Sidney Gets Solid Road Win at Cozad

COZAD – It took Sidney just 1:39 and six plays to go 80 yards on their first possession of the game Friday night in Cozad to take an early 7-0 lead. It was a lead the Red Raiders did not relinquish on the way to a 19-7 win over the Haymakers. With the win, Sidney improves to 3-4 while Cozad falls to 3-4 on the season.

Sidney’s score came after Cozad returned the opening kickoff to the Haymaker thirty-six. After picking up a first down at the 46, senior running back Tag Sassali broke free up the middle to give Cozad a first down at the Sidney 27. But the Red Raider defense allowed the Haymakers only two more yards, forcing an unsuccessful 42-yard field goal attempt.

Sidney took over possession at their twenty and wasted little time in getting their offense rolling. Quarterback Isak Doty hit Landon Riddle for 17 yards up the left sideline and then found the sophomore for a 50-yard strike to the Haymaker 13 yard line. Four plays later Doty connected with senior Austin Roelle in the back of the endzone for the first score of the game.

It looked like the game might turn into a shootout as Cozad answered right back. Senior Cord Chytka returned the ensuing kickoff 29 yards to the Haymaker 43. When a pair of runs netted the Haymakers just four yards, senior Isaac White got behind the Red Raider defense and quarterback Noah Shoemaker found him for a 53-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 7-7.

Although the Haymakers threatened a couple more times, that was the last time Sidney allowed Cozad to find the endzone on the night. The Red Raiders turned an early second quarter Cozad turnover into six more points when Boone Hicks recovered a Haymaker fumble at the Cozad 49. Five plays later junior Luke Holly broke free round left end for 36 yards and a touchdown, The PAT sailed wide left, but Sidney led 13-7.

Sidney’s only turnover, and Cozad’s only real threat, came when junior safety Dreu White intercepted an Isak Doty pass at the Haymaker 46 and returned it to the Sidney 15 with :24 remaining in the half. After an incomplete pass on first down, Landon Riddle picked off quarterback Noah Shoemaker at the one yard line to end the Cozad threat, and the half, with Sidney leading 13-7.

The Red Raiders had a chance to put the game away in the third quarter, but failed to come through. Sidney’s first two possessions ended on downs inside the Cozad twenty, the first at the three and the second at the sixteen. However, Sidney’s defense was up to the task allowing Cozad only 33 yards of offense in the third quarter.

Sidney’s final score came late in the final period. Following a missed 38-yard field goal attempt by the Haymakers, the Red Raiders engineered a 10-play 80-yard drive capped off by a 13-yard Luke Holly touchdown run to make the final score 19-7.

Luke Holly finished the night with 166 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns on 24 carries. Isak Doty rushed for 92 yards on 23 carries while going 8 of 20 for 111 yards and one touchdown through the air. Sidney rolled up a total of 369 yards of offense on the night while holding Cozad to just 88 total yards in the second half.

Sidney will host Ogallala in a Homecoming game next week at Weymouth Field. The Indians are coming off of a 36-21 home win over Chadron on Friday to improve to 4-3 on the season.