Sidney powers to 54-28 win at Gering to set up battle for district title

It may be that the only ones more exhausted than the Raiders football players after Friday night’s road win were the Sidney cheerleaders.

Once Logan Lewis was sprung for an 81-yard touchdown run with the help of a Lucas Rosenbaum block 1:46 into the first quarter, the Sidney Red Raiders put themselves in front for good - and were also well on their way to exhausting the already tired muscles of their cheerleaders.

Powered by a 545-yard rushing attack the Raiders blew past the Gering Bulldogs at Gering Memorial Stadium 54-28 to remain undefeated in Class B District 8 play. The Raiders overall record advanced to 5-3 and their district mark is now 2-0.

Uplifted by their perfomance but exhausted by their effort, the Raiders had every right to feel a little weary after the game. But for those who cheer for them the hardest, it’s been a rough couple of weeks.

Since the Raider cheer squad has taken it upon itself to do a as many pushups after every score as the Raiders have points on the board - they may now have accumulated more up-downs than the football team did all during training camp. The count at Gering would have been 248 pushups. With a 52-point output at Alliance the week before, the count would have been nearly as high.

Tired tricep muscles aside, the win puts the Raiders in position for a district championship next week when they host the Scottsbluff Bearcats at Weymouth Field. The Bearcats upped their record to 6-2 on the season Friday with a 36-27 win over Alliance at Bearcat Stadium. The week before Scottsbluff rubbed out Gering 42-12 in another home game to keep Scottsbluff perfect (2-0) in district play, as well.

The Bearcats and Raiders will now settle the matter of district supremacy next week at 7 p.m.

“This is what we hoped and worked for from the beginning of the season,” said the Raiders Head Coach Todd Ekart. “So it’s Scottbluff week now and we have an opportunity to play for a district championship and we’re excited about that.”

Lewis’ opening score of the game was the first of what would be four touchdowns on the night for the senior back. Along the way he ran for 282 yards on 34 carries. It is the third time in 2013 that Lewis has exceeded 200 yards in a game and his seventh time over 100. His season total stands now at 1,471 yards.

Alongside Lewis all season has been junior Chance Anglin, who himself surpassed the 1,000-yard mark this week. Anglin ran for 182 yards on 18 carries for a season total of 1,161. Anglin has run for more than 100 yards on six occassions this year.

“They all say it starts with us,” said Raiders lineman Dylan Haas. “But we’ve got to give it to those ball carriers. They know where to go and they really know how to run hard.”

Anglin created a mutual-admiration society with his comments concerning team that now has two 1,000-yard backs.

“Yeah, that’s aswsome,” Anglin said. “It’s really about our offensive line that does their job every week and makes it easier for us.”

When Lewis made his 81-yard dash, it was just the Raiders second offensive play of the game. Gering went three-and-out on its first possession. But the Bulldogs answered the Raiders back on their second offensive series. They put together a drive that ran for 10 plays in four minutes that culminated in a nine-yard pass play from quarterback Dillon De Mott to running back Gage Smith.

The ‘Dogs finished their attack despite some good defense by the Wintholz brothers. Tyler first tackled Smith for a three-yard loss on a first-and-10 play. Then Tucker and Tyler teamed up to bring down De Mott five yards behind the line forcing Gering into a second-and-15.

Smith, the Bulldogs talented senior back is a skilled kicker too. He was a perfect four-for-four booting extra points. He also went over 1,000-rushing yards for the season.

Sidney took its 8-7 first quarter advantage and multiplied it with three unanswered scores before the half. Anglin tallied the first of the three after a eight play 85-yard procession that took just 2:11. Anglin opened the drive with an eight-yard bolt and finished it with an 11 yarder while Lewis did all the work in between.

Lewis took the ball on six consecutive carries in which he gained four first downs. The longest was a run of 27 yards which brought Sidney to the Gering 15. Two plays later Anglin did his thing up the middle for a 14-7 Raider advantage.

Michael Deaver took center stage on the next touchdown. He ran 28 yards down the visitors sideline to cap off a 55-yard march with 4:58 left in the half.

Gering’s ensuing offensive series was notable only for the work of Raider freshman Peyton Hill. When Smith tried a run up the middle, Hill flattened him before he could get a full two yards. He then showed what he could do on pass coverage by breaking up De Mott’s pass attempt on the next play. Gering punted two plays later in a four-and-out.

The Raiders upped their advantage to 28-7 following another Lewis touchdown. The highlight of the drive was a 21-yard pass completion from Lane Harvey to Nick Conger that gave Sidney a first down at the Bulldogs 25. Lewis toted the rock the final 11 yards. The ensuing kickoff was pushed by Rosenbaum towards the Sidney bench. Coach Ekart showed he still has a little something left as he fielded the ball on the Raider sideline with a quick reaction.

Gering nearly ended its scoring drought when a long pass from De Mott to Ryan Schwartzkopf was completed inside the Raiders 20. But Schwartzkopf fumbled the rock soon after taking control and Hill came up with it. Sidney put itself in position for a long field-goal attempt before the half, but Rosenbaum’s boot missed.

The Bulldogs were the first to score in the second half. The seven pointer cut their deficit to 28-14 with most of the second half remaining. Smith ran it in from the three and booted the point after too.

In the process of advancing their advantage to 34-14, Raider fans were treated to a rare sight. A giant-blue blob - more than six feet high and just as wide - was seen moving down the field at a steady pace. When the creature was finally slain after 11-yards of progress towards the Sidney goal line the layers of its existence were peeled back. Lane Harvey was the last to emerge. It was Harvey’s legs, in the middle of a sea of Gering jerseys, that had powered the beast forward.

Five plays after Harvey’s 11-yard run, Lewis went the final four for a 20-point lead with 20 seconds left in the third stanza.

On the Raiders first fourth-quarter possession, they were forced to go 99 yards after a Bulldog punt was downed at the one. A 35-yard jaunt by Anglin and a 28-yard pass completion from Harvey to Rosenbaum did most of the damage in the eight-play assault. Harvey finished it when he plowed up the middle from the five and a 42-14 lead.

Gering answered right back with a 65-yard touchdown march that was accomplished in seven plays. A couple of De Mott-to-Schwartzkopf pass plays accounted for 32 of the yards and Smith was responsible for the final 15 with 6:01 left in the game.

But just 2:23 later Sidney was back in the endzone. The Raiders went 55 yards on the ground on eight carries by Anglin and Lewis. Two of Anglin’s run accounted 31 yards but Lewis toted the pigskin the final yard for a 48-21 lead.

Gering’s attempt to respond was short lived when Deaver intercepted a De Mott pass and returned it 58 yards to the Bulldogs seven. With Brady Radcliff now calling the signals, Ryan Secrest took his handoff and went in on a fourth-and-five play.

“I was reading my man and I looked over at my teammate,” said Deaver of his interception. “(Radcliffe) was playing a good defense and he got the guy to bobble the ball up and I just grabbed it.”

Gering nearly ran back the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown but Radcliff managed to drag Schwartzkopt down from behind at the 30. The ‘Dogs scored anyway with :34 seconds left in the game when back-up sophomore quarterback Austin Hoffman fired a strike to Deion Contreras on the first play from scrimmage.