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  • Leyton girls fall at home against Bridgeport

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Jan 14, 2015

    DALTON – After its shooting went ice cold in the third quarter, the Leyton High girls' basketball team wasn't able to duplicate its season-opening win over Bridgeport in a non-district game Tuesday night. The Lady Warriors record slipped to 4-6 following the 38-24 loss to a team two school sizes larger. Leyton, however, maintains a solid 2-1 mark in District D2-11. The Bulldogs' record improved to 7-4 and they sit at 1-2 in District C2-12. Dani McKay led the Warriors in scoring with six p...

  • Warrior boys struggle in defeat

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Jan 14, 2015

    DALTON – The latest renewal of a basketball rivalry that goes back many decades took place Tuesday night as Bridgeport beat Leyton in convincing fashion 67- 40 in a non-distict matchup. The Warriors' record slipped back to the .500 mark at 5-5 (3-0 District D2-11) while Bridgeport improved to 9-2 (2-1 District C2-12). Leyton was led in scoring by senior Cody McKay with 15 points, while sophomores Drew Brenner added 11 and Zach Hellie seven. Bridgeport's 6-5 junior forward Quentin Baxter was g...

  • Porter lives her dream

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Jan 13, 2015

    There is no bond with a tighter grip on Sidney High School graduate Abbi Porter than her family. But she sure loves volleyball too. Bring up the subject of volleyball with Porter and her eyes light up and a smile overwhelms her face from one ear to the next. She's wanted to play volleyball – and play it well – since she was a little girl. And she has spent countless hours in practice chasing that human illusion called perfection. After earning four varsity letters playing volleyball at Sid...

  • Sidney KOs Gering via late technical

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Jan 12, 2015

    With the seconds ticking away and opportunities for victory at Gering dwindling, Tyler Wintholz found himself just where he'd been much of the night – in perfect position to score. But with just seconds remaining, he would only get one chance. Despite being fouled, Wintholz proved steady and true while returning Lane Harvey's last-second drive through the hoop. It came just an instant before the final tick of the clock. The Wintholz deuce – helped in part by a fortuitous technical foul call – ca...

  • Lady Raiders win pair over the weekend

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Jan 12, 2015

    GERING – The Sidney High Lady Raiders took a big step forward over the weekend with a pair of wins over district opponents. Sidney improved its record to 7-5 on the season and more importantly are 3-0 in District B-6. They are now tied with Scottsbluff (4-4, 3-0) atop the district standings. Sidney began by breaking open a close contest at Gering (3-7, 1-1) midway through the second quarter on Friday night to win in convincing fashion, 44-29. Back home at the Cabela's Athletic Facility on S...

  • Sidney High wrestlers sweep Ogallala duals

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Jan 12, 2015

    OGALLALA – With lopsided wins over each of its five opponents, the Sidney High School wrestling team dominated the Ogallala Duals Tournament on Saturday. As an added bonus, senior Michael Muggli earned his 100th career victory in his first match of the day. Muggli (145 lbs.) brought down Wyatt Anderson of Gothenburg by pin at 1:36 of the first period. The Raiders went on to outpoint the Swedes 56-18. After finishing off Gothenburg, Sidney topped its four remaining competitors in similar f...

  • Sidney wrestlers capture title at Western Trails event

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Jan 9, 2015

    HEMINGFORD – With the help of three individual champions in Michael Muggli (145), Derek Robb (138) and Kaden Vowers (106), the Sidney Red Raiders won the Western Trails Conference wrestling meet by a substantial margin over eight other schools on Thursday. The Red Raiders scored 260.5 points with Bayard (206) and Mitchell (203) rounding out the top three. In addition to the three weight-class champions, Sindey piled up the team points with the help of 11 top-three placings. Colton Peckham (...

  • WESTERN TRAILS CONFERENCE RESULTS

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Jan 9, 2015

    TEAM SCORES 1. Sidney 260.5, 2. Bayard 206.0, 3. Mitchell 203.0, 4. Bridgeport 171.0, 5. Gordon/Rushville 159.0, 6. Hemingford 96.0, 7. Morrill 90.0, 8. Kimball 43.0, 9. Banner County 2.0 INDIVIDUAL RESULTS FOR SIDNEY H.S. 106 - Kaden Vowers (14-5) placed 1st Round 1 - Kaden Vowers (Sidney) 14-5 won by fall over Quin Child (Gordon/Rushville) 5-10 (Fall 0:33) Round 2 - Kaden Vowers (Sidney) 14-5 won by fall over David Miller (Mitchell) 4-9 (Fall 0:34) Round 3 - Kaden Vowers (Sidney) 14-5 won by...

  • Lady Raiders rally to down Kimball

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Jan 9, 2015

    KIMBALL – With less than 20 seconds to go in the third quarter at Kimball on Thursday night, the Sidney High girls' basketball team found themselves with the biggest deficit either squad had faced all night. Then Emily Mahr started to heat up. With the help of Mahr's hot hand, the Raiders took control of the game over the final 8:17 to win 46-38 against the Kimball Longhorns (4-3). The Raiders evened their record at 5-5 and remain at 1-0 in District B-6. For the Raiders, they will have little t...

  • Sidney cruises to 60-20 victory

    Stephen McKay|Jan 9, 2015

    KIMBALL – With games coming up on consecutive nights against a pair of district rivals, it would have been easy for the Sidney High boys’ basketball team to look past the Kimball Longhorns. But Sidney emerged from the visitors locker room with a unified message: Good teams beat the teams they are supposed to. And the Red Raiders did so in convincing fashion with a 60-20 win over the Longhorns of District C2-12. “Sure, looking past a team you’re supposed to beat is something we have to worry about,” said Sidney head coach Erik Kohl. “But if we c...

  • Talking Sports: With holidays over, let's get back in the swing of things

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Jan 8, 2015

    Not even three weeks have passed since my return to Sidney and much of that time was occupied by the lull of the holiday break. I haven’t seen much basketball and not until I get to Hemingford today will I see any wrestling. Nevertheless, with just a few basketball games under my belt, I have already noticed some impressive teams and performances. From the distance of the sidelines, it’s hard to tell from one season to the next how teams may suffer or benefit from the off-season changes. It’s a fact of life that players graduate and fresh...

  • Barrett helps carry Peetz past Storm

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Jan 7, 2015

    PEETZ, Colo. – As Jordan Buss of the Peetz High Bulldogs pulled up his dribble on a fast break late in the third quarter at Carlile Gymnasium Tuesday night, he suddenly heard a loud shout. "Behind you," yelled teammate Casey Barrett. Buss wheeled quickly and fed Barrett who nailed his second three-pointer in less time than it takes to order at the concession stand. The Barrett basket gave the Bulldogs a 51-42 lead when only seconds earlier the difference had been just three points. After a s...

  • Behrends' hot shooting propels CV girls

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Jan 7, 2015

    PEETZ, Colo. – Who would know better than a coach's daughter that practice makes perfect? Riding the hot hand of senior Jill Behrends, the Creek Valley High girls' basketball team (3-4, 1-1) stormed into Carlile Gymnasium in Peetz and cruised to a 54-38 win Tuesday night over the hometown Bulldogs (3-4, 1-1). Behrends, the daughter of Creek Valley boys' coach Roger Behrends, clicked at an impressive 43 percent from behind the arc on her way to scoring a game-high 22 points. Jessie Straber and Al...

  • Mahr making her mark

    Stephen McKay|Jan 6, 2015

    Throughout many a heated athletic contest, Sarah Mahr may be best remembered around these parts for a warrior's face that revealed an absolute desire to win – or at least a willingness to pour everything she had into the effort. But when the clock stopped and that stare of determination melted away, there quickly emerged a different Sarah. With a disposition so charming, easy going and humble it often belied a young woman with her considerable talent and drive. The last time Mahr was seen playin...

  • Lady Raiders fall in championship game of tourney

    Stephen McKay|Jan 5, 2015

    It was a tale of two very different games for the Sidney High Lady Raiders in the Cabela's Holiday Tournament. They mauled the Gothenburg Swedes in the opener, but were bitten hard by the Wheatland (Wyo.) Bulldogs in the championship game. The Raiders (4-5) struggled to get on track against the Bulldogs as they managed just a single field goal in the first 15:59 of the game in the 41-23 loss. Wheatland, a big team with a long history of success in Wyoming, has won state championships as...

  • Sidney captures Cabela's Holiday title

    Stephen McKay|Jan 5, 2015

    When Sidney High's Cutter O'Connell shook the twine from three-point range midway through the fourth quarter of the Cabela's Holiday Tournament championship game on Saturday afternoon, a 28-minute struggle suddenly morphed into a four-minute romp. After a long battle, the Red Raiders pulled away from Chase County, 64-57, to win the Angler's Division of the Cabela's tournament. It was the first time Sidney had claimed a Cabela's crown since 2012. On Friday night, the Raiders smothered Gothenburg...

  • Talking Sports - Turn the calendar as we re-embark on winter sports

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Jan 2, 2015

    I trust you’ve all had a pleasant and relaxing holiday break. If you settled down for a long winters nap with the children nestled all snug in their beds, get ready because the alarm clock is about to ring. The blank spots on the sports schedule are few over the next couple of months. The action returns to the hardwood this afternoon with the opening of the abbreviated two-day Cabela’s Holiday Tournament at Sidney high and middle schools. Previews of the Sidney teams path to a hopeful championship appeared in Wednesday’s edition of the Sun-T...

  • Red Raiders set for weekend challenge

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Dec 31, 2014

    You can hear the excitement radiating from the voice of Sidney boys' basketball coach Erik Kohl when he talks about the upcoming Cabela's Holiday Tournament in Sidney. As a man who loves well executed basketball, he's looking forward to the challenge of playing in a bracket with three other quality teams. "This is a fun tournament for us and we're all really excited by the quality of the teams here," said Kohl after a morning practice this week. "It's going to be great fun because we're facing...

  • Sidney girls' aim to get on track

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Dec 31, 2014

    Despite some early season struggles, the Sidney Red Raiders girls’ basketball team can take comfort in a not too dissimilar scenario that opened the 2013-14 season. At the conclusion of the Cabela’s Holiday Tournament last season, the eventual Class B-6 champions were just a game over .500. They eked out a three-point victory against Gothenburg in the tournament’s final game. Sidney enters the 2015 tournament at 3-4 after giving up a fourth-quarter lead against Fort Morgan in its last game before the break. A win over Alliance earlier in the s...

  • 2014: A look back

    Stephen McKay|Dec 30, 2014

    Highlighting the year in high school sports for 2014, the Sidney High girls' basketball team rallied from 12 points down in the final quarter against Gering last winter to win the district title. Lady Raider Cody Rowley looks on in disbelief, along with teammates Katelin Cole (left) and Abbi Porter. Above right, the Sidney track team's Brody McKnight receives the baton from Jachob Wiedeburg during the district track meet. Turn to pages10A and 11A for a wrap up of the high school sports season,... Full story

  • YEAR IN REVIEW - 2014: A look back at high school sports

    Stephen McKay|Dec 30, 2014

    As 2014 grows old and its grip on the present grows ever more feeble, the chance for one last look at some highlights of the past 12 months has arrived. While 2015 eagerly awaits its opportunity to reveal the many secrets it has held near since the beginning of time, our chances to reconnect with the present will be plentiful soon enough. In our backward glance over a year in high school sports, the catch phrase from the old television program, "ABC's Wide World of Sports," comes to mind: "The t...

  • Getting back into the groove

    Stephen McKay|Dec 30, 2014

    Sidney High School's Cutter O'Connell, center, tries to break through a swarming defense that includes Yeager Price (No. 25) during practice Tuesday morning. The Red Raiders, who are preparing to host the annual Cabela's Holiday Tournament, will get started against Gothenburg on Friday at 7 p.m. Sidney's Maddie Stafford, left, drives toward the hoop against Abby Heller during practice Tuesday morning. The Lady Raiders will open up the Cabela's Holiday Tournament at 5:30 p.m. on Friday against... Full story

  • Former Grand Island assistant tabbed as new Sidney football coach

    Stephen McKay|Dec 29, 2014

    Chris Koozer, an assistant coach at Grand Island Senior High School for 12 of the past 13 years, has been named to succeed Todd Ekart as Sidney High School's head football coach, the Sun-Telegraph learned this morning. Koozer, 35, will make his move to Sidney next summer with his wife, Amy, and three sons before taking on his new responsibilities. He'll finish out the school year in Grand Island, where he is also a hurdlers coach for the track team. His responsibilities with the Islanders'...

  • Talking Sports: Round 2: Ready to again capture local sports moments

    Stephen McKay, Sports Writer|Dec 24, 2014

    “Fellow countrymen: At this second appearing to take the oath of the presidential office, there is less occasion for an extended address than there was at the first.” In other words, I’ll be brief this go around. Also I’m afraid, whatever follows in this space – on this day or any other day – will never be near as brilliant as Lincoln’s second inaugural address. Fortunately, since I am only entering my second term as a sportswriter in Sidney and not as the head of a nation in crisis, it doesn’t need to be. It can be reasonably surmised that one...

  • Sidney bowlers step up in class for new season

    Stephen McKay|Dec 23, 2014

    With the move up from Class C to Class B, it's not just the competition that's became tougher for the Sidney High School bowling team. So too has long-distance travel become a challenge. Despite playing in a conference with a group of eastern Nebraska teams, Sidney took a respite from the usual rigors of its travel schedule on Saturday by playing in its only home match of the season. Both the Sidney boys' and girls' teams split a pair of matches against conference foes at Cedar Lanes. The girls...

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