Sidney loses shootout with Scottsbluff, 37-28

Trailing Scottsbluff by 17 points late in the third quarter on Friday night, the Sidney High football team put together a furious rally to get within three late in the fourth.

However, the Red Raiders couldn't stop the Bearcats' machine-like running game at the end when it needed to the most. Sidney fell 37-28 at Weymouth Field to fall to 5-2 overall.

Sidney took to the ball to start the game and drove 79 yards down field before turning the ball over on downs at the Scottsbluff 1-yard line. The Bearcats responded by going 99 yards with a one-two punch of senior back Ty Benson and junior Brad Johnston. Johnston dominated the drive, running for 74 yards on the scoring drive that gave Scottsbluff a 7-0 lead with 3:24 left in the first quarter.

On the first play of the Red Raiders' second possession, senior quarterback Lane Harvey let it fly, finding sophomore wideout Alex Linneman for 22 yards down the home sideline. Two plays later, he laid a perfect ball out to junior receiver Tyler Wintholz in stride for 32 yards and the score. The two-point conversion was successful and Sidney took an 8-7 lead just 58 seconds after the Bearcats' opening score.

Behind Benson and Johnston, the Bearcats marched 55 yards down the field in methodical fashion and scored to go up 14-8.

The next Sidney series started off shaky when senior Michael Muggli was dropped behind the line for a loss of three yards.

But Harvey connected with Wintholz again – this time for 17 yards over the middle and then Heeren finished the job, busting off a 46-yard gain down the sideline for the TD. After a failed two-point try, the game was knotted 14-14.

A strong Heeren kickoff pinned the Bearcats deep for the second time in the game, but Scottsbluff again managed to construct a long scoring drive. Senior quarterback Jackson Hinze showed off his legs throughout the drive and led Scottsbluff 84 yards for the go-ahead TD. Sidney trailed 21-14 with 2:20 left in the first half.

Scottsbluff got the ball back after a quick three-and-out by Sidney and moved the ball to the Red Raider 38. Hinze attempted a 55-yard field goal that was well short and the score remained 21-14 as the two teams headed into the locker rooms at intermission.

Needing a big stop to open the second half, the Sidney defense continued to get run over by the Scottsbluff ground game. Then, Hinze fired a sneaky pass over the middle to senior tight end Matthew Mickey, who took it 45 yards for the score. Suddenly the Sidney side of the stadium fell silent as the Bearcats looked in control, up 28-14.

Sidney was just shy of midfield on its next series when Harvey was intercepted by junior Esaeah Ingram on an out route toward the home sideline. It was Harvey's third interception of the season.

But the Red Raider defense finally got a stop and picked up its quarterback after the turnover. Sidney was pinned deep at their own 8 after the Scottsbluff punt, but on the first play, junior back Hunter Secrest coughed up the ball. The Bearcats recovered the fumble on Sidney's 18.

Again the Sidney defense toughened up and kept Scottsbluff out of the end zone. Hinze nailed a 35-yard field goal to put his team up 31-14 with 3:22 left in the third quarter.

Down three scores and running out of time, the Sidney offense didn't panic. It stuck with its running game and it didn't fail them.

On a second and nine from the Red Raider 25, Heeren ripped off his second monster gain of the night, breaking away for 54 yards up the middle. Two plays later, he added another 16-yard run up the gut, running over a couple of Scottsbluff tacklers in his way.

Heeren, who racked up 201 yards on 15 carries, said he was just taking what the defense gave him throughout the night.

"Our line was getting a good push and on the zones I kept seeing a cutback. There was a hole there so I just hit it hard and ran."

Muggli ran an 11-yard sweep into the end zone for the score and Sidney was back within 11 points after an unsuccessful two-point try.

The Sidney defense stood tall once again and the offense rewarded it on the next series. Harvey hooked up with Wintzholz twice for 51 yards and the score, while Heeren and Secrest added 22 more yards on the ground. A converted two-point try brought Sidney within three points and the home crowd was rocking again.

Sidney needed one more stop, but after a mostly dormant fourth quarter, the Scottsbluff offense rekindled itself on the strength of its backfield. It was tough sledding for the Bearcats as the Red Raiders' defense really dug in and didn't allow the big gains Scottsbluff had gotten in the first half.

Still, the Bearcats bit off small chunks of yardage and survived a fourth and one on their own 39 to keep the drive going. It took them 19 plays, but they drove 70 yards for the dagger TD. Hinze missed the extra point, but Scottsbluff still led 37-28 with 1:17 left to play.

Junior safety Austin Jacobson suffered a concussion in the second quarter.

For Scottsbluff, Benson and Johnston combined for 266 yards and four scores on 49 touches. Hinze scrambled for 83 yards on 12 keepers, while Harvey completed nine of 15 passes for 177 yards to go along with a pair of TDs and an interception. Wintholz accounted for 136 of those yards and both touchdowns on seven receptions.

Sidney will try to get back on track when it travels to Alliance (2-5) on Friday. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.