Red Raiders to face Chase Co., aim to get back on track

Coming off its loss to a tough Scottsbluff squad last Saturday, the Sidney High boys' basketball team will face two more tests this weekend.

The Red Raiders (2-1) will travel to face another stacked team on Friday in Chase County (2-0). Tip time is 7:30 p.m.

Then on Saturday, Sidney will host Sterling (Colo.) High at 7 p.m. The Tigers are off to a 3-0 start this winter.

Chase County boasts a trio of big, senior guards in Travis Luhrs, Issac Sorensen and Jeff Dickey – all averaging more than 11 points per game.

They are all 6-foot, 1-inch or taller and, through two games, they've averaged a combined 38.5 points for the Longhorns. Those three have accounted for about 70 percent of Chase County's total offense (55 points per game)

Sidney head coach Erik Kohl is expecting a battle.

"It's going to be a tough road environment," Kohl said. "It's a fun place to play but it's going to be electric. All their starters are seniors. They played two years ago when they were all sophomores and we played them last year when they were all juniors.

"They have three very skilled guards and two great post guys. They're a quality team and we're excited to play them."

One of the potential matchup problems for Sidney is its lack of backcourt size. Senior point guard Lane Harvey is 5-7, and he'll need help against Luhr, Sorensen and Dickey, who all have significant height advantages.

Offensively for the Red Raiders, they'll rely on ball movement. Junior forward Tyler Wintholz, who is averaging 16.6 points per contest this season, has established himself as a go-to presence in the paint.