The Streak Continues: Bolstered by its defense, Sugar-Salem claims another conference title

ST. ANTHONY – The numbers are staggering.

Sugar-Salem hasn’t lost a Mountain Rivers Conference game since 2020.

That was the year South Fremont beat the Diggers to force a three-way tie in the conference standings and set up a Kansas City playoff, which Sugar-Salem won and then eventually cruised to the state championship.

The last time Sugar-Salem didn’t end the regular-season celebrating a conference title was 2017, when rival Shelley beat them when the teams were in 3A.

Not much has changed as the Diggers celebrated Friday night after downing South Fremont 28-7 to claim the conference crown and set itself up for another postseason run.

In what was expected to be a battle of two of the top scoring defenses in 4A, it was Sugar-Salem pitching the shutout in the second half to preserve an early lead.

“We wanted to be able to rebound off of the Preston game,” Sugar-Salem coach Tyler Richins said, referring to the 49-35 shootout win back on Sept. 25.

It was the most points Sugar-Salem had surrendered all season. Throw out a 33-14 loss to state No. 1 Homedale in the season opener, and the Diggers had given up just 21 points overall in their four wins prior to playing Preston.

“We had a little trouble containing the quarterback (against Preston) not only in the run game, but the pass game,” Richins said. “So we spent some time trying to improve that. We knew that facing South that Cy (Hill) is an excellent athlete, and he’s very multi-dimensional.”

Hill, a senior, had accounted for eight passing and three rushing TDs this season, and he tried to get the Cougar offense moving on Friday.

But it wasn’t easy. Sugar-Salem kept Hill under pressure all night and contained him when he tried to run.

“Our role as a defensive line is to put pressure on the quarterback … and just make it so it’s not easy for their wide receivers,” Sugar-Salem defensive end Boston Nead said.

Hill was an efficient 19 of 31 for 173 passing yards, but he was held to minus-7 yards on the ground.

Overall, South Fremont was held to nine rushing yards on 17 carries.

Offensively, Sugar-Salem (7-1,2-0) started fast, scoring on its first two possessions, with Walt Fillmore running for a two-yard score, and Frank Fillmore scoring from one-yard out.

South Fremont (5-3, 0-1) put together an impressive 77-yard drive late in the second quarter, with Hill connecting with Nash Brower for and eight-yard score to cut the lead to 14-7.

That would be as close as South Fremont would get.

Frank Fillmore hit Nead with a 24-yard score to open the third.

The Cougars never recovered as their only possession in the third ran all the way into the fourth quarter and ended with a turnover on downs. Their only other possession of the second half ended in an interception.

Frank Fillmore found Nead again for an 18-yard TD to seal the game in the fourth. He also led the team with 32 yards rushing.

Frank Fillmore finished 10 of 13 for 160 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.

Brower finished with 11 catches for 87 yards for the Cougars.

It was the last regular-season game of the year for Sugar-Salem. South Fremont is at Teton next week for a conference matchup.