SUGAR CITY — Rivalries can start by proximity of the opponent, a play, or the multiple games along the way while trying to get the top spot in the district and state. Both the Teton Timberwolves and the Sugar-Salem Diggers girls basketball teams have developed a rivalry that has motivated for both teams since the Diggers beat Teton in last year’s 3A state championship game.
The next chapter takes place Saturday when Teton travels to Sugar-Sugar for another key 3A District 6 matchup.
For the Timberwolves, their goal is to take the top spot that the Diggers have had for years.
In their meeting last Wednesday at Teton, both teams played a close game, but it was the Diggers who came up on top 57-55. Nika Nead led all scorers with 19 points with Kennedy Gillette setting the tone early with 3-pointers made early in the game.
“Kennedy set the tone early with those early threes and got open which allowed to get a good look from the perimeter,” Timberwolves head coach Pat Hogan said.
Even though it was the first meeting this season, the Timberwolves will look to use the outcome as motivation and look to improve as the season progresses.
“We have to do a better job in defending Gillette and rebound better,” Hogan said.
Last year, the teams met five times during the season, which included the 3A state championship. Both teams see this a rivalry.
“I told the girls all season that we got a huge target on our back. Being the defending state champions, everyone wants to knock you out. I know Teton wants to be a force in anything,” Diggers head coach Crystal Dayley said.
“They got a great group of girls that are very experienced. Everyone wants to knock us out, so I told the girls they just got to push every day and keep getting better because we know how bad everybody wants to beat us,” Dayley said.
For the players, getting that target on their back has the big motivator in keeping them on top of their competition.
“I think it just keeps our focus where it needs to be since we have been already in that spot before. We are just hungry to win another one and get to be back-to-back,” Diggers guard Meg Fillmore said.
“It has been a rivalry for us. They (Sugar-Salem) have a championship moxie. To be competitive and win, we have to get through Sugar-Salem,” Hogan said.
“I have great respect for Teton as a program. I think it shows a lot that the two of us played for the state title last year. It has developed into a huge rivalry because we have been two of the top teams in the state for the last few years. It is always a fun game because the fans get into it,” Dayley said.
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