SIDNEY, Neb. — Three Sidney High School football players officially took the next step in their athletic careers Wednesday, signing National Letters of Intent during a ceremony in the Sidney High School Fine Arts Auditorium.

Seniors Keian Kaiser, Ben Monheiser and Cael Carrasco signed to continue their football careers at the collegiate level, with Kaiser committing to Penn State, Monheiser to Black Hills State and Carrasco to Mount Marty.

Sidney head coach Ryan Smith said the day carried more emotion than the athletes initially expected.

“It’s really cool — kind of a special day for them, but it’s hard for them too,” Smith said. “I talked to all three of them and they were like, ‘OK, this is a little more emotional than we thought it was going to be.’ I told them it’s that first step of moving on.”

Kaiser, a multi-year varsity standout, said the support from the community made the moment special.

“It was awesome,” Kaiser said. “Seeing the support of the community, teammates and coaches — it’s a day I’ve been looking forward to for a very long time and it finally came.”

Kaiser finished his Sidney career with 61 receptions for 882 yards and 17 touchdowns, while also contributing defensively with 352 career tackles. He said a recent visit to Penn State sealed his decision.

“Fans are crazy there,” Kaiser said. “We went to a hockey game and I got to hear my first ‘We Are Penn State,’ and I got goosebumps for five minutes.”

Monheiser signed with Black Hills State, a decision he said was driven by a feels like home feeling.

“I was very impressed with the turnout we had and the support within the school and community,” Monheiser said. “The relationships I’ve built with these guys over the last four years — it means the world to me.”

Monheiser plans to major in business administration and finished his career with 253 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

Carrasco, who also received interest from Midland and Concordia, chose Mount Marty after campus visits.

“It felt like home,” Carrasco said. “I’ll miss football in general — game days, team meals, practices, coaches and my football team. It’s one giant family.”

He wants to coach in college football when his playing and schooling days are done.

All three athletes will compete in track this spring, with Kaiser also continuing his basketball season. Sidney football finished the 2025 season as the Class C1 runner-up, earning the first state football trophy in school history.