Written by: Will Hoenike
After several years rebuilding the program, including a couple of seasons without fielding a team, the Richfield Tigers are excited to be back as a full-fledged varsity program and member of the 1A Sawtooth Conference in District 4.
“I’m very excited about moving back into the conference and playing a full varsity schedule,” said tenth-year coach Buck Hendren.
Hendren has seen the Tigers through the rebuild, from the years without a team where players have competed for other programs to years where the team played a handful of junior-varsity level games to years like 2023, where the Tigers played seven games, three at the varsity level and four at the junior-varsity level. Through it all, the players have gained strength and experience and are finally ready to jump back into the Sawtooth this fall.
Richfield does have to replace its workhorse back, Jeff Telford, and the leader of its offensive and defensive lines, Jett Alanis, but Hendren likes the pieces he has to work with.
“The potential is there,” Hendren stated matter-of-factly. “We just need everyone to show up and put the work in.”
Leading the way on offense is sophomore quarterback Devin Scott and senior running backs Jackson Truman and Wyatt Huffman. Truman may also see snaps along the team’s offensive line along with freshman Daniel Zamudo as the team tries to take advantage of Scott’s dual-threat ability.
Truman will be the key on defense from his linebacker position along with Scott and freshman Jace Oliver. Senior Jace Fuchs returns in the Richfield secondary along with Huffman at defensive end.
The Sawtooth Conference isn’t an easy landing spot for the Tigers. One of the state’s best 8-man programs, Carey, returns to the conference after spending the previous two seasons in the Snake River Conference of the 1A Division 1 (now 2A) classification. The Sawtooth also boasts Camas County, coming off a championship-game appearance last fall, and Dietrich, a perennial contender that reached the state championship game two years ago.
However, two of Richfield’s four wins last season came in varsity-level competition as the Tigers toppled Shoshone and Challis. The Tigers will host both opponents in Richfield this fall: Challis comes to town on September 6 and Shoshone visits on October 4. The Tigers will also host the aforementioned Carey Panthers on September 20.
There are some winnable games on Richfield’s schedule, but Hendren isn’t naïve. He knows challenges await the red-clad Tigers.
“There are going to be some games we are outgunned,” Hendren admitted. “I’m just focused on continued improvement and to be the best we can be.”