Dustin Medellin leads Idaho Falls High as Tigers aim to end 700-day drought

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho Falls High School football program is launching a new chapter under head coach Dustin Medellin as the Tigers seek to end a 700-day plus winless streak. Medellin, a former defensive coordinator at Hillcrest, took charge of the team this offseason under the motto “Restoring the Roar.”


The program is focusing on structure and fundamentals following a winless season. Medellin said the team is prioritizing execution and discipline rather than complex strategic overhauls.

“Big thing is organization,” Medellin said. “You know, they know and understand process of our drills and then, discipline. We want to focus on the little things. That's what's going to help us win football games, not some big formula that we're bringing here that nobody knows about. We have the good players, we have athletes and coaches. We've got to focus on the little things.”


Idaho Falls has 21 seniors on the roster this year, nearly three times as many as the team had a season ago.

Offseason preparation also shifted to focus on physical development. Tigers quarterback Will Thompson highlighted the team's efforts in summer conditioning.

“We really struggled in the weight room these past few years, but that's really changed over the summer,” Thompson said. “This, this last summer, I think we've worked really hard in the weight room and I think we're a lot stronger than we've been in possible working harder.”

For the senior class, the upcoming season carries added meaning after navigating past difficulties. Senior linebacker James Richeson described how the team and fans share the desire for a turnaround.

“Even though they haven't been like actually experience loss of themselves, I think they've been around us who experienced them,” Richeson said. “And so they know. They know what, how, how much it means to us. But I mean, even like the fans, they can all experience it for themselves, too, because I'm pretty sure everyone's sick of losing.”

Among the team's targets is the annual Emotion Bowl rivalry game between Idaho Falls and Skyline. The winner of the rivalry match earns the right to paint the stadium goalposts in its team color.

“The orange goalposts,” Richeson said. “That's what I want to see.”


Idaho Falls will open its season at home against Shelley on Aug. 28.