Sugar-Salem puts itself into Idaho record books with another convincing 3A football title
POCATELLO, Idaho - It was fitting.
That Tyler Richins made history against the very same team he did the same thing for 24 years earlier.
The Sugar-Salem head man became just the second coach in Idaho history to win five state championships in six years after a 63-27 rout of his alma matter Teton in the Class 3A final Saturday at Holt Arena.
"It's a different feeling down there coaching against them in the state championship. It's a love-hate type situation," Richins said with a laugh. "But I'm a Digger now. I love these boys and they're my family and we're gonna do everything we can to win a football game."
Richins, who joined Tom Harrison (Snake River) as the only other coach and team to pull off the feat, was the starting quarterback playing for his father Dwight when Teton won its lone state championship in 1999. That game also took place inside Holt Arena.
"It's unique and pretty crazy that it works out that way," Richins said. "But ultimately, it's not about me. I'm just proud of the boys. Sixty-three points in the state championship is extremely dominating."
It's been that way all season.
The Diggers (11-0) went unbeaten for the second consecutive year and are now the winners of 22 games in a row. It’s the second longest active winning streak in the state behind only Kendrick's 25.
They're now 60-6, including only two losses to Class 3A opponents since winning their first-ever state championship in 2018.
"They took a drink of that water and they tasted it and they liked it," Richins said. "It's the legacy of these kids, these seniors. They're helping us build this culture of winning and the young guys buy into it and it just keeps churning out great teams."
But this year's group did something that all the other didn't.
Sugar-Salem beat every single one of its opponents by double digits. The toughest game ended up being against a team that’s not even from here. Star Valley (Wyoming) lost 31-14 back in early September. Its average margin of victory ended up finishing at 33.7 points.
So is this team the greatest in school history then?
Senior running back Tate Cutler wasn't afraid to say it.
"I believe so," Cutler said. "It might cause a little drama there. But I think so."
There weren't a lot of other dramatics to be had Saturday.
Sugar-Salem did trail for the first time all season at 6-0 less than three minutes into the game. Teton (9-2), which fell 41-14 in the regular season encounter on Oct. 13, went 69 yard in six plays and scored on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Jack Nelson to Kaiden Hastings on its opening possession.
But it was short-lived.
The Diggers took the lead on a 7-yard touchdown pass from James Chase to Cach Harris with three minutes and 41 seconds remaining in the opening quarter. It never trailed again by rattling off 22 unanswered points, capped by a 22-yard touchdown pass from Chase to Cutler - more on him later.
The Timberwolves did hang around by being down 28-20 at the break. But they just had no answer for the ensuing onslaught in the second half.
The Diggers started to impose their will with a 1-yard touchdown run by senior halfback Carson Harris on the opening possession of the third quarter. It was an 11-play, 70-yard scoring drive that took nearly half of the third quarter and jumpstarted a 35-0 run.
All five of their second half touchdowns were scored by either Harris or Cutler. They combined for 433 of the 582 yards of offense and seven touchdowns.
Harris ran for 193 yards and three touchdowns - all in the second half. He also helped Sugar-Salem make more history on the night. His 7-yard touchdown run with 2:16 to go broke Snake River’s 27-year record for the most points scored in a Class 3A final. The previous mark was 56.
Like Richins, Harris had history. The reason why Sugar-Salem isn't the third team ever to win six straight state titles, is because he was stopped just inches short of the endzone in a 34-33 overtime loss to Weiser in the 2021 final.
"Two years ago was tough. I'll never forget it," Harris said. "That helped motivate me to be who I am today. And to be able to end it with a win my senior year, it's the greatest thing I could ever ask for."
Cutler logged 155 yards and two touchdowns on just eight carries. He was also the team’s leading receiver with four catches and 57 yards.
“I couldn't do it without all of my teammates," Cutler said. "They're the ones that deserve all the credit."
Jack Joyce galloped for 114 yards and a touchdown for Teton, which entered as the state’s top offense (44.0 ppg). But it was held to 281 yards of offense.
