In the grand scheme of things, the upcoming game between Highland and Century doesn’t matter.

    Playoff positioning isn’t on the line. There isn’t a battle for the top of the district. By season’s end, the winner won’t be held in any higher regard. Playoff runs and state tournaments are better displays of a team’s mettle.

    But a cross-town, non-conference game? It’s inconsequential. It doesn’t matter.

    But perhaps that’s a good thing.

    Having three schools in one city is perfect for these kinds of matchups. Regardless of which team belongs to which conference, there is always a buzz that surrounds inner-city games. There’s a rivalry that can’t be contained. It breaks the barriers of all the postseason drama, all the district hype. Everything boils down to one thing – which team reigns supreme in the town for that year.

    If you follow ISU soccer, you’ve already seen it happen. While there are no official accolades that indicate the Bengals are the best soccer team in the state, everyone knows they are. They beat both Boise State and the University of Idaho, and, for this year at least, that puts them at the top. When each team’s conference record dictates if they play on after the regular season, those wins won’t mean much.

    But even if Idaho State doesn’t win a single conference match, at least they beat both BSU and UI.

    Maybe I’m being too focused on the little things and not enough on the big picture. I’m not saying that playoffs don’t matter. Of course they matter. I would much rather watch the ISU volleyball team make a deep run into the conference tournament than watch them fumble away any postseason aspirations and then cling to the fact that they beat all the other teams in Idaho.

    Because who cares? You still didn’t win anything worth meaning. At least nothing concrete.

    But in that moment, that’s what everyone thinks about. And when students, parents and fans fill Holt Arena this Friday when Highland and Century take the field, the playoffs will be the furthest from their mind.

    Should it be like that? Who knows. Is it really like that? I feel like it is. But maybe I’m wrong. I hope I’m not, because I feel a game like this that doesn’t have anything on the line highlights everything that is great about a rivalry.

    There isn’t anything to water down what will really make the matchup special. For Century, they’ll be able to see how they stack up against a school from a bigger conference. For Highland, they will find out just how good the up-and-coming D-backs are.

    For both teams, the motivation will be held within the city. For this week, forget the 5-6 District that Blackfoot has annexed in the past. Forget about Highland’s ranking. Right now, it’s about two teams, one city and a whole lot of pride. Cherish that feeling, because once conference play hits, it might as well have never happened.

    Because don’t forget, it doesn’t matter. And that’s the beauty, because we all know how much it does.