Football Game Preview: Chadron Cardinals vs. Sidney Red Raiders

The Chadron Cardinals will head out to square off against the Sidney Red Raiders at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. The two teams have allowed few points on average (Chadron 12.9, Sidney 3.2) so any points scored will be well earned.

Chadron is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Gering just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Friday. They were just a hair shy of victory and fell 21-20 to the Bulldogs.

Despite the loss, Chadron got top-tier performance from Jayce Hoffman, who rushed for 121 yards and three TDs.

Don't try to pin the team's loss on the defense: they kept the trenches locked down and allowed a mere 2.7 yards per carry. The team can thank Matthew Lien for the heroic effort on defense: he. Chadron hasn't allowed more than 4.4 yards per carry in four consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Sidney put another one in the bag on Friday to keep their perfect season alive. They took their matchup with ease, bagging a 49-6 victory over Alliance. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 28-0.

Special teams was a major factor in the game for Sidney, racking up 13 points in total. The biggest highlight from special teams (and perhaps the team as a whole) came courtesy of Keian Kaiser, who ran a kickoff back for a touchdown.

Sidney's win bumped their record up to 8-0. As for Chadron, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-2.

Friday's game might be decided on the ground. Chadron has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 219.8 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like Sidney struggles in that department as they've been averaging an even more impressive 233.6 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's matchup turns into a tough fight on the ground.

Chadron might still be hurting after the 32-8 loss they got from Sidney in their previous meeting back in November of 2024. Can the Cardinals avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.