Sugar-Salem football in waiting mode, state volleyball berths on the line, plus runners vie for district medals

EASTERN IDAHO – Anything can happen in the state football playoffs.

The only thing for certain when the postseason starts next week is that Sugar-Salem will be the most well-rested team in the field.

The Diggers (7-1) won the Mountain Rivers Conference title last week to earn an automatic bid to the 4A state playoffs.

They are currently No. 2 in the MaxPreps rankings and will earn a first-round bye as long as they stay in the top 4 after this week’s final regular-season games.

So now they wait.

Sugar-Salem does not have a game scheduled this week, so the Diggers end the regular season schedule with a bye, a forfeit, a win over South Fremont, and no game this week.

Add in a potential first-round bye for the playoffs, and the Diggers will have played just one game since Sept. 25, a span of six weeks.

“It affects it a lot,” coach Tyler Richins said of practice and postseason preparation. “Football in a lot of ways is muscle memory. We want to keep building on our success, building on getting better each and every week. When you’re not playing games it’s hard to keep a competitive edge. We try to simulate that in practice, but it doesn’t always work out exactly the way we want it to … keeping guys motivated when you don’t have a game.”

Richins said they originally had a nonconference game scheduled with a team from Utah this week, but decided to drop it to be ready for the postseason.

“There’s good and bad that comes with that,” Richins said of the time off. “We’re healthy right now, which is huge for us. We’re going to be able to fine-tune some things.”

Volleyball postseason

Madison beat Rigby twice to win the 6A District 5-6 tournament and clinch the automatic berth to the state tournament.

In the final MaxPreps 6A rankings, Rigby (35-5) is still No. 1, followed by Skyview (24-7) and then Madison (26-6).

Even as the No. 1 team, Rigby, will have to win Saturday’s play-in game against No. 10 Coeur d’Alene to advance to the state tournament.

That match is at Rigby at 1 p.m.

Idaho Falls is the No. 1 team in the 5A rankings. The Tigers and Pocatello have earned state berths.

No. 3 Bonneville hosts No. 15 Vallivue in a state play-in game Saturday and No. 5 Hillcrest hosts No. 7 Lakeland.

Sugar-Salem is the District 6 automatic qualifier in 4A and is ranked No. 8.

Firth earned the District 6 3A berth, but Ririe has a shot to get to state when the No. 8 Bulldogs travel to No. 7 West Side on Saturday for a play-in matchup.

Defending champion Butte County is the No. 1-ranked team in 2A, while Mackay is No. 5 in 1A.

Cross country postseason

Area cross country runners will converge on the Portneuf Wellness Complex on Thursday for the district championship races.

All classifications in District 6 and District 5 will compete, with races starting at 10 a.m.

The state championship meet will also be held at the Portneuf Wellness Complex on Oct. 31.

Here’s the schedule for the district championships.

1A, 2A, 3A girls, 10 a.m.
4A girls, 10:40 a.m.
1A, 2A, 3A boys, 11:20 a.m.
4A boys, noon
5A girls, 2 p.m.
6A girls, 2:40 p.m.
5A boys, 3:20 p.m.
6A boys, 4 p.m.