-24, with Ross Hilton going 23-of-29 through the air for 271 yards and five touchdowns.
Next up: at Evanston (WY), Oct. 16
10. Orem (UT) (7-2)
Last week: 10 | Def. Maple Mountain (Spanish Fork, UT) 47-0
The Tigers are the No. 2 seed in the 5A playoffs after shutting out the Golden Eagles behind four touchdown passes from Tanner Lewis.
Next up: vs. Timpview (Provo, UT), Oct. 30
11. Homedale (ID) (8-0)
Last week: 12 | Def. Cole Valley Christian (Meridian, ID) 40-14
Easton Dines ran for 86 yards and three touchdowns, and Alex Campos returned a kickoff 99 yards for a score for the Trojans.
Next up: at Cole Valley Christian (Meridian, ID), Oct. 17
12. Kindred (ND) (8-0)
Last week: 13 | Def. Wahpeton (ND) 41-0
Jackson Schlieman had an interception on Wahpeton’s first possession, then threw a touchdown pass to Brooks Bakko to open the scoring for the Vikings.
Next up: vs. Central Cass (Casselton, ND), Oct. 23
13. Davis (Kaysville, UT) (7-3)
Last week: 14 | Def. Weber 52-6
The Darts, seeded fifth in the 6A playoffs, saw Sam Coleman return the opening kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown, take an interception 100 yards for another touchdown, and recorded two first-quarter safeties in their regular-season finale.
Next up: vs. Farmington (UT), Oct. 30
14. Herriman (West Herriman, UT) (8-2)
Last week: 16 | Def. Cedar Valley (Eagle Mountain, UT) 57-19
The Mustangs earned the No. 4 seed in the 6A playoffs, completing the regular season with a rout of the Aviators thanks in part to four touchdown passes by Bryson Sweeney.
Next up: vs. Weber (Pleasant View, UT), Oct. 30
15. Cody (WY) (6-1)
Last week: 17 | Def. Powell (WY) 55-10
The Broncs kept the Big Horn Brawl trophy in their hands, with Lane Stevenson taking the opening kickoff 90 yards to the house and Cache McFadden throwing for three touchdowns and running for another.
Next up: vs. Powell (WY), Oct. 16
16. Hurricane (UT) (9-1)
Last week: 18 | Def. Desert Hills (St. George, UT) 42-8
The Tigers clinched a share of the 4A Region 9 title and the No. 2 playoff seed, scoring 35 unanswered points after giving up a safety as Darrin Jackson returned a fumble 24 yards for a touchdown and Kannon Cowan accounted for two scores.
Next up: vs. Park City (UT), Oct. 30
17. Sioux Falls Christian (SD) (8-0)
Last week: 22 | Def. Milbank (SD) 52-0
Mason Snyder caught four touchdown passes for the Chargers.
Next up: vs. Tri-Valley (Colton, SD), Oct. 23
18. Box Elder (Brigham City, UT) (9-1)
Last week: Not ranked | Def. West Field 28-7
The Bees won their first outright Region 5 championship since 2003, finishing with 335 rushing yards as Judd Howells ran for three touchdowns to wrap up the No. 3 seed in the 5A playoffs.
Next up: vs. Woods Cross (UT), Oct. 30
19. Crimson Cliffs (Washington, UT) (7-2)
Last week: 23 | Def. Pine View (St. George, UT) 49-36
The Mustangs are the No. 5 seed in the 4A playoffs after nabbing a share of the Region 9 title, building a 49-23 lead midway through the fourth quarter behind four touchdown passes by Tanoai Andresen.
Next up: vs. Murray (UT), Oct. 30
20. Jefferson (Sioux Falls, SD) (8-0)
Last week: 24 | Def. O’Gorman (Sioux Falls, SD) 59-35
The Cavaliers pulled away in the second half after trailing 28-24 at intermission, with Cason Mediger going 30-of-38 passing for 363 yards and three touchdowns.
Next up: at Washington (Sioux Falls, SD), Oct. 22
21. Boise (ID) (8-1)
Last week: Not ranked | Def. No. 23 Rocky Mountain (ID) 21-19
The Brave showed they were no paper tiger, earning their first victory over the Grizzlies since 2008 as quarterback Wayne Bower threw for 344 yards, ran for 61 and had a hand in all three Boise touchdowns.
Next up: TBD
22. Billings West (MT) (8-0)
Last week: 25 | Def. Bozeman (MT) 34-7
The Golden Bears clinched the Eastern AA title with a week left in the regular season as Tyreke Jones ran for two touchdowns and caught a 30-yard scoring pass from Seth Williamson to give them a 27-0 first-half lead.
Next up: vs. Bozeman (MT), Oct. 15
23. Rocky Mountain (Meridian, ID) (6-2)
Last week: 11 | Lost to No. 21 Boise (ID) 21-19
The Grizzlies drew within two on backup quarterback Maddeck Swearhart’s 3-yard run with less than three minutes left, but Boise stuffed Kaelan Custer on the two-point conversion, and after recovering the onside kick, they missed on a 52-yard field goal attempt.
Next up: vs. Boise (ID), Oct. 16
24. American Fork (UT) (6-4)
Last week: 20 | Lost to No. 4 Skyridge (UT) 21-15
The Cavemen have dropped three in a row, although two of those losses were to the Nos. 3 and 1 seeds in the 6A playoffs, and they dropped to the 8-seed in the bracket.
Next up: vs. Copper Hills (West Jordan, UT), Oct. 30
25. Ellendale/Edgeley/Kulm (ND) (9-0)
Last week: Not ranked | Def. Oakes 30-6
The Thunder wrapped up the No. 1 seed in the Division A playoffs by completing the first perfect regular season for a program that began in 1975.
Next up: vs. Grafton (ND), Oct. 24
—
Dropped Out
15. Morgan (UT)
19. Lehi (UT)
21. Billings Central Catholic (MT)
Under Consideration
Hillcrest (Idaho Falls, ID)
Lone Peak (Highland, UT)
Mountain View (Meridian, ID)
Natrona County (Casper, WY)
Springville (UT)
St. Thomas More (Rapid City, SD)
Stansbury (Stansbury Park, UT)
Sugar-Salem (Sugar City, ID)
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