As we enter the final month of the high school football season teams all over the state are entering the meat of their schedules as most of the games played are district contests.

    For eight local schools, the season’s final month will prove if their dreams of becoming state title winners will become a reality or be dashed by a tough end of season schedule.

    Of the 19 high schools in the Journal’s coverage area four, including Soda Springs, Firth, Blackfoot and Shelley, have undefeated records. Grace, Pocatello, American Falls and Highland have one loss and Century has surprised many area fans with a 4-2 record.

    Let’s take a look at the four undefeated schools and what each has left on their schedule for the remainder of the season.

    We will begin 15 minutes up I -15 with defending 4A state champion Blackfoot.

    Currently at 5-0, the Broncos have only faced one true test so far this season and that was Sept. 7 at Century. Blackfoot trailed at the half but used an interception to kickstart a second-half rally.

    Other than that one half, the Broncos have rolled through the early season. But beginning with tonight’s home game against Hillcrest, Blackfoot plays three tough games in a row.

    After tonight, the Broncos have games at undefeated Madison and a home game with perennial power Pocatello, in a game that could decide who wins the 4A Fifth/Sixth District.

    Can the Broncos run the table? Sure they can, but will they? Honestly, who knows. If the team plays as well as it has, Blackfoot will head into the playoffs undefeated. But something tells me Blackfoot will get all they can handle from Pocatello and Madison.

    A little farther up I -15, we travel to what many are calling the best team in 3A, the 5-0 Shelley Russets.

    Through five weeks, first-year head coach Travis Hobson has beaten two 5A schools in Hillcrest and Idaho Falls, two 4A schools in Preston and Jerome and shut out a team from Washington state in the Rocky Mountain Rumble.

    Quarterback Chad Leckington and wide receiver McKay Cannon lead a high-powered offense that has scored 40 or more points in all but one game this season, and in the final three games the Russets will be tested only once. That would be at Teton, Oct. 12, in a game where both teams could enter undefeated.

     Many of us media types think that Shelley and Fruitland will meet for the state championship. With way the season has gone thus far, I have no reason to believe this will not be the case.

    Continuing even farther north in Bingham County, we find the Firth Cougars  who also sit at 6-0.

    The Cougars became the surprise of the state in 2A last year by reaching the state title game after opening the season 0-4.

    Firth has just two games left on their 2012 schedule. Of those games, Friday’s home game against Salmon is the toughest.

    Both teams enter the game undefeated, but for Salmon to win they will have to find a way to stop the Cougars’ Mitch Orme.

    The do-everything senior for Firth has single handily won three games this year. Stopping him is the key to victory for any opponent.

    Unfortunately for the fans of Firth’s remaining opponents, I don’t see anyone upsetting the Cougars.

    Finally, let’s head southeast of Pocatello to beautiful Soda Springs and the 5-0 Cardinals.

    After backing into the playoffs last year, first year head coach Brent Erickson has his Alma mater off and running in 2012.

    The Cardinals have three games left on the schedule. All three are district games and all are tough.

    With games against Aberdeen, at Malad and the season finale against West Side, the district should come down to the season’s final game.

    Both Pocatello and Highland enter the final month with just one loss, and while Black and Blue week does not begin until Monday, these two teams may be playing their best football right now.

    After tonight’s game with Skyline, the Rams have back-to-back home games with Pocatello and Madison, both of which will test the Rams. But after beating two-time defending state champion Coeur d’Alene two weeks ago, the Rams are up to the test.

    Pocatello may have the toughest final four games of any team on this side of the state.

    The Indians host Bonneville tonight, then take on Highland, travel to Blackfoot and finish with cross-town rival Century. No exactly a walk in the park.

    While three of the final four games are district games, the final two contests of the season will be the two biggest the Indians play all year.

    Blackfoot vs. Pocatello was the game many of us thought would be the state title game last season and we were all were disappointed when it didn’t happen. This season’s game will be the one that decides who wins the district title.

    Don’t forget about Century who has been the surprise of the season.

    The Diamondbacks have doubled their win total of the last two seasons in the first six games of 2012.

    Century should win one more game this season. The other two, however, are tough.

    As a football fan, this is exactly how I want local area football to be. It is great having so many teams still in contention for the playoffs, and as we all know once you make the playoffs anything can happen.

    Enjoy the final month of the regular season, I know I will.