THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: In Idaho high school football, winning is now also a game of '21'

It raised a few eyebrows at the time last Friday night, from those watching from the sidelines. 

There was the Coeur d’Alene High football team, in complete control late in the fourth quarter with a 35-7 lead over Moses Lake in a game the Vikings had well in hand. 

Not only was Coeur d’Alene starting quarterback Tannar Stern still in the game, but he also carried the ball on the Vikings’ first two plays. 

No need to run up the score — especially if you’re an established power like Coeur d’Alene. 

And even more important, no need to get your star QB injured on a game that has already been decided. 

So why? 

Blame it on MaxPreps, it turns out. 

“You have to protect your 21,” said Coeur d’Alene coach Shawn Amos, in his 30th season at the Vikings’ head coach. 

IN PAST years in the state 6A (previously 5A) football playoffs, matchups were predetermined — in general, a lower-finishing team in one region would travel to a higher-finishing team in another region in the first two rounds. 

Now, all matchups are determined by MaxPreps rankings — which means a BIG change in 6A. 

In the past, semifinal matchups were rotated — if a North team made the semis, it would host a semifinal one year, and travel the next year, no matter who was the higher-ranked team. 

That’s why Coeur d’Alene traveled to Timberline of Boise in last year’s semis, and played host to Eagle the year before. 

This year, the top four seeds — who get a first-round bye in the 12-team playoffs — are still determined the usual way. 

The winners of the two divisions in the 6A Southern Idaho Conference (Boise area) earn first-round byes, as does the winner in the 6A Inland Empire League (North Idaho) and the league champ in Eastern Idaho. 

BUT NOW, those four teams will be seeded 1-4 based on MaxPreps rankings. And now, since the home team is determined by MaxPreps rankings, if you finish first or second in the rankings, you are guaranteed to host a semifinal game if you win your quarterfinal game.

In past years, it depended on whether it was your “turn” to host, or your “turn” to travel. 

Back to the “21.” 

Amos said a team needs to win by 21 or more points to get full “credit” in the MaxPreps rankings. 

So even up 28, a team has to protect against something goofy happening — a cheap touchdown by the other team, followed by a seemingly innocent two-point conversion that might drop the winning margin below the 21-point threshold.  

So now, it’s not just enough to win your league to get into the playoffs. You want to be in the top two, so you can host a semifinal. 

"So it changes the way you call a game like that. It really does,” Amos said. “If it was pre-seeded like it was before, we would have pulled Tannar before that. We just have to protect the 21.”

Through last weekend’s games, it’s tight between the top three teams in 6A — Rigby (76.00) is ranked No. 1, Coeur d’Alene (75.80) No. 2, Rocky Mountain (75.42) of Meridian No. 3.  

Coeur d’Alene plays host to Rigby on Oct. 1, a Thursday. 

Coeur d'Alene has wins over Lakeland (35-10), Silverton (Ore.) 37-7, Lewis and Clark (58-0) and Moses Lake (42-7).

Rigby has wins over Roy (Utah) (35-0), Farmington (Utah) 27-16, Syracuse (Utah) 28-14) and Minico (48-14).

Rocky Mountain has wins over Owyhee (35-0) and Eagle (42-14), sandwiched around a loss to Puyallup (Wash.) (57-14). Puyallup is 2-0, and strength of schedule matters in MaxPreps rankings, in addition to victory margin (as well as some other factors likely only MaxPreps knows about).

HOW BIG is hosting a state semifinal game? 

Under Amos, Coeur d’Alene has reached the semifinals 13 times.  

Playing at home (including one game at the Kibbie Dome), the Vikings are 5-2. 

On the road in the semis, they are 3-3, including three losses in their last four. Coeur d’Alene won 7-6 at Eagle in 2023; before that, the Vikings’ last road win in the semifinals came in 2012, 45-38 over Highland at Holt Arena in Pocatello. 

Granted, a .500 record in the semis on the road in the playoffs isn’t too shabby. But when your goal is to win a state championship, you try to secure whatever advantage you can get. 

Even if that means leaving in your star quarterback (and others) in a game well in hand. 

“That changes (with the new seeding rules),” Amos said. “And we debated back and forth (whether to pull some starters), when it was a 28-point game.” 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1205, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.