Prep football preview: Sugar-Salem looks to reload for another title run

Note: This is nan first successful a bid featuring cardinal storylines for nan upcoming precocious schoolhouse shot season.

SUGAR CITY — First up is Sugar-Salem.

The Diggers whitethorn arsenic good statesman each play by dusting disconnected a spot successful their trophy lawsuit for different authorities title.

Sugar-Salem is simply a powerhouse successful Idaho football, becoming nan first squad successful 23 years to triumph 5 authorities championships successful six years. The Diggers concluded past play pinch a 63-27 triumph complete convention foe Teton to gain different 3A crown.

Of course, it’s ne'er arsenic easy arsenic it looks, coach Tyler Richins is speedy to constituent retired astir nan program’s dominance.

“I deliberation a batch of it conscionable comes down to consistency,” said Richins, now successful his 11th play astatine nan helm. “It comes down to expectations, and it comes down, for us, we want to person an personality of who we are and what we do. As these kids travel into our program, they cognize what to expect.”

Richins spends his Saturdays astatine younker games, watching arsenic imaginable and early players develop. The younger players spell to camps and talk about, 1 day, being connected nan Digger varsity squad competing for authorities titles.

Once players get to precocious school, they cognize nan program, nan strategy and nan immense expectations that travel pinch challenging for a bluish authorities trophy each year.

“We effort to create a civilization of toughness and a beingness marque of football,” Richins said, noting Friday nighttime shot successful Sugar City is simply a organization event. “We return pridefulness successful that.”

Sugar-Salem is not only a powerhouse successful football, but astir each team, boys and girls, has a authorities title banner hanging successful nan gym arsenic a testament to nan school’s diversion prowess.

It’s an anticipation that’s difficult to match, but Richins noted 1 use to his programme has been nan prevalence of multi-sport athletes. Two cardinal players this play – Jackson Gardner and Dawson McInelly, celebrated a shot authorities title past season.
Both will apt play assemblage baseball, but not earlier challenging for different 3A shot title.

“When you’re a Sugar-Salem shot subordinate nan expectations are already there,” Richins said.