SIDNEY – For the second time in two weeks Sidney squared off against Chadron on the gridiron. Two weeks ago in Chadron, there was a district title on the line. Friday afternoon in Sidney there was a trip to the C-1 state semifinals at stake. The Red Raiders bolted from the locker room to score 24 second half points to turn a tie game at intermission into a 32-8 win over the Cardinals and advanced to a semifinal game next Friday.

With the temperature at 40 degrees, winds out of the North, and a light rain falling, Sidney and Chadron kicked off a quarterfinal playoff game Friday afternoon at Sidney’s Weymouth Field. The Cardinals took the opening kickoff 79 yards in eight plays, capped off by a 2-yard Quinn Bailey run and two-point conversion to take an 8-0 lead four minutes into the game.

Sidney responded with an eight-play drive of their own, highlighted by a 21-yard touchdown pass from Alek Doty to Landon Riddle. After Doty completed a pass to tight end Patrick McCartney in the endzone on a 2-point conversion, the scored was knotted at 8-8.

Chadron had a pair of opportunities to put up points before halftime but each time the Sidney defense was up to the task. The Cardinals moved the ball from their own 34 to the Sidney nine in ten plays early in the second period, but the drive stalled when the Red Raiders tackled Chadron for losses on consecutive play to force a turn over on downs. Late in the first half, a poor Sidney punt gave the Cardinals the ball at Red Raider 32. It took Chadron only five plays to advance to the Sidney five, however the Red Raider defense forced another turnover on downs at the Sidney six to end the half.

Sidney looked like a different team after intermission. The Red Raiders took the second half kickoff from their own 46 to the Cardinal one in just four plays. A procedure penalty and a dead-ball penalty backed Sidney up to the Chadron 20. However, just when it looked like the Red Raiders were going to squander a scoring chance, Doty found Riddle for the second time in the corner of the endzone with a 16-yard touchdown pass. An unsuccessful 2-point conversion left the score Sidney 14, Chadron 8.

Chadron almost had a disaster when Quinn Bailey mishandled the ensuing kickoff and the Cardinals had to start a drive at their own 12. Sidney’s defense held, forcing a Chadron punt from the Cardinal 15. Bailey’s 45-yard kick was picked up on the bounce by Landon Riddle at the Red Raider 40 and followed a wall of blockers down the right sideline for a 60-yard return for a touchdown. Another unsuccessful 2-point conversion left the score 20-8.

After a pair of three-and-outs by Chadron, and one by Sidney, the Red Raiders started their third possession of the half at their own 20. Following a four-yard run by running back Owen Gillham, Doty broke loose for a 56 run to the Cardinal 20 to end the third period. From there, Gillham ripped off runs of 11 and nine yards for the touchdown. Once again, the Red Raiders were unable to convert the 2-point try, but Sidney had stretched their lead to 26-8.

On the Cardinals next possession, Sidney’s defense held Chadron to just six yards on their first three plays from scrimmage. Trailing 26-8 in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals picked up three yards on fourth and four, turning the ball over to Sidney at the Chadron 33. The Red Raiders used a nine-play scoring drive that ate up five minutes and twenty seconds of clock to add to extend their lead to 30-8.

Alek Doty rushed for 159 yards in the game on 17 carries and one touchdown. The junior quarterback also completed nine of his 15 passes for 50 yards and two touchdowns. Landon Riddle caught seven of those passes for 46 yards and two scores. Owen Gillham finished with 92 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown. Sidney ended the game with 301 yards of total offense. All-state running back Quinn Bailey paced the Cardinals with 179 yards on 35 carries, scoring Chadron’s only TD. Sidney held Chadron to only 33 yards of offense in the second half and 202 yards of total offense in the game.

Sidney improves to 11-0 and will host 10-1 Central City next Friday. The Bison beat previously undefeated Columbus Lakeview on the road 19-7 to advance. The kickoff  for Friday's semifinal matchup at Weymouth Field is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. MST.