SIDNEY - In a non-district matchup at Weymouth Field in Sidney on Friday, the Sidney Red Raiders faced off against the Cozad Haymakers. Sidney came into the game with a perfect 6-0 record, fresh off a 40-21 victory over district opponent Chadron. On the other hand, Cozad had a 3-3 record and had just narrowly defeated rival Gothenburg 14-13.

Cozad started the game strong by scoring first in a physical defensive battle. They forced Sidney to punt and then embarked on an impressive 11-play, 66-yard drive that culminated in an 8-yard touchdown run by Noah Shoemaker. Cozad took an early 7-0 lead.

Sidney struggled to get their offense going and had to punt on their second possession, resulting in a 26-yard punt from Isak Doty. Cozad's Dreu White returned the punt for 37 yards to set up a promising field position. However, the momentum shifted quickly as White fumbled on Cozad's first play, and Sidney recovered the ball on the 17-yard line.

Both teams exchanged possessions to end the first quarter, with neither able to capitalize on their opportunities. Sidney finally got on the board in the second quarter, mounting an impressive 11-play, 76-yard drive. Isak Doty scored a 24-yard touchdown run, but the extra point was blocked by Dreu White. Cozad still held a slim lead of 7-6.

Neither team could sustain their drives for the rest of the second quarter, and the half ended with Cozad holding a narrow 7-6 advantage.

Sidney regrouped during halftime and came out strong in the second half. They forced Cozad to go three-and-out on their first two possessions while scoring twice themselves. Luke Holly ran for a 16-yard touchdown to complete a 10-play, 57-yard drive, but the two-point conversion attempt failed, making the score 12-7 in favor of Sidney. They extended their lead with a 15-yard touchdown run by Isak Doty, capping off a 6-play, 49-yard drive, with the PAT making it 19-7 with 2:01 left in the third period.

Cozad fought back in the fourth quarter, as Noah Shoemaker connected with Monty Brooks on a 12-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the quarter. The PAT was good, cutting Sidney's lead to 19-14.

Sidney managed to score again on their third straight possession of the second half, with Isak Doty recording his third rushing touchdown of the night, this one from 15 yards out. This extended Sidney's lead to 26-14 with 7:02 left in the game.

Cozad made one final push, adding a touchdown with 2:34 remaining to cut Sidney's lead to 26-21. Their onside kick attempt was unsuccessful, and Sidney successfully ran out the clock to secure the victory.

Sidney dominated with 279 yards rushing and 335 yards of total offense, while Cozad managed 70 yards rushing and 170 yards passing for a total of 240 yards.

Isak Doty led Sidney with an impressive performance, tallying 164 yards on 28 carries and scoring three touchdowns, while Luke Holly contributed 115 yards rushing on 26 carries and one touchdown.

Noah Shoemaker led the Haymakers with 170 passing yards, completing 14 of 27 attempts, and throwing one touchdown.

With this victory, Sidney improved their record to 7-0 and is set to travel to Ogallala for a C1-7 District game next Friday. Ogallala, with a 5-2 record, is coming off a 22-14 win at Chadron.