No comparison: It’s a new lineup at Sugar-Salem, but the Diggers have the same goal

SUGAR CITY – The Sugar-Salem girls basketball team was 7-0 at this time last season and on its way to a perfect 26-0 season and a state championship.

Fast forward a year, and this season’s team is 7-0 and beating opponents by 23 points per game.

But the comparisons may end there.

As coach Crystal Dayley noted after the Diggers beat a good 5A Blackfoot team on Saturday, last year’s team was loaded with experience and talent and was expected to challenge for a state championship even before the Diggers rolled through an unbeaten season.

The expectations are always high for the Diggers, but the reality was that this year’s team had some question marks with just three returning players.

“The teams are very different,” Dayley said. “This team everyone is contributing and it’s a super-versatile team, and a lot of kids play a lot of positions and they’re all doing their part.”

That was the case Saturday with eight different players scoring in Sugar-Salem’s 51-26 victory.

Most coaches don’t like to compare teams year-to-year, especially when last year’s team may have been one of the best in Sugar-Salem’s storied history.

It’s hard to match perfection.

“Last year they came in with a lot of confidence and this year’s team, they knew that not as much was expected out of them and I think it’s been helping them realize how good they really are … if they keep getting better every day what they can accomplish. It’s been fun because the girls have really bought in and play well as a team.”

One thing that hasn’t changed is Sugar-Salem’s focus on defense.

The team is among 4A leaders in scoring defense, surrendering 37 points per game. Blackfoot, which had averaged nearly 50 points, had just 12 points at the half and was held to single digits in all four quarters in Saturday’s matchup.

“I think we have the best defense in the state,” said junior point guard Andee Petterson, who was a first-team All-State selection last season.

As for the new players getting on the same page, Petterson said the team is getting better every day and everyone is aware of the main goal.

“I think we know what it takes to get there in every sport,” Petterson said of chasing a state title.

Petterson was also a key part of Sugar-Salem’s state champion soccer team.

She also noted the challenges of chasing a blue trophy with some new pieces in the lineup.

“I’m kind of surprised how good we are,” she said. “I know we’re going to get better every single day and we’ll be good.”