Ten to Remember

The Sidney Sun-Telegraph was treated to many an exciting game during this past season. We saw clutch last-second shots, dramatic comebacks, exciting wins and even a few heart breaking losses. There was even an emotional win for a beloved coach who was temporarily sent to the sidelines.

Here, then is our top-10 list in no particular order - with one clear exception.

Sidney 45, Gering 43 (Girls) at WNCC - Feb. 28

Considering how much was on the line and how unlikely the task, it's hard to look past the girls Class B-6 District championship game at Western Nebraska Community College as the most exciting game of the year. In fact, it might even be the best game in many a year.

Though the Raiders trailed for most of the contest as they struggled to break a well excecuted 2-3 zone by Gering, they found themselves in a most desperate situation with 5:33 left. Down by 12 points Katelin Cole began the momentum change when she sank a pair of free throws.

Later Sarah Mahr made two steals on consecutive Bulldogs possessions which she converted into a pair of field goals. Abbi Porter and Cole also added buckets in the defining 16-2 fourth-quarter run.

Fittingly enough, the game winner came from Mahr - the Raiders leading scorer. She dropped in the district championship winner just before the final buzzer sounded.

"Coach Shaw told us to fight to the end so that we would never have any doubts," said Mahr afterwards.

The game - in which the five seniors started - earned the Raiders a district championship and a trip to state. The seniors then had the opportunity to finish their careers in the new most hallowed baskeball hall in Nebraska - the Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Gering 71, Sidney 69 (boys)- Feb. 7

Sidney 56, Scottsbluff 54 (boys) - Feb. 8

Chadron 48, Sidney 46 (boys) - Feb. 14

When the Gering Bulldogs' Jose Polomo drained a fade-away jumper to beat the Sidney Red Raiders on Feb. 7, it was just the beginning of a heart-stopping three-game stretch for Coach Erik Kohl and his troops.

The next night Sidney was on the right side of a two-point final against another tough district rival shocking Scottsbluff at the Cabela's Athletic Facility. Six days hence the Raiders were again stung in the final seconds. This time Chadron's Keenan Johnson dropped in a short jumper to edge Sidney 48-46 on the road.

"Back to back nights," Kohl told the Sun-Telegraph after the Scottsbluff nail biter. "I'd hate to have someone check my blood pressure right now."

Depite the loss to Gering, the Raiders proved their grit as they clawed their way back from a 7-point halftime hole. In fact, in the final quarter, Sidney trailed by as many as 9. Lane Harvey drained a three pointer to get the Raiders started on their comeback road.

Later Paxton Ehler and Harvey sank back-to-back layups to start an 8-0 run. Ehler then had a big hand in completing the run when he made a steal for two points and then fed Logan Lewis for the lead.

Against Scottsbluff, it was somewhat a reverse of the Gering contest of the previous evening. Sidney held a 47-40 lead with 3:30 left in the final period. It was just about two minutes later, however, that Sidney's lead was just a single point. Lucas Rosenbaum helped stem the tied with 4 straight points and a steal.

But as is often the case with Scottsbluff, their outstanding stable of shooters never go quietly. One of these talented guns, Trent Harris, dropped in consecutive bombs, turning the final minutes into a nail-biting affair. Solid free throw shooting down the stretch helped stave off the Raiders rivals.

The final game in the string of heart stoppers came after the long bus ride to the "Bird Cage" in Chadron. It was a back-and-forth contest the whole way. Seconds before Johnson sank the game winning shot, Ehler hit one from downtown that looked for all the world like the game winner.

Instead, for the second time in six days, Sidney was turned back on a last-second shot. It was another classic game in which neither team could gain more than a three-point advantage over the final seven minutes.

Leyton 52, Minatare 39 (boys) - Feb. 27

It wasn't decided by a last-second shot or a dramatic run but it was big win for the Leyton Warriors.

On the final day of January the Indians had turned back the Warriors in Minatare 61-54 after Leyton allowed a 30-26 halftime lead get away from them. But when the stakes were raised and the pair met again in the subdistrict finals, Leyton would not yield.

Though the Warriors went 11:59 without a field goal late in the second half, they more than weathered the storm brought on by the talented shooting corps of the Indians. Leyton kept themselves afloat with solid free-throw shooting and even better defense. Brennen Cruise helped end the field-goal drought when he hit Alex W. Frerichs with a long pass to the Indians doorstep.

"We stayed calm and let the defense win," said Frerichs in summation.

The Warriors were led in scoring by the usual suspects as Cody McKay (18 points), Dylan Brenner (15) and Cruise (13) all scored in double figures. The win left Leyton just one win from their third straight trip to Lincoln.

Creek Valley 52, Sedgwick Co. 49 (girls), OT - Dec. 20

With the Creek Valley Storm trailing by three points and the game clock nearing its expiration, Jill Behrends had the ball in perfect position to tie the game. Instead, she was descended upon by a pair of Sedgwick County defenders. Rather than taking the impossible shot, Behrends spotted teammate Summer Mueller at the top of the key.

As the saying goes, Mueller hit nothing but net from three pointville to send the contest into overtime. Mueller was so focused on business she didn't even hear the buzzer in her effort to apply defensive pressure.

She finally understood regulation had ended when her teammates mobbed her with hugs and back slaps.

"I could see that (Behrends) was getting swarmed so I found an open spot and started yelling," Mueller said afterwards. "She's a really smart basketball player. She never would have taken that shot with those girls all over her."

Jerry Straber scored just 10 seconds into the overtime to send the Storm on its way to the thrilling overtime victory.

Potter-Dix 30, Leyton 28 (girls) - Dec. 17

The Coyotes' Taylor Juelfs scored 13 of her game high 16 points in the fourth quarter, including a trio of three pointers to power Potter-Dix get past rival Leyton.

"We've been playing with most of them since we were little kids," said the Coyotes' Morgan Wolff. "This is a rivalry game so it's a very uplifting win."

Despite trailing by as many as seven points in the final frame at 26-19, the Coyotes continued to battle. With 18 seconds left, Juelfs received a pass from Wolff and dropped in her third trey of the quarter to knot the game at 28. Potter-Dix then went into a full-court press and forced the Warriors into a turnover.

On the ensuing Coyotes possession freshman Alexus Rozelle found Juelfs on the doorstep for the game winning basket.

"I knew she would do what she needed to do to make that shot," said Rozelle of her confidence in her senior teammate.

Sidney 52, Gering 45 (girls) - Feb. 7

With their rivals from Gering perched one spot higher on the NSAA points list and the regular season fast coming to a close, the Red Raiders faced a big challenge on enemy soil.

Though it wasn't a contest decided with a dramatic final-second shot it was a statement game. It helped establish the Raiders as the top seed in the upcoming district tournament. The game also sent a message to Gering they had better pay closer attention to Sarah Mahr.

The Sidney senior scored a school record 30 points in the contest in a 52-45 win. Sidney scored 13 points in every quarter but there was no bad luck coming. The Raiders ultimately captured that No. 1 seed which helped them on their way to the state tournament.

"It's nice," said the humble senior with a smile after being informed by Assistant Coach Matt McKay of her school record.

Another Raiders record was set that night too. Abbi Porter, who had another five blocks, had earlier in the season broken the school record for most blocks in a game, season and career.

Against rival Scottsbluff she had first 8 and then 9 blocks to break the single-game record. Porter set a new season and career mark with every block she made from about the midpoint of the season.

Katelin Cole also finished the season with the season three-point record.

Potter-Dix 61, Minatare 53 (boys) - Jan. 23

When the MAC Tournament arrived Potter-Dix had to face top seeded and undefeated Minatare (9-0) in game one. Before the contest the Coyotes, who came in with a mark of 6-5, weren't the least bit worried. In fact, the last time the Indians lost was in the subdistrict finals in 2013. It was Potter-Dix that handed Minatare that last taste of defeat.

"Nothing scares us. We believe we can play with anybody," said Tyler Magninie of the Coyotes pre-game mindset.

When Potter-Dix jumped out to a 16-2 lead in the first quarter at Sidney Middle School the underdogs sure didn't look worried. It may have shaken a lesser bunch when Minatare responded with an 11-2 burst to finish the opening eight minutes, but the Coyotes kept the faith.

Ultimately, it was a game of runs, but no matter how hard the Indians charged they could never quite catch Potter-Dix. When Minatare would pull close Magninie (17 points), Bryant Knigge (16), Trevor Harms (12) and Jake Johnson (8) had an answer. Usually, though, it was the entire group playing in concert with a solid team effort from start to finish.

"We respected Minatare. Anytime a team wins nine straight games that will get your attention," said Coyotes Head Coach Chad Miller.

Peetz 57, Creek Valley 53 (girls) - Jan. 7

With Bulldogs' Head Coach Tera Segelke absent from the sidelines due to doctors orders, emotions were running high in Chappell. Whatever feelings ran through the players on the Peetz bench - sophomore Jodi Schumacher was positively inspired.

"I don't want to say we won this for (Segelke) but I think there were a lot of emotions in this one," said Acting Head Coach Trevor Brady. "Even though she wasn't here she gets the credit for preparing these girls to be able to handle a team as good as Creek Valley."

After a tame first half, an offensive war broke out in the third quarter, with the Bulldogs getting the best of their hosts 27-22. There were seven net benders from beyond the arc in the third with Schumacher hitting four of them - all in the final 4:08 of the quarter.

Jerry Straber played the foil to Schumacher, however, as she flexed the twine for 11 third-period points. Though briefly tied in the third, the Bulldogs jumped out to a 10-point lead. The Storm's attempt to reel the Bulldogs back in fell short in the final eight minutes.

"I just kept on shooting and kept on making them. I guess it was just my night," said Schumacher in summary.