Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
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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...
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
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'...
“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...
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...
It may be a little misleading to consider that a Dane McConnell layup early in the first quarter gave the Creek Valley Storm a lead it would never relinquish. While the Storm boys were never headed and only twice tied, it wasn't until the final eight minutes that they were finally able to put away the Banner County Wildcats . Never appearing in any real danger, however, Creek Valley cruised to a 46-36 win on home ground Saturday night. It improved to 3-3, while their district mark remained at...
Many of the players selected to play in the Mid-Plains Area All-Star Basketball Game on Friday night were playing in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium at North Platte Community College for the first time and only time. For Sidney's Sarah Mahr it was likely just the first of many such experiences. Mahr, who not only was the leading scorer for the Class B-6 District Champion Sidney Red Raiders, she was also the leading scorer for the Gold Team. As she did the previous week at Scottsbluff, she topped...
It looks as though the Sidney American Legion seniors have short memories. Less than 24 hours after being no hit by Buckley at Legion Field on Wednesday, Post 17 swung their bats with a vengeance in Torrington, exploding for 14 hits in a 15-14 win over the Torrington Tigers at Dan Bullock Stadium. Travis Garska (2-0) earned the win after coming on in relief of Austin Pile, who left with the game tied after six. Pile was charged with 10 runs, only five of which were earned. Though plagued by...
Keaton Wakefield steals second base in the third inning.... Full story
The Buckley Bombers from Chappell looked a little out of sorts after their first-inning rally was cut short by a technical fault--batting out of order. But the way pitcher Chance Dunker dominated the mound, it didn't really matter. With a no hitter served up to Sidney Post 17 by Dunker, the Bombers first inning mishap was quickly forgotten. They went on to an 11-1 win in a game which hit the 10-run rule after six innings. The juniors also had a disappointing end to their night as they let a 3-0...
I suppose Sidney Girls Head Basketball Coach Tyler Shaw said it best. In fact it made so much sense to him - and to me - he said it on multiple occasions. “They make good humans in Sidney,” he said. Right you are, coach. No arguments from me. They import good humans, too. Perhaps it’s something in the air that affects whoever graces this area of western Nebraska. I don’t know that anyone deserves to receive so much kindness as I have over the past 13-plus months, but I’m grateful. It’s not just since I’ve made it known that I’m moving on from... Full story
Mitch Rolls slides safely into third base.... Full story
Post 17 had to play without T.J. Garska for the season's opening two weeks. They found out Tuesday night it was well worth the wait. Thanks to a stellar pitching performance by Garska and strong hitting from Bradey Holtz and Scott Phillips, Sidney turned back Hershey Post 279 in Sutherland 8-1. The juniors were less fortunate as Hershland won in walk-off fashion, 5-4. Though used primarily in a closer's roll at Spring Hill High School in Longview, Texas, Garska was given the ball on this night...
Keaton Wakefield hits the deck after fouling a ball off his foot.... Full story
Even after a highly contested Republican primary in which each U.S. Senate candidate strove to prove he was more conservative than the next, Democratic candidate Dave Domina still believes centrism is the answer. Domina began his town hall on Friday morning at the Coffee Corner by praising Sidney's successes. "Think it would be a mistake not to start by saying congratulations to Sidney on the new hospital and lots of things being built around town," he said. He compared the differences and...
The Sidney senior American Legion team exploded for six runs in the top of the fourth inning to fuel a 10-6 win and a Post 17 junior-senior sweep at Ogallala on Friday night. The junior nine opened the evening with a 6-2 triumph as Keaton Wakefield went the distance to get the win. Severe weather was a constant threat throughout the game, causing Sidney Coach Mark Onstott to think in terms of winning a four-inning contest. Though the rain didn't come in earnest until shortly after the final out...
Perhaps it was Red Team Co-Head Coach Jay Ehler who summed up how much of the 20th Annual Panhandle Prep All-Star Game was fun and how much was competition. "I'm always competitive so competition is fun for me," said Ehler. Fun or competitive or likely both, there was plenty of panhandle pride to be had as five locals suited up in the annual contest at Cougar Palace in Scottsbluff on Friday. On the Red Team were Creek Valley's Lane Godfrey and a Sidney trio of Paxton Ehler, Logan Lewis and...
Not since Grant and Lee signed a treaty at Appomattox Court House 149 years ago has civil war been so close to home. But as the Blue and the Gray - or rather the Blue and the Red - did battle at Cougar Palace in Scottsbluff in the 20th Annual Panhandle Prep All-Star Basketball Game, three Sidney players suited up for the Blue while one stood in opposition. With Sidney's Abbi Porter wearing the garb of the Red All-Stars and Raiders' Sarah Mahr, Katelin Cole and Cody Rowley parading their muskets...
The young and shorthanded Creek Valley Storm golf team finished at the back of the pack at the 2014 Class D NSAA Boys State Golf Championships at Kearney Country Club, yet there were plenty of valuable lessons learned. Creek Valley's top player, senior Lane Godfrey, gave a lesson in the art of the possible when he medaled, finishing in a tie for 11th. While Godfrey only picked up the game in 9th grade when his scores hovered somewhere in the "one hundred teens," he turned himself into a...
Joe Van Winkle gets a worms-eye view of his putting line.... Full story
Unlike the cloudy, cold and windy conditions that greeted competitors at last year's event, the 2014 Class D NSAA Boys Golf Championships were held under a bright sun that baked the near motionless air around Kearney Country Club to more than 90 degrees. For the 97 high school golfers, including four from Creek Valley, who teed it up on Wednesday the scorching conditions seemed to be a welcome change. As the only Creek Valley player to take part in last year's event, Lane Godfrey lowered his...
With state golf underway in four different Nebraska cities, the official end to the 2013-2014 NSAA sports season is fast coming to a close. It would be difficult to recount each dramatic moment of every team over the past school year - there were just too many. But there were certain moments and games that won’t be forgotten for a long time by many. Employed to document the local sports scene I was privileged to go along for the ride on several trips to state tournaments. I don’t think I would ever bother trying to distinguish one great mom...
Joe Van Winkle chips.... Full story
Though Sidney's Keaton Wakefield drove a fastball over the right-field fence in the opener of a twin bill at Legion Park Tuesday evening, he was just getting warmed up. In a couple of high scoring affairs, the Sidney American Legion teams advanced their respective records past .500 with a double header sweep over Hershland. The juniors (2-1) first outlasted their guests 13-11. The seniors (4-3) then finished off a nail biter 10-9. Starter Erik Doty earned the win for the juniors while Ben Goble...
Creek Valley's Lane Godfrey tees off on the par-3 second hole at the 2014 Class D NSAA Golf Championships at Kearney Country Club Wednesday morning. Four Storm golfers--Lane Godfrey, Brett Godfrey, Cory Phillips and Joe Van Winkle are participating. Full story of the first round in Thursday's paper.... Full story
