Football Game Preview: Valley Vikings vs. Carey Panthers + How To Watch

Two dominant backs in Thomas Vargas and Stockton Sears are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Valley Vikings will host the Carey Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Keep an eye on the score for this one: the two teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Valley is coming in fresh off a high-stakes matchup with another one of Idaho's top teams: Raft River, who was ranked 11th at the time (Valley was ranked 13th). The Vikings strolled past the Trojans with points to spare on Friday, taking the game 42-26. The Vikings haven't had any issues with the Trojans recently, as the game was their third consecutive win against them.

Brandt Jones

Passing Yards (Career)

10/17/25 @ Raft River	110
10/10/25 vs Castleford	107
08/29/25 vs Butte County	107
09/12/25 vs Hagerman	68

Brandt Jones produced another solid performance rushing for 160 yards and two touchdowns while picking up 8.9 yards per carry, and also throwing for 110 yards and one TD. Those 110 passing yards gave him a new career-high. Luis Granados also deserves some recognition as he hauled in his first receiving touchdown of the season.

They were just one part of a punishing run game: Valley was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 346 rushing yards. That's the most rushing yards they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Carey). They claimed a resounding 64-8 victory over Shoshone. The Panthers might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won six matchups by 30 points or more this season.

Carey's win came from a few key players Valley will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Gabe Saili, who picked up 119 receiving yards and a pair of scores. The bulk of those receiving yards came from one huge play: a catch that gained an incredible 74 yards. Jonah Saili was another key player, throwing for 159 yards and a pair of TDs while completing 85.7% of his passes.

Carey's win bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Valley, their victory bumped their record up to 5-3.

Valley couldn't quite finish off Carey when the teams last played back in September of 2023 and fell 8-6. Will the Vikings have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more football content.