Did ya catch 22?

Sugar ends Shelley's reign

2009-02-27T11:30:00.000-08:00

Sugar ends Shelley's reign

2009-02-27T11:29:00.000-08:00

Sugar ends Shelley's reign

Published: Thursday, February 26, 2009 11:29 PM MST
Idaho Falls -- The Sugar-Salem Diggers set the tone right from the tip off, beginning the game with a strong offensive surge that secured a lead they would hold the entire game in a 73-57 win to wrest the district title away from the Shelley Russets.

The Russets had won the district championship five years straight, until now.

This was the third time in a week that the two teams had meet, Shelley won last Friday's game and Sugar's victory tonight was their second in as many nights against the Russets.

"We played balanced ball all game," said Diggers' Coach Jay Miller; "We played really well as a team, and did a great job or working the ball inside and out."

The game was actually closer than the score suggests. After taking a 42 to 29 lead into half time the Russets cut the lead to single digits part way through the third quarter. Sugar responded with another offensive run led by guard Kevin Walker and Forward Caleb Brown -- who led the Diggers with 15 points.

Shelley didn't give up and continued to put a lot of pressure on the Sugar offense with a stubborn full court defense they used for nearly the entire game. The Sugar offense took their time especially in the fourth quarter and did a good job of sharing the ball and being patient. Walker orchestrated the Digger offense through a number of key possessions leading all players with 8 assists.

Sugar was also able to get to the free throw line with regularity in the fourth quarter. Although their free throw shooting wasn't stellar at 66%, they were able to build on their lead and stayed focused on the defensive end forcing a number poor possessions and turnovers by the Russets. The game concluded with a 73-57 Diggers victory and district championship.

"The Russets are a quality team," said Miller emphatically during his post game acceptance of the district championship trophy. Shelley gave the Diggers great competition to build off of heading into the state tournament.

Miller Added, "It feels great to win the district, it has been awhile. We've worked really hard all season, and I'm proud of how our boys played."

Upon the final buzzer Sugar fans and students rushed onto the court to embrace their victorious players. The players as well as the coaching staff then took turns ceremoniously cutting down the net as a memento of their so far very successful season.

The Diggers head into the state tournament next week riding great momentum and in a position to stir thing up against their competitors.

Idahosports.com will have live online coverage for all state games.

Shelley 14 15 12 16 57

SS 22 20 14 17 73

Shelley -- Kabe Call 0, Lakoda Stommel 2, Gabe Nii 0, Tanner Higham 15, McCabe Bono 4, Jason Christensen 4, Mason Higham 18, Tommy Higham 14, Cody Andersen 0, Chase Hanson 0.

Totals 20-56 12-21 57.

Sugar-Salem -- Brett Miyasaki 2, Kyle Andrews 12, Tyler Beddes 0, Tyler Rhoton 2, Brennan Bean 12, Kevin Walker 8, Jordon Ostermiller 6, Thomas Johansen 2, Bryden Morris 6, Cameron Hastings 6, Fletcher Rydalch 2, Caleb Brown 15.

Totals 23-43 21-33 73.

3-pointers--Shelley 5 (To. Higham 4, T. Higham 1), SS 4 (Walker 2); Fouls--Shelley 27 (Fouled out: Lakoda Stommel), SS 18 (Fouled out: None); Rebounds--Shelley 37 (M. Higham 11), SS 32 (2 tied with 5); Assists--Shelley 7 (T. Higham 5), SS 13 (Walker 8); Technicals: None.

KEVIN GULBRANSEN -- sports@uvsj.com

Sugar-Salem claims 3A district crown

2009-02-27T11:20:00.000-08:00

The Sugar-Salem Diggers beat the Shelley Russets handily for the second time in two days Thursday night to secure the 3A District 6 championship.

The Diggers' last district championship was too long ago for coach Jay Miller to easily recall. Then again, it takes some doing to remember anybody other than Shelley cutting down the nets. The Russets had won the past five district titles.

"Everybody is always out to get Goliath," Miller said. "We're just happy that it was our turn this year."

Sugar-Salem (22-3) returns to the state tournament for the first time since 2000. That happens to be the same year Shelley (13-11) did not advance to the state tournament.

The game was in many ways a repeat of Sugar-Salem's 57-42 win over Shelley on Wednesday. In both games, the Diggers doubled Shelley's leading scorer, point guard Tanner Higham, anywhere he touched the ball. Though the senior capably slung the ball to open Russets down the floor, Shelley seldom capitalized on its numbers advantage for easy baskets.

Center Mason Higham led Shelley with 18 points and 11 boards. Tanner Higham scored 15, and Tommy Higham hit four 3s and scored 14. But Sugar-Salem achieved its goal by holding Tanner Higham to only 15 shots and the Russets to 36 percent shooting.

"Tanner Higham is the best player in the state, I think," Sugar guard Kevin Walker said. "We had to double him to get the ball out of his hands."

Meanwhile, Sugar-Salem shot a scorching 56 percent from the field. Reserve forward Caleb Brown led the Diggers with 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting, and reserve guard Kyle Andrews scored 12 on 4-for-6 shooting. Starting guard Brennan Bean also scored 12.

"They hit shots," Shelley coach Dave Hadley said. "Every time we started to put together a run, they'd come right back and make big buckets. They outplayed us."

District championship Sugar vs. Shelley

2009-02-26T19:49:00.000-08:00

When they announced Kevin Walker, the announcers said "that is the player they will be missing next year."

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District championship Sugar vs. Shelley

2009-02-26T19:44:00.000-08:00

Text message from Jen

What a game! That was the sweetest thing i have ever seen!
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District championship Sugar vs. Shelley

2009-02-26T19:34:00.000-08:00

Text message from dad:

3 minutes left. Up by 17.

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District championship Sugar vs. Shelley

2009-02-26T19:22:00.000-08:00

They're ahead by 15 at the beginning of the 3rd! Go Diggers!
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District championship Sugar vs. Shelley

2009-02-26T19:18:00.000-08:00

------Original Message------
From: jill.e.erb@gmail.com
To: jill.e.erb@gmail.com
ReplyTo: jill.e.erb@gmail.com
Subject: District championship Sugar vs. Shelley
Sent: Feb 26, 2009 10:07 PM

Text from Jen

They are going to he something going here!
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District championship Sugar vs. Shelley

2009-02-26T19:17:00.000-08:00

Oops forgot to send this to the right address

------Original Message------
From: jill.e.erb@gmail.com
To: jill.e.erb@gmail.com
ReplyTo: jill.e.erb@gmail.com
Subject: District championship Sugar vs. Shelley
Sent: Feb 26, 2009 10:05 PM

Text from Dad

Kevins team is ahead at half time by 42 to 29. He has a couple of 3s and a bunch of assists. Should be am intense 2nd half.

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District championship Sugar vs. Shelley

2009-02-26T18:48:00.000-08:00

Kevin is rocking and so is his team in the first half of this game. I hope they can keep it up in the second half.

Yay for the internet and eisnlive!

Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

2009-02-26T17:55:00.000-08:00

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Sugar-Salem tops Shelley to force second 3A title game
The teams will meet tonight to settle the score.
By Michael Lycklama mlycklama@postregister.com

Sugar-Salem’s Kyle Andrews (4) and Kevin Walker (22) double team Shelley’s Tanner Higham during Wednesday’s 57-42 win for Sugar-Salem.
I
n its fourth matchup against Shelley, Sugar-Salem employed its fourth defense to slow Russets point guard Tanner Higham. Sugar-Salem doubled Higham whenever he got the ball, no matter where he was on the court, and held him to 12 points in a 57-42 3A District 6 win Wednesday at Skyline. "When you stop Tanner, you stop their team," Sugar-Salem's Cameron Hastings said. "He's a great player. We just had to double him to get the ball out of his hands as much as we can."
The win creates a do-or-die conference title game at 7 tonight at Skyline. The loser will play the second-place team from District 5 in a state play-in game Saturday.
The two teams traded five leads in the first quarter before Sugar-Salem (21-3) broke off a 13-0 run between the end of the first quarter and the start of the second. Meanwhile, Sugar-Salem's defense held Higham without a shot in the first quarter. Higham still finished the first half with seven points and his 12 led the team, but that was off his season average of 19.9 points, which leads the area.
Despite committing two defenders to Higham in the backcourt, Shelley couldn't take advantage of numbers and run a four-on-three break. Shelley coach Dave Hadley spoke to his team about attacking the outmanned defense at halftime but it didn't translate to the floor. "I think the biggest thing is our guards have to play with more confidence once they get (the ball)," Hadley said. "If they are going to put two guys on one (guy) full court, we've got to make it a four-on-three game."
While Shelley (13-10) struggled on offense -- it shot 37.5 percent from the field -- Sugar-Salem shot 53.8 percent from the floor. "Offensively we had the looks that we wanted -- inside and outside," Sugar-Salem coach Jay Miller said. "If they tried to shut us off inside, we had some outside stuff going on and vice versa."
Kevin Walker, who switched off with Tyler Rhoten face guarding Higham, scored 10 points for Sugar-Salem.

2009-02-26T11:33:00.000-08:00

MATT EICHNER/Standard Journal -- Sugar-Salem's Kyle Andrews (4) and Kevin Walker (22) double team Shelley's Tanner Higham during Wednesday's 57-42 win for Sugar-Salem.

Diggers force another title game tonight

2009-02-26T11:32:00.000-08:00

Diggers force another title game tonight

Published: Thursday, February 26, 2009 11:28 PM MST
IDAHO FALLS -- The Sugar-Salem offense and defense sizzled Wednesday night in a 57-42 victory over Shelley, setting up a winner-take-all district championship game against the Russets tonight at 7 p.m. at Skyline High School in Idaho Falls.

The Diggers' offense shot 52 percent from the floor on Wednesday, while defensively Sugar-Salem held Shelley's top scorer, Tanner Higham, to just 12 points on the night. Mostly the Diggers employed a double team as soon as Higham touched the ball over half court.

"We did better job to not let him get so many 3-point shots off on us," Sugar-Salem coach Jay Miller said of the defense on Higham. "Everybody played some really good defense, and we're proud of that."

The Diggers also had the full-court press on, creating turnovers.

On offense, Brennan Bean lad the Diggers with 17 points, including a dagger of an old-fashioned three-point play in the fourth to give the Diggers their biggest lead of the night, 55-36 with about four minutes remaining in the game.

Kevin Walker also hit a big 3-pointer as time was winding down at the end of the third quarter. Walker finished with eight points.

Sugar-Salem (21-3) held the lead throughout most of the game as the inside and outside players were hitting shots.

Inside Bryden Morris had 10 points and Cameron Hastings finished with 8.

In today's game, Miller said he will look for any adjustments Shelley will make, but it will be anyone's game.

"It's hard to say. Who knows what kind of adjustments they're going to make?" he said. "We're going to worry about what we're going to (do)."

Shelley (13-10) is the five-time defending district champions. The winner has an automatic berth in the state tournament, while the loser must play a play-in game to get to state.

Sugar-Salem 57, Shelley 42

SS 17 19 12 9 -- 57

Shelley 12 16 7 7 --42

Sugar-Salem -- Brett Miyasaki 1, Kyle Andrews 5, Brennan Bean 17, Kevin Walker 8, Jordan Ostermiller 5, Bryden Morris 10, Cameron Hastings 8, Fletcher Rydalch 1, Caleb Brown 2 Totals: 21 11-16 57

3-pointers: Andrews 1, Walker 2, Ostermiller 1.

Shelley -- Kabe Call 2, Jason Christensen 4, Lakota Stammel 2, Tanner Higham 12, Nathan Higham 9, Tommy Higham 11, Cody Anderson 2. Totals 15 8-12 42

3-pointers: Ta. Higham 1, To. Higham 3.

Sugar-Salem rallies past Salmon

2009-02-24T11:54:00.000-08:00

The Sugar-Salem Diggers overcame an early 10-point deficit Monday to beat the Salmon Savages 57-49 and stay alive in the 3A District 6 tournament.

Sugar-Salem (20-3) will play Shelley (13-9) in the district championship game at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Skyline High School. Salmon (13-10) saw its season end.

Sugar-Salem forward Jordan Ostermiller said the Diggers weren't ready to let their strong season slip away.

"It's do or die right here," Ostermiller said. "We live to play, we play to live. We knew we were down, and no one wants to end their season early, so we picked it up."

Salmon used a sticky 2-3 defense and a strong post game to dominate the first quarter and jump to a 16-6 lead. Sugar-Salem didn't have an answer for 6-foot-7 Mark Hobbs, who scored Salmon's first six points and blocked three shots in the quarter.

Hobbs finished with a game-high 19 points on 8-for-16 shooting 12 rebounds and six blocks. However, after the first quarter, Sugar-Salem effectively denied him the ball in both man and zone defenses, sometimes by fronting with small, quick forwards.

"We just tried to body them up harder," Ostermiller said "They are a little bigger than us, so we tried to get up on them, especially their right hand."

With the Salmon offense bottled up, Sugar-Salem caught Sugar-Salem rallies past Salmon

fire in the second quarter. The Diggers finished the quarter on a 13-3 run highlighted by a two-hand flush by Ostermiller after a steal and 3-pointer by reserve forward Fletcher Rydalch with five seconds left to give Sugar-Salem its first lead.

Rydalch also hit a 3 as the final buzzer of the third quarter sounded to cap a 7-0 run. He finished with only six points, but Sugar-Salem coach Jay Miller said Rydalch did wonders for the Diggers' momentum.

"Those were very critical," Miller said. "It feeds you for the next three to four minutes when you need it.

Salmon coach Rick Sessions said Sugar-Salem's strength is its depth. Salmon's game plan revolved around stopping guards Brennan Bean and Kevin Walker. Salmon succeeded, holding the duo to nine points. But bench players like forward Cameron Hastings (a team-high 12 points) and forward Caleb Brown (nine points) picked up the slack. Sugar-Salem's bench outscored Salmon 35-7.

"That's a great team," Sessions said. "Cameron Hastings came in and went against Hobbs all night and had some huge buckets. He hadn't scored more than four points against us all season. They were prepared and found the kids to get the job done. They just beat us."

Russets rally for win over Diggers

2009-02-20T11:52:00.000-08:00

Tanner Higham scored 22 points and Mason Higham chipped in nine points and 12 rebounds in a 51-43 3A District 6 tournament winners' bracket game against top-seeded Sugar-Salem on Friday at Skyline High School

Shelley earned the right to play in Wednesday's District 6 championship game against the winner of the Monday game between Sugar-Salem and Salmon.

Friday's game was a low-scoring affair early, as the Diggers held Shelley to six first-quarter points on 2-of-9 shooting and forced six turnovers. Sugar's defense was led by forward Jordan Ostermiller, who finished with nine rebounds and seven blocks.

Ostermiller limited Shelley post Mason Higham to 1-of-5 shooting in the first half, and the Russets shot 27 percent from the field as a team.

However, Sugar-Salem couldn't capitalize on its defensive domination, and shot 26 percent in the first two quarters.

"Defensively, we came out with a good focus," Shelley coach Dave Hadley said. "I loved the grit and determination we showed."

Sugar-Salem came out firing in the third and Kevin Walker hit a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left in the quarter to give the Diggers a 38-31 lead going into the final eight minutes. Walker hit five 3-pointers in all and finished with 22 points.

The Diggers' lead was cut in the first play of the fourth as Shelley guard Tommy Higham hit a 3-pointer from straightaway.

"Our defensive energy came in on offense, and our shots just started falling," Tommy Higham said.

With the game tied at 38 with less than five minutes left in the game, Walker hit another 3-pointer to give the Diggers the lead, but Tanner Higham responded with a shot of his own from deep behind the line to knot the score again with 3:15 to go.

From there the game became a free-throw shooting contest, and Shelley won handily. The Diggers hit 8 of 10 from the charity stripe, while Sugar connected on 0 of 5 attempts. Shelley also forced two turnovers late to earn the win. Tanner Higham was instrumental in the Shelley success at the line, and he scored nine of his team's final 10 points.

"Tanner's been on this stage for three years now," Hadley said. "He didn't let anyone lose focus on defense, and I think that was as big as his contribution on offense."

Sugar-Salem scored five points in the final quarter despite having several open looks at the basket late.

"Congratulations to Shelley. They played a great game," Sugar-Salem coach Jay Miller said. "We're focused on our game against Salmon now."

Diggers bury history

2009-02-12T11:58:00.000-08:00

SUGAR CITY -- The Sugar-Salem Diggers already had their hands full before falling behind 11-0 to the Shelley Russets.

After all, Shelley had won 62 of its last 63 conference games, including district tournaments. Not only that, the Russets' Tanner Higham, the leading scorer in eastern Idaho, hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter and was on his way to a big game.

But Sugar-Salem played masterful team basketball, dominating the final 29 minutes and running away with a 68-54 win at home.

Brennan Bean led Sugar-Salem with 19 points. Generously listed at 6-foot and not particularly long-limbed, Bean played beyond his dimensions, scrapping for rebounds and position to score in the paint.

"It's a huge win," Bean said. "They are a great team. That win gives us the confidence to go after it at districts, to be the aggressors."

Sugar-Salem and Shelley split its conference games. If Sugar-Salem (17-2, 6-1) beats Teton and Shelley (11-8, 6-1) beats South Fremont on Friday, the tie for the top seed in the district tournament will be determined by a coin flip.

Tanner Higham lit up Sugar-Salem for 23 points in the first half on 6-for-9 shooting from the 3-point line. Sugar-Salem sent Tyler Rhoton and sometimes a second defender to hound Higham the length of the floor. Higham, who finished with 28 points, spent the second half rotating the ball.

Shelley coach Dave Hadley said the rest of the team failed to be assertive when Sugar-Salem forced the ball from Higham's hands.

"They had great composure, and we lost some of our composure," Hadley said. "We were very, very passive. They put two guys on Tanner to not allow him to bring the ball up, and we didn't do a good job of attacking."

All of the Diggers contributed. Guard Kevin Walker hit three 3s and finished with 11. Bryden Morris loomed large in the paint, scoring 17 and leading the team with six rebounds. Forward Caleb Brown scored 11. Sugar-Salem's primary ballhandlers, Brett Miyasaki and Kyle Andrews, combined for 13 assists and two turnovers.

Often, bench production manifests in hustle plays that don't show up in the box score. Against Shelley, the bench's contribution was tangible, outscoring the Shelley reserves 36-2.

Hadley said his team started dragging its heels when Sugar-Salem surged and took the lead in the second quarter.

"When things are going well, it's easy to fight through those little mistakes," Hadley said. "Tonight, we felt sorry for ourselves. Sugar outplayed us and outcoached us tonight."

The first thing Sugar-Salem coach Jay Miller had to say after the game had nothing to do with basketball.

Sugar-Salem is collecting money for a scholarship to honor Darla Miyasaki, a teacher and the mother of Brett Miyasaki, who lost her life to a stroke over winter break.

Before the game, Hadley presented Brett Miyasaki with a brown bag containing $214 the Shelley team had scraped together that day to contribute to the scholarship fund.

"What an absolute class act by Dave Hadley the team and the Shelley fans," Miller said. "What a neat deal to come up like that."

"This is what we've expected from the beginning. There are several teams that can battle. It's going to be a crazy tournament come next week."

catching up on football...

2009-02-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

I had a great opportunity this past fall to coach Kevin's high school football team, SUgar Salem High school. They were underdogs going into the season because they only had nine seniors on their team but they were very committed to a good year. We played an eight game schedule, starting out with two wins against West Side and Filer. Kevin was playing strong safety on defense and was our leading tackler both those games. Against West Side he turned the game around by recovering a muffed punt inside our five yard line which turned into six quick points, putting us ahead to stay in the fourth quarter. It was fun to watch him step up and be the defensive team leader with his hustle and effort on every play in practice, and it carried over to his game performance.
He was playing with some of his best friends, which made it more fun for him and them: Sean Pope (injured early-foot- but played later in the season), T Clark, Hadley Wright, Fletcher Rydalch, Wilson Rydalch, Ian Checketts and Justin Garner to name a few. Kevin inspired them all by being the "little guy" who made all the plays and wasn't afraid to come up and hit anybody.
The third and fourth games of the season we ran into some problems, losing to Aberdeen and Marsh Valley. We were soundly beaten by Aberdeen but should have won the Marsh game. Kevin again recovered a muffed put inside our ten, this time in the first quarter, but the official blew the call (he later admitted such) and instead of us going up by 14 points, they drove down and scored and took the wind out of our sails. It ended up being a close game and that play turned out to be a key deciding factor. I will write more later...

Birthday Tributes

2009-01-27T08:13:00.000-08:00

Baby Brother By: Jax
Today my baby brother turned 19. He is an amazing person. He is a hard worker and has great determination. He is very focused and knows how to get things done (the things he wants to get done). He is an amazing uncle. Jake always wants to go to Kev's house. He is always willing to help with babysitting or just being with his neices and nephews. He is very caring and understanding. I know in a few months he will be a great missionary too. I love him so much and know that he is going to acheive great things in life because of his determination and positive outlook.Love you Kev!!

19 Years By: Jill
On this day 19 years ago my mom checked into the hospital in Salt Lake City (refusing to stay in Rexburg, where we lived) and gave birth a baby brother. I remember very little about that day, except that my dad came and picked me and Jen up at Adams Elementary (Go Eagles!), and we got out of school early, which I was excited about. My first memory of Kevin as a baby is when we were in Hawaii, he was 6 months old. He was really sick, but whenever we turned on music he would dance around on his bum. He would just bump up and down and it was the cutest thing. I remember being obsessed with holding him. Whenever Mom would let me I loved to hold him, and when he switched to bottles I loved to feed him. Of course, with four older sisters he had no shortage of women who wanted to snuggle him. I remember he had this awesome bottle that I am sure my dad was very proud of. It looked like this:(Okay I was going to put a picture in, but after 20 minutes I couldn't find any football shaped baby bottles)Anyway, that baby has grown up to be the best brother someone could ask for. He is kind and sweet. He is a great listener, and at least with me he is good at talking on the phone. He is my favorite sibling. (Sorry guys, but Kevin called me first on my birthday - When most of the rest of you forgot - he won this year.) I can't believe what a great man he is becoming. And I really can't believe that this summer he will leave on his mission. I remember when we used to talk about him leaving and there was 12 years left to wait...Two years ago Kevin had a really bad health scare. Jeremy would always tell me not to worry, that everything would be okay, but I would at times just cry and cry and say "but what if he doesn't get better." Thankfully he has fully recovered, but I know now why I was so upset - because I can't imagine life without him. I love you kid. Happy Birthday.

Baby Bro- By: Jen
Kevin turned 19 yesterday and Jill wrote a moving tribute~ I loved it so here is one of my own. Not as eloquent as hers- but still a tribute.19 years ago my little brother was born. I was only six but I too remember walking out of good old Adams elementary. I think I was wearing my purple puffy coat. I remember looking at mom laying the hospital thinking I don't ever want to do that. Everyone was so excited though because Dad FINALLY got his boy.Kevin had no chance of being a "normal" boy with four older sisters. His favorite song when he was about 5 was Shania Twain's "Man, I feel like a woman!" Along with the Lion King soundtrack- especially I just can't wait to be king. We couldn't get all the boy out of him though because he definitely had a TON of energy and loved to fight! He would be in the tub and we would say do tough guy and he would grit his teeth and put his arms up and flex them. It was so cute! He had the chubbiest cheeks with bright blue eyes and blonde hair.He always wanted to come and play with me and my friends- which I hated at first but then really started to like him coming along. I had watched my older sisters protect me and lift me up and I felt like I could do that for Kev. I especially loved it when he came and played basketball at the college with me and everyone thought he was to little to play so I said he could be on my team and then he showed them up (and still does).I have always been proud of him as my little brother but I am more so now than ever before. As basketball player, he has become better than I ever imagined him being, but more importantly, I am proud of the person he has become. Landen said just a few days ago, "wow kevin has really grown up!" I completely agree (well, except for when he tries to tackle me, then I realize he is still just a little kid). I am excited for him to go on his mission and show the world the gospel. He will be great wherever he goes.I know I haven't always taught him the right things by my example, but I hope he knows how much I love him and how proud I am of him. I know he will make the right choices in his life because he has learned the right principles.Love you Kev.ps. The playlist is Kev's. I had papercut on there but couldn't justify it... the whole good example thing.

Diggers top Cougars

2009-01-22T14:28:00.000-08:00

Kev played great in a rival match between south fremont and sugar salem. It was a tight game from the start and they didn't get any help from the officials. It seems like they all have something against the diggers.
Anways, Kev made some amazing passes (and I know this via a phone play by play from dad) hit a three, had some key steals and was a leader on the court. It was a great battle and they pulled it off. The final score was 45-37 (i think).

We should go on this site and order some pics.

2009-01-18T18:59:00.001-08:00

There are a ton of pics of #22

http://www.idahosports.com/otr/jeffpedersen/football/Shelley_Sugar_Salem_10_03_08/Photos.asp?S=7

Diggers vs. Salmon

2009-01-17T20:47:00.001-08:00

We just watched Kevin's game online and it was awesome! It was such a close game. Kevin went out in the first quarter because he had two fouls (this is becoming way too common of an occurance) and didn't go back in until the second half. He was amazing and helped lead his team to a tight 4 point victory. He made a foul shot to put them up by two instead of one with 12.7 seconds left and then got the steal so Jordan could go up and get fouled and put the lead to 4. The refs were terrible and somehow at the end of the game they called a foul on brennan as kevin was passing him the ball! It made absolutely no sense. Everyone was going nuts on the guy and he was just shrugging his shoulders like "yeah I know I'm an idiot." They won anyway and it was really a fun game to watch.

Idaho sports 3A power rankings as of today

2009-01-12T11:47:00.001-08:00

3A
See complete 3A Power Rankings!
Rank School W L Power Ranking
1. Sugar-Salem 9 1 50.62
2. Fruitland 8 2 49.76
3. Marsh Valley 9 3 45.50
4. Kimberly 7 2 44.83
5. Priest River 6 0 43.61

The schedule

2009-01-12T11:43:00.000-08:00

I know it is hard to read but I didn't want to rewrite the whole thing

Opponent Date Time Location Sugar-Salem Opponent
West Jefferson Thursday, December 04, 2008 4:30 pm Sugar-Salem 64 - 45
Soda Springs Saturday, December 06, 2008 4:30 pm Sugar-Salem 72 - 56
Firth Tuesday, December 09, 2008 4:30 pm Firth 45 - 37
Snake River Friday, December 12, 2008 4:30 pm Sugar-Salem 43 - 40
American Falls Friday, December 19, 2008 4:30 pm Sugar-Salem 60 - 46
Marsh Valley Saturday, December 20, 2008 4:30 pm Sugar-Salem 37 - 42
West Jefferson Saturday, January 03, 2009 4:30 pm West Jefferson 65 - 31
Soda Springs Tuesday, January 06, 2009 4:30 pm Soda Springs 61 - 31
Firth Thursday, January 08, 2009 4:30 pm Sugar-Salem 52 - 40
Snake River Saturday, January 10, 2009 4:30 pm Snake River 58 - 47
Salmon Saturday, January 17, 2009 4:30 pm Sugar-Salem -
South Fremont Wednesday, January 21, 2009 7:30pm South Fremont -
Shelley Friday, January 23, 2009 4:30 pm Shelley -
Marsh Valley Wednesday, January 28, 2009 4:30 pm Marsh Valley -
Teton Thursday, January 29, 2009 4:30 pm Sugar-Salem -
American Falls Saturday, January 31, 2009 4:30 pm American Falls -
Salmon Wednesday, February 04, 2009 4:30 pm Salmon -
South Fremont Friday, February 06, 2009 7:30pm Sugar-Salem -
Shelley Wednesday, February 11, 2009 4;30 pm Sugar-Salem -
Teton Friday, February 13, 2009 4:30 pm Teton -

SUGAR BEATS 2A POWERHOUSE FIRTH!

2009-01-10T12:15:00.000-08:00

In a game that changed leads ten different times, you would have thought we were watching the national championship or something. Well, while Oklahoma and Florida were battling it out, we were in a small gym in Idaho of all places watching a barn burner.

Sugar and Firth have a history, and although Firth is a 2A school, the diggers have come to respect their equal and sometimes superior level of basketball skill.

The game started out with each team scoring on every possession. But the diggers picked up the defense and cause firth to have some turnovers at the end of the first quarter which would lead to 12 turnovers in the first half. Sugar didn't take care of the ball much better in the first half, with 9 turnovers.

OK- i can't do the reporter thing any more. It's annoying and taking too long. The game was awesome. Kevin and his team really played hard the whole game. They had a lapse in the second quarter and at half time the score was firth 25 sugar 24. It was so fun to watch them because they just fought back. Firth would make mistakes and we capitalized on them. Kevin hit a HUGE three pointer to put sugar up by four instead of one and then at the end of the game he hit two crucial free throws to put them up by 6 instead of 4. He had some awesome assists and steals too. And i think i even saw him smile a couple of times... they announced on the broadcast that a sugar fan had been ejected and I was sure it was dad- but it wasn't. It was Mason Miller, the coaches son- even better. Overall, the scoring was dispersed really evenly, everyone hit their foul shots at the end of the game, and their defense was solid all the way through. It was the best game I have ever seen Kevin and his team play. Keep it up!
Jen

Diggers take out Cougars

2009-01-09T11:59:00.000-08:00

SUGAR CITY -- Sugar-Salem topped Firth at home Thursday night, but the 52-40 final score is deceiving.

The game was tight most of the way, featuring nine ties. Aside from an early Firth lead, the two athletic squads remained within three points of each other until Sugar-Salem stretched a lead to six halfway through the fourth and held on to earn the win.

The difference in the decisive fourth quarter, Firth coach Scott Adams said, was execution. On back-to-back possessions, Sugar-Salem wing Brennan Bean scored lay-ins on baseline cuts, one on a no-look bounce pass from guard Kevin Walker. Bean finished with a game-high 15 points.

"We didn't do a good job of attacking it or running our offense for whatever reason," Adams said. "We didn't play our game. I have to give them credit. They took us out of what we wanted to do."

Bean said Sugar-Salem's goal with its 2-3 zone was to limit penetration, especially on the baseline by reigning 2A state Player of the Year forward Colter Reeves. Reeves scored 10, but Sugar-Salem successfully forced him and his teammates to the middle, where help was waiting.

"We knew they had guys like Colter Reeves who could drive," Bean said. "We wanted to shut off the drives, especially on the baseline, and play tough down low. We did that more in the second half, and that's what made the difference for us."

Wyatt Jolley led Firth with 11 points. Cameron Hastings and Bryden Morris scored 10 apiece for Sugar-Salem. Reserve forward Jordon Ostermiller scored only two points, but he grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, and he snuffed two Firth possessions in the final two minutes with blocked shots to help seal the win.

Firth (7-4) and Sugar-Salem (7-1) play a similar style -- up-tempo offense and aggressive defense. Both teams boast talent and athleticism at every position. The most striking difference between the clubs was free-throw shooting. Firth converted just 7-for-15 from the charity stripe. Sugar-Salem nailed 14-of-17, including 4-for-5 in the final minute to ice the game.

Sugar-Salem coach Jay Miller said a win over two-time 2A defending champion Firth is a big step for his Diggers.

"Firth's a very accomplished team at any level, so we're thrilled with what we did here tonight," Miller said.

Diggers win on emotional night for Miyasakis

2009-01-04T12:01:00.000-08:00

At Terreton, it was an emotional victory for Sugar-Salem brothers Brett and Kalin Miyasaki on Saturday at West Jefferson High School.

The Miyasaki's attended the funeral of their mother, Darla, earlier in the day, then helped the Diggers race to a 65-31 non-conference win over the Panthers.

"They played their hearts out," Sugar-Salem coach Jay Miller said. "Brett's our point guard and he led us in rebounds tonight. And the whole Miyasaki family was there to support them."

Kevin Walker hit two 3-pointers and led the Diggers with 13 points. Brennan Bean added 11 points and Cameron Hastings scored 10 for Sugar-Salem (6-1), which raced to a 29-4 lead in the first quarter.

Clayton Albertson scored 14 points to lead West Jefferson.

"We weren't ready to play," West Jefferson coach West Jefferson coach John Tucker said. "We're struggling with finding the right combinations, knowing when to shoot the ball. Our most consistent player right now is a sophomore, Clayton Albertson. He's been playing really well for us."

Prep preview 3A Boys Basketball

2008-12-18T12:04:00.000-08:00

How they'll finish in 3A District 6

1. Salmon: Salmon's basketball team fields many of the key players who helped take home the 3A football title. At 6-foot-7, Mark Hobbs is a matchup nightmare in the post. Complemented by the physical, 6-2 Nathan Nooner, Salmon has all the inside muscle it needs. A sharp-shooting group of guards led by Trey Infanger make Salmon a balanced and high-scoring group. With the ability to play run-and-gun and a slower half-court game, coach Rick Sessions is blessed with a versatile team in his first year.

2. Sugar-Salem: The returning players know what it's like to fall just short of the state tournament. Last year, the Diggers made it to a state play-in game, only to fall to Buhl by three. "They talk about it frequently," coach Jay Miller said of the loss. "They don't want to be in that situation again." The Diggers return plenty of talent to contend for a state berth. Led by wings Brennan Bean and Kevin Walker and posts Bryden Morris and Jordan Ostermiller, Sugar-Salem looks to run in the open court and work the inside-outside game in the half-court.

3. Shelley: With Tanner Higham running the point and three players 6-4 or taller roving the paint, Shelley has the experience and muscle to get back to the state tournament. The Russets won a game at state last year but failed to repeat after winning the championship in 2006-2007. Wins won't come easily this season in the Mountain Rivers Conference, but after losing one conference game over the past five seasons, coach Dave Hadley and company will do just fine.

4. South Fremont: South Fremont sits at No. 4, but the difference between the Cougars and Salmon, Shelley and Sugar-Salem is negligible. "I wouldn't be surprised to see any of the top four teams win the conference," South Fremont coach Dan McClure said. "It's a tough, tough league." South Fremont is short on experience and height, which could pose a problem when the Cougars face the massive forwards of Shelley and Salmon. But led by senior guard Payden Hathaway, South Fremont can run the floor and shoot the 3.

5. Teton: The path through the Mountain Rivers Conference might be rocky for Teton after losing six seniors to graduation. With Juan Ortiz and Brody Kunz the only returning seniors, and only two juniors returning with varsity experience, Teton will have to grow up fast to finish north of .500. Luckily, Ortiz gives coach Mike Kunz a solid rock to build around. At 6-7, Ortiz gives Teton a threat under the basket as well as a physical force to be reckoned with.

Sugar-Salem rides its pressure defense to a win over West Jefferson

2008-12-05T12:10:00.000-08:00

POST REGISTER

At Sugar City, Sugar-Salem's pressure defense wore down West Jefferson over the course of the game and allowed the Diggers to burst out for 21 fourth-quarter points and a 64-45 non-conference win Thursday night.

"We wore them down a bit, and we took advantage of it," Sugar-Salem coach Caleb Carter said.

Brennan Bean and Kevin Walker led Sugar-Salem with 12 points.

West Jefferson's Damon Johnson scored a game-high 20 points and Tanner Simmons added 16, but the rest of the West Jefferson team only combined for nine points.

Sugar-Salem (1-0) hosts Soda Springs on Saturday.

A Text Message from Jen

2008-12-05T05:51:00.000-08:00

Hey! Kev played great. Hit a three and had some awesome assists. He played killer d too- they won 65-37 i think. Love you!
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

The End of Football Season

2008-11-02T15:15:00.000-08:00

football season is over, ending on a sad loss. But I have to say that I proud of Kevin. He has been a stellar athlete and player for so many years. I have loved watching him on the football field, and every unbiased opinion has reported to me how he is the best one on the team.

More Football pictures

2008-10-25T20:28:00.000-07:00

Kevin football pictures

2008-10-25T20:25:00.000-07:00

Sugar vs. Shelley SENIOR NIGHT!

2008-10-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Kevin is already a senior! Where have the tough guy days gone?? Kev received an awesome picture collage put together by mom, dad and Jax. He also got a huge blanket (the softest blanket ever) from the parents and a big candy bar from the cheerleaders. It was fun to hear the ceremony (over the phone despite 90 mile (cough cough) an hour speeds to get there). I especially liked the part about Kev's future plans of going on a mission- and playing bball at duke!
Post Register article on the game:
Sugar DeThrones Shelley with 6 int's KEVIN HAD TWO!!
Sugar-Salem’s Tyler Rhoton scored three touchdowns and intercepted one pass.
SUGAR CITY — Football is normally a game won with brute strength, speed and agility.

But when Sugar-Salem prepared to play Shelley, the defending state champs and a team that hasn’t lost a conference game since 2002, the Diggers knew they had to do more.

Sugar-Salem scouted the Russets so well that it picked off six passes, five from returning all-state quarterback Tanner Higham, on its way to a 21-7 home win on senior night.

“We knew a little bit of what they were going to do,” Sugar-Salem coach Dave Hastings said. “Our secondary stayed back, stay composed, stayed in their area and did their assignments. And then we got a little bit of pressure up front, which helped out a lot too.”

The win dethrones the conference champions for the moment, giving Sugar-Salem (4-2 overall, 2-0 conference) control of its own destiny for a regular season title.

But the mental boost of beating the invincible Shelley goes farther than just a regular win.

“There’s always been this mentality that we can’t beat Shelley, until this week,” said Sugar-Salem’s Tyler Rhoton, who scored all three of Sugar-Salem’s touchdowns.

Kevin Walker book ended the defensive onslaught with the first pick in the first quarter and the last pick in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

Cameron Hastings also intercepted two passes, and Fletcher Rydalch and Tyler Rhoton each intercepted one pass.

“They scouted us really well and were sitting right in the holes where they were supposed to be,” Shelley coach Dwight Richins said. “We didn’t execute. That’s all there is to it.”

But Rhoton wasn’t just content with an interception. Rhoton broke a 41-yard touchdown in the second quarter before Rydalch’s interception allowed Sugar-Salem to go for the jugular.

On the next play, Cameron Hastings rolled out of the pocket and threw across the field to hit Rhoton for a 25-yard touchdown pass and a 14-point lead.

After Shelley cut the lead to seven points with a seven-yard run from Kody Fellows, Rhoton shut the door by picking off a pass and then toting the ball for a four-yard run and an 11-yard touchdown on the next two plays.

The win throws the Mountain Rivers Conference race into a jumble. Sugar-Salem has the win over Shelley, but still has Salmon left on its schedule, as does Shelley.

“There’s lot of scenarios that open up now,” Richins said. “It can amount to even a three-way tie.”

Jen's Note: All I can say is that Friday night was one of the most thrilling nights of my life! And i was in Sugar City Idaho! The diggers played like a well oiled machine, making very few mistakes. Kevin was amazing- who knew he could kick?! He had some killer blocks and one especially nasty umm, tackle (he was on offense but that is the only work for it). Wow- I would like to see this game played again - except this time on the basketball court!!!

Best Sugar vs. Shelley Picture

2008-10-05T12:03:00.000-07:00

I love it!

Sugar vs. Shelley: Breaking the Curse

2008-10-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

Last night Sugar beat Shelley for the first time in four years. More details and celebrations to follow.

To watch Kevin in action

2008-10-04T12:11:00.001-07:00

Can't go to the game, check out the live feed at www.eisnlive.com.

You can see the latest game Sugar vs. Shelley

Channel 6 News Diggers vs. West Side (8/29)

2008-09-28T16:38:00.000-07:00

The Diggers coverage starts at about 1:35. They say the wrong name, but Kevin is the one who recovered the punt! Go Kev!

Channel 8 News Diggers vs West Side (8/29)

2008-09-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

Standard Journal - Saturday, September 27, 2008

2008-09-28T16:31:00.001-07:00

Bobcats, Diggers roll to big wins Teams combine to

MARK JONES/Standard Journal--Sugar-Salem's Cameron Hastings hands the ball off to Kenzy Fogle (36), teammates while Erik Johnson (50), Jesse Orchard (72) and Sean Pope (58) block for Fogle during the second quarter of Friday night's game in Sugar City.

SUGAR CITY - The Madison Bobcats and Sugar-Salem Diggers bounced back with big wins Friday night.

The two teams combined to score 98 points in the two wins.

Sugar-Salem 56, Teton 14

At Sugar-City, the Diggers built up a 36-6 lead at intermission and cruised to their third win of the season, snapping a two-game losing streak.

"I thought we were much more aggressive on the offensive and defensive lines," said Sugar-Salem coach Dave Hastings.

For the game, the Diggers finished with 321 rushing yards.

Kenzy Fogle rushed the ball 21 times for 76 yards and three touchdowns.

Tyler Rhoton ran for 83 yards on 17 carries. He hauled in one touchdown pass.

Justin Garner finished with 107 yards on nine carries and two touchdowns.

"That's what we are looking for," Hastings said of the balance in the rushing game. "Some other kids stepped up."

The Diggers also intercepted four passes in the game, including one by Kevin Walker that returned roughly 60 yards for a touchdown.

Sugar-Salem (3-2) will host Shelley next week.

"It's going to be a physical game," Hastings said. "And we know that."

Madison 42, Skyline 20

At Skyline, the Bobcats had a season-high 498 yards off offense in a 22-point win.

The Bobcats carried the ball 52 times for 447 yards.

Brady Hastings carried the bulk of the Madison ground game. He finished with 231 yards rushing on 20 carries.

Hastings also scored three touchdowns in the win. His touchdowns covered 9, 79 and 40 yards.

Trevor Blanchard opened the scoring with a 2-yard run. Blanchard also scored from 8 yards out in the third quarter.

McKay Pena returned an interception 10 yards for a touchdown in the final quarter.

Madison (2-3) will host Rigby on Oct. 10.

Shelley 42, South Fremont 7

At Shelley, the Shelley Russets raced out to a 28-0 halftime lead and never looked back en route to hand South Fremont its fourth loss of the season.

No other information from this game was available at press time.

South Fremont (1-4) will play at Salmon next week.

Firth 34, North Fremont 6

At Firth, the Firth Cougars overcame a slow start on their way to handing North Fremont its third loss in a row.

North Fremont (2-3) will play at Butte County next week.