Years as Head Coach
11th Season

Previous Experience
Assistant Shelley High School
Assistant Hillcrest High School

Assistant Coaches
Dan Bennion, Brady Gardner, Brad Parkinson, Kevin McCluskey, Rick Dixon, Kip Blanchard, Dan Mecham, Kyle Hansen, Dwight Richins, Ted Parkinson, Nephi Gibson, Bob Torres

Record Last Year
11-0

Conference Record Last Year
2-0

State Titles
2018, 2019, 2020, 2022, 2023

Returning Players
Riley Williams, 12, WR/DB
Abe Baldwi, 12, WR/DB
Porter Teichert, 11, K
Dawson McInelly, 12, RB/LB
Ben Aldrich, 12, DE
Brayden Pocock, 12, OL
Clark Siddoway, 12, OL/DL
Case Vela, 12, OL
Dallin Stewart, 12, DL

Returning Players with Honors
Dawson McInelly, 12 - 1st Team All-State P/2nd Team All-State LB/1st Team All-Conference LB/1st Team All-Conference P/2nd Team All-Conference RB
Clark Siddoway, 12 - 2nd Team All-State OL/1st Team All-Conference DL/2nd Team All-Conference OL
Abe Baldwin, 12 - 2nd Team All-State DB/2nd Team All-Conference DB
Brayden Pocock, 12 - 2nd Team All-Conference OL
Ben Aldrich, 12 - 2nd Team All-Conference DL
Riley Williams, 12 - 2nd Team All-Conference DB
Dallin Stewart, 12 - HM All-Conference OL/DL
Case Vela, 12 - HM All-Conference OL/DL

Key Players lost from last year
Carson Harris, RB/LB, 2023 3A Idaho Player of the Year
Caden Dalling, OL/DL, 1st Team All-State OL, 2nd Team All-State DL
Ryan Bingham, OL/DL, 1st Team All-State OL, 1st Team All-State DL, Weber State Commit
Josiah Bosco, WR/DB, 2nd Team All-State DB
Cache Harris, WR/DB, 2nd Team All-State DB
Tate Cutler, RB/LB, Explosive Play Maker on both sides of the ball.

Incoming impact players
Jack Gardner, 12, QB
Tyler Harris, 12, OL/DL
Kace Malstrom, 12, LB
Nathan Barrus, 12, OL/DL
Jason Fleming, 12, RB/LB
Kason Williams, 12, RB/LB
Hank Carter, 12, TE/DE
Kooper Mace, 12, WR/DB
Kaden Nate, 11, TE/DE
Ben Hegwald, 11, WR/DB
Jonah Cureton, 11, OL/DL
Davin Carlson, 11, WR/DB
Dax Rowbury, 11, OL/DL
Braxton Hawkes, 11, OL/DL
Benson Schulthies, 11, OL/DL
Dax Blaser, 11, OL/DL
Kimball Tonks, 11, RB/LB
Payton Blaser, 11, RB/DB
Carson Richins, 11, OL/DL
Ace Clark, 11, WR/DB
Wayne Caffrey, 11, TE/LB
Oscar De La Torre, 11, WR/DB

Written by: Marlowe Hereford

Sugar-Salem completed its second consecutive undefeated season last fall, defeating Mountain Rivers Conference foe Teton 63-27 in November to repeat as 3A state champions.

The Diggers enter season 11 under the direction of head coach Tyler Richins having won five of the last six 3A state titles and on a 22-game win streak. For the first time in its school's history, Sugar-Salem will compete in 4A this fall under Idaho's new classification system. It will do so with a solid core of returning seniors including Dawson McInelly (First Team All-State punter, Second Team All-State linebacker), Abe Baldwin (Second Team All-State defensive back) and Clark Siddoway (Second Team All-State offensive lineman).

The Diggers' run game remains as much of a priority for this fall as it was in 2023.

"We look to continue to control the time of possession, limit mistakes and run the football," Richins said. "We averaged 7.7 yards per carry last season. Although that is high, we know that for us to continue our success we must run the ball well."

Furthermore, improving efficiency on third downs is a goal.

"We are comfortable and capable of going for it on fourth down," Richins said. "We would just like to get better on third down."

Defensively, stopping opponents' run game is a focal point this fall for the Diggers. Last season was a testament to that. Additionally, Richins said the Diggerse aim to force more turnovers.

"We don't care if you are a team that plays in the spread or under center, we want to stop the run," Richins said. "Teams averaged 2.5 yards per carry against us last year and we look forward to continuing that into 2024."

Richins said Teton's Jack Joyce, Joker Joyce and Zach Moss and South Fremont's Bryce Johnson are players to watch in the Mountain Rivers Conference. He again expects the MRC, one of the state's toughest conferences, to remain competitive this fall and anticipates Teton to again be tough after reaching last year's 3A state title game.

"Even though Teton graduated a lot of kids, we expect them to continue to play at a high level," Richins said. "I do think that all three teams in our conference could qualify for the playoffs."

Sugar-Salem begins the 2024 season Aug. 24 versus Timberlake at a neutral site in Anaconda, Mont. The Diggers begin conference play Oct. 11 at South Fremont before hosting Teton two weeks later in the regular season finale.