Raiders Lash Whippets, 20-7

MINDEN NE--Last week the Red Raiders opened the season with a dominant, if not workman-like, performance in their victory over the Cozad Haymakers at Weymouth Field. In their follow-up performance, Sidney traveled three hours and took away a victory with big plays and aggressive defense. The team is proving to be very capable on both sides of the line with a well-balanced offense that makes big plays, and a defense that hits hard, gets to the ball quickly, and gets off the field.

Friday night's matchup was against a Whippets team that outlasted Adams Central last week with an 18-to-15 victory in a marathon triple-overtime contest. This week they ran into a talented Raiders team that knows how to win and benefited from some huge breaks. After a scoreless first quarter, Sidney used two big plays to turn the game around and gain control of the contest throughout the second half.

Sidney played great defense from the start, with their secondary shutting down passing lanes and limiting the Minden aerial game. After exchanging possessions, Sidney started driving with time running down in the first quarter. On a third and 11 attempt, Sidney quarterback Alek Doty had to scramble to reel in a bad snap, and then under pressure, uncorked a pass towards double-covered senior wide receiver Reid Fiscus. Fiscus out-jumped the defenders and pulled down the catch for a 20-yard gain. Sidney could not get the ball in the end zone, and the scoreless tie continued deep into the second quarter. With 3:14 left, Minden senior Orrin Keuhn broke free for a 77-yard touchdown, and after the converted extra point, Minden led 7-to-0, despite Sidney's strong defensive effort. But big plays can turn momentum instantly, which is all Sidney needed to turn the contest in their favor.

On the ensuing Whippet kick-off, senior Landon Riddle received and with a few cuts, got himself behind the coverage and jetted 85 yards for a touchdown. On the extra point kick, a bad snap caused Doty to heave the ball into the end zone in desperation, and somehow senior Patrick McCartney came down with the ball, giving Sidney an 8-to-7 lead. On Minden's next possession, senior Reid Fiscus read a Minden roll-out pass perfectly and stepped into the route for an interception. Sidney then started from midfield and on a long pass from Doty to Riddle, Minden sophomore Parker Hatch went for the interception, but after grabbing at the pass, he hit the ground and the ball bounced up into the waiting hands of Riddle at the Minden five-yard line. Two plays later, Doty scored on a five-yard run. A bad snap foiled the extra point attempt, and Sidney led 14-to-7 with 44 seconds left in the first half. Minden ran one play in their territory, let the clock expire, and went into the halftime break down a score.

Sidney opened the 2nd half with the ball and drove down the field. Landon Riddle caught a swing pass at mid-field, broke through tackles, and then pitched the ball to junior Lance Holly, who gained extra yards deep into Minden territory. A few plays later, senior running back Owen Gillham juked a tackler on his way to a 12-yard touchdown score. The extra point attempt failed, and the Red Raiders extended their lead to 20-to-7. Minden drove the field themselves, benefitting from a play where the entire Minden line pushed sophomore Caleb Schwenka about 15 yards on a play that should have been stopped for little to no gain. Raider fans remember last week's penalty on a similar play, where Sidney was penalized for "pushing". Minden worked themselves down to the Sidney 7-yard line for a first and goal, but on first down sophomore Anderson Smelley got in the backfield and tackled Hatch for a loss of a yard. On the 8-yard line, Minden threw an incomplete pass and then ran for one yard. On fourth and goal from the 7-yard line, Hatch attempted a pass in the endzone, but it was batted away for a turnover on downs.

Minden gained yards and mounted drives in the fourth quarter but could not score against the Sidney defense. Sidney took the victory 20-to-7, in a contest that, after the first period, seemed to be one-sided. The Red Raider defense again played very well, and the Sidney offense took advantage of every opportunity and break that came their way. Alek Doty completed 13 of 20 passes for 245 yards. Doty had a rushing touchdown, and Gillham gained 52 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown. Landon Riddle's kickoff return for an 85-yard touchdown swung the momentum in Sidney's favor and was the turning point of the contest.

Sidney returns home and faces the Holdrege Dusters on Friday, September 13. Holdrege is 2-and-0 with wins over Lexington and Alliance.