Sidney will miss Anglin, should have strong backfield in 2015

Since his arrival in 2010, Sidney High head coach Todd Ekart has always had the luxury of a deep backfield of talented runners. For a man in love with offensive balance, Ekart's running backs over the last four seasons have given him just that.

The work of those backfields didn't begin to bear fruit until last season, when Logan Lewis' 2,253-yard and 20-score senior campaign, combined with Chance Anglin's 1,296-yard season led Sidney to the second round of the Class B state playoffs.

Coming into this season, the Red Raiders knew the loss of Lewis would sting a bit.

But they were confident that Anglin could take the reigns as the top back, supported by up and coming juniors Jake Heeren and Hunter Secrest. Michael Muggli – after a two-season hiatus from football – also returned for his senior year as an all-purpose sweep back. Those four runners gave the Sidney faithful many reasons to be excited about this season's offense.

And as expected, the backfield was the spine of Sidney's offense in 2014. All told, in 10 games this season, those four runners combined for 2,414 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Anglin was well on pace towards another 1,000-yard season over the first four games before a lower leg injury sidelined him for four weeks. That's when Heeren and Secrest really emerged, leading Sidney to a 3-1 record without its top back. Heeren ran for 200 or more yards in back-to-back weeks against Scottsbluff and Alliance and became Sidney's go-to back while Anglin recovered.

Against Gering in the season-finale, Anglin made his much-anticipated return and sliced through the winless Bulldog defense for 101 yards on five carries. He struggled in the Seward game, running for just 57 yards on 12 carries. The Bluejays zeroed in on him and he had a few sizable gains, but was mostly held in check.

The 24-14 loss to Seward was a heartbreaking end for Sidney and its senior class. It was a game that was within the Red Raiders' reach, but they were plagued by untimely mistakes and a special teams unit that gambled too many times on short kickoffs.

Anglin will be missed next season as much as Lewis was this season. But one of the best ways to recover from a painful loss is to think about the potential of next year.

Fleeting images of Heeren busting through tackles from an elite Seward defense en route to 110 yards and a TD should toggle through the minds of most Sidney fans.

Yes, the future is bright for the Sidney backfield.

Heeren and Secrest should be back for their senior years and figure to form a dynamic duo of a power run game.

The Sidney faithful got a glimpse of freshman Derek Robb and his ability in the Gering game when he racked up 156 yards and three scores on six carries. Robb finished his freshman season with 203 yards on 17 carries.

Coby Haas, another freshman, saw limited action this season with the varsity, but was impressive when he did, using his excellent vision and quick first step to mount a couple of memorable long runs. He ran for 64 yards on just seven carries this season.

Junior Josh Austad was explosive when he got carries this season. Next year, he'll be another senior who provides valuable experience in big games. Austad picked up 135 yards and a score on 17 touches in 2014.

Sophomore Jack Feddersen is a tough runner for being just 130 pounds. He hits the holes hard and has good speed when he gets to the second level. He only picked up 29 yards this season, but he should be in the mix for time in the 2015 backfield.

After a strong campaign with the JV squad, freshman Mitch Rolls also has a shot to earn a place in the Raider varsity backfield next season.

"I think our running back situation is very good," Ekart said. "It's up to those kids to work hard in the offseason and get better. When we start the season there are no guaranteed positions. I think our success will depend on how these guys compete with each other in the offseason to get better."