Football Preview: Sidney Red Raiders vs. Chadron Cardinals
The Sidney Red Raiders will face off against the Chadron Cardinals at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Sidney will be coming into the contest with an undefeated record on the line.
Sidney is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They claimed a resounding 48-14 win over Alliance at home. The result was nothing new for the Red Raiders, who have now won five games by 23 points or more so far this season.
Sidney didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off four passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Reid Fiscus and Landon Riddle.
Meanwhile, Chadron's undefeated season came to an end after seven games on Friday. They fell just short of Gering by a score of 23-20. The matchup marked the Cardinals' lowest-scoring match so far this season.
Despite their loss, Chadron saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Bricen Wright, who picked up 115 receiving yards and two touchdowns, was perhaps the best of all. The dominant performance also gave Wright a new career-high in rushing yards. Another back making a difference was Quinn Bailey, who rushed for 156 yards and a touchdown.
Even if they lost, Chadron's defense still kept up the pressure with three sacks. In that department, Talon Jelinek was the leader with two.
Sidney pushed their record up to 8-0 with the victory, which was their 12th straight at home dating back to last season. As for Chadron, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 7-1.
Friday's contest might be decided in the on the ground. Sidney has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 184 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Chadron struggles in that department as they've been averaging 311.4. It's looking like Friday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Sidney strolled past Chadron when the teams last played back in September of 2023 by a score of 40-21. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Bailey, who rushed for 142 yards and a touchdown. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Sidney still be able to contain Bailey? There's only one way to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
