Marquee non-conference doubleheader scheduled for Sept. 1

Jason Hardy and the Valley Vikings will face defending state champion Prairie in Middleton, ID, on September 1 (Photo Courtesy: Valley HS)

Valley High School closed its 2017 season with a loss in the 1A Division 1 quarterfinals to the Genesee Bulldogs. Turns out the Vikings won't have to wait too long to see the Bulldogs again. But it'll likely be in passing in, of all places, Middleton, Idaho.

Sources told Idaho8Man on Tuesday that Valley, Genesee, Prairie and Raft River will converge on Middleton, just outside of Caldwell, on September 1, 2018, to play a football doubleheader. Genesee and Raft River will play at 3:00 with Valley and Prairie following that game at 6:00.

(Edited to add - the gametimes have changed since the initial writing of this article. Genesee and Raft River are now scheduled to play at 1 PM with Valley and Prairie kicking off at 4 PM.)

So, as Valley leaves the field, Genesee will be entering.

The information was later confirmed, via twitter, by Genesee Athletic Director Kelly Caldwell, who said the four teams hope to do it again in 2019, but switching non-conference opponents.

Middleton represents roughly a halfway point between the two White Pine League teams from District II (Prairie, Genesee) and the two Snake River Conference teams from District IV (Raft River, Valley). The facility has hosted playoff games as well as the last two 1A Division 2 state championship games.

The Idaho8Man sources also indicated there had been discussions to add a third game - potentially Oakley versus Clearwater Valley - to the slate as well but scheduling could not be finalized for that contest, so they proceeded with the doubleheader.

Here's what makes the event such a great idea:

1) The Teams Involved: Prairie (2014, 2017), Raft River (2016) and Valley (2015) have combined to win the past four 1A Division 1 state titles. Genesee reached the championship game in 2017, falling to Prairie after being the top-ranked team for much of the season. They're big-time programs in the 8-man ranks in Idaho.

2) A Great Opportunity for Coaches: The coaches involved - Raft River's Brian Poole, Genesee's Tim Sperber, Prairie's Ryan Hasselstrom and Valley's Ryon Jarvis - get a first-rate test on the field as well as an opportunity to see how their respective teams handle a big game in a neutral setting, like you'd expect to find deep in the state playoffs.

3) A Great Opportunity for Players: It is an opportunity for players to make a statement right out of the gates. When it comes to things like All-League/All-State accolades and, perhaps, college recruitment, having a big game on this stage could set players up for big things in the future.

4) A Great Opportunity for 8-Man Football in Idaho: What a great early measuring stick. It isn't impossible that all four of these teams could be ranked when this happens. Want a peek into what it takes to compete at a high level in 8-Man football in Idaho? You'll want to pay attention to these games.

It will provide not only a great measuring stick for the four teams playing, but also for most 1A Division 1 teams in Idaho because you're seeing some of the best that other parts of the state have to offer. That doesn't often happen before the month of November due to geographic and scheduling difficulties.

But now, these four teams will play these games and return to their respective districts with a first-person perspective on the opposition elsewhere in Idaho. Some may say that's a bad thing. Team X has now been "seen" by two teams from another district (the team they played and the team from the other game). But the inverse is also true - Team X has now "seen" two other teams as well. And, with these coaches, the focus will be on their teams, what they can do to get better and grow from this experience, versus worrying about the fact that other teams just got a good look at them.

As an example, the experiences that Genesee and Prairie will get from playing their respective games will serve them much better in the long run (win or lose) than scheduling a non-conference game against the team from nearby Colton, WA. That isn't meant in a disparaging way to Colton in the slightest, but they'll never face Colton again. They could face Raft River or Valley again and, thanks to this game, they'll know how they need to improve to give themselves the best chance of coming out on top in a potential state semifinal or championship game.

That's a good thing, folks.

We hope to see more of these types of things going forward. Perhaps there's a way to grow it where there's a Division 2 twinbill one day and a Division 1 twinbill the next. Or maybe a triple-header? There is a cost involved. Travel and accommodations, for instance. But the benefit to the teams and communities would outweigh the financial ledger.

No matter what, the ADs and coaches at these schools should be saluted for making this happen. It's a good product, it's something that will get fan bases excited and something that will generate interest in 8-Man football in Idaho.

#Idaho8Man