The Establishment program has made the state high school football championship game a regular part of their schedule, winning nine titles since the state playoffs began in 1979.

However, the Establishment program has not played in a title game since 2008, when it won its last state title.

Meanwhile, the New Kids on the Block have become the team to beat in recent years. They are in the title game for the fourth straight year, trying to win a state title for the third time during that span.

Tonight, the team which has dominated the past takes on the team of the present when Highland (11-0) of Pocatello faces Coeur d'Alene (8-3) in the state 5A title game at 7 p.m. at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow.

"Look at the success they've had; they've upped their game the last five, six years," Highland coach Gino Mariani said of Coeur d'Alene. "He (Viking coach Shawn Amos) has really kept it going. To get to the championship game as many times as he has, those things aren't easy."

Mariani would know. He's in his 12th season at Highland, with two state titles (2002, '08) in six title appearances. The Rams' other state title-winning coaches were Dirk Koetter (1984), Randy Rehrer (1987, 1993) and Brent Koetter (1997, '98 and 2000).

Highland had run of six state titles in 10 seasons (1993-2002). The Rams played in nine straight title games (1995-2003), and from 1993-2008 played in 13 title games, winning seven.

"The thing about Highland, I think, is their consistency," Amos said. "We've reached that level of consistency."

And then some.

"Our getting over that semifinal hurdle the last five years has been a bear," Mariani said. "They might be the new kids, but they have the blueprint lately."

Of more recent history, Coeur d'Alene and Highland have played each other more often over the past 14 months than they have most of their conference foes. They played twice last year - Highland winning at Coeur d'Alene during the regular season, and Coeur d'Alene beating Highland at Holt Arena in Pocatello in the state 5A semifinals. In September, Highland rallied from a 21-3 deficit to beat Coeur d'Alene 24-21 at Holt Arena.

Since that loss, Coeur d'Alene has won seven straight games, by an average score of 47.3-12.1. No one has scored more than 14 points on the Vikings during that run.

Neither coach is putting much stock into the previous meeting.

"I think Coeur d'Alene has rallied around the situation they've had off the field," Mariani said, referring to Amos being diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma last month. In addition, his son, senior quarterback Gunnar Amos, suffered a concussion during a regular season game, then broke his ankle in two places two weeks later. "Their sophomore quarterback (Austin Lee) has done a tremendous job."

Gunnar Amos has scholarship offers from Army, Idaho, Idaho State and Weber State.

In the first game, Highland quarterback Tommy Jewell completed 20 of 35 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, with one interception. He also rushed for one score. Thad Hansen ran for 87 yards on 17 carries, including a 2-yard run on fourth-and-goal from the 2 with two minutes left that gave the Rams the lead for good.

"We didn't play as well as we though we should have," Shawn Amos said of the earlier meeting with Highland this year. "We left some opportunities out there."

Highland is averaging 38.5 points per game, with a low of 24 last week in a 24-6 win over Rocky Mountain of Meridian in the semifinals. The Rams allow 11.6 points per game. The 21 allowed to Coeur d'Alene was the Rams' second most after a 27-23 win over Century of Pocatello.

For the season, Jewell has passed for 2,246 yards and 25 touchdowns, with six interceptions. Hansen has rushed for 1,208 yards and 16 touchdowns, and has caught 38 passes for 540 yards and six touchdowns. Christian Atkinson has a team-high 44 catches for 471 yards and five TDs.

Highland junior Tristen Hoge, a 6-foot-6, 275-pound offensive tackle and nephew of former NFL running back Merril Hoge, has 16 scholarship offers, according to scout.com, with Notre Dame, Stanford, Florida, LSU, Washington State, Washington, UCLA, Oregon State and BYU among those to have offered.

For Coeur d'Alene, Lee is 34 of 57 for 532 yards and seven touchdowns and three interceptions in relief of Amos. The Vikings rotate three running backs, and now Ty Holgate is the leading rusher with 477 yards and five TDs. Chase Blakley has 42 receptions for 698 yards and 11 touchdowns, and Addison Johnson has 36 catches for 640 yards and five TDs.

Defensively, linebacker Graham Thompson has a team-high 100 tackles for the Vikings. Austin Chadderdon leads with 10 1/2 sacks, Jackson Carlson has six interceptions, Holgate four fumble recoveries.