Ekart earns state coaching honor following Raiders' playoff season

Sidney Head Football Coach Todd Ekart has been named Huskerland's Class B recipient of the Behrends Coaching Award, it was announced on Thursday.

After the Raiders suffered through 1-8 records the past two seasons, they managed a complete reversal this season, with a 7-4 mark and trip to the state playoffs.

The Raiders success included a playoff win for the first time in 20 years.

"Winning this award is a reflection of all the hard work Coach Ekart, his staff and all his players have put in," said Sidney High School Principal Chris Arent. "It's always nice when we have one of our staff members recognized like this."

Ekart was in class and unavailable for comment before deadline on Friday.

After going 2-25 the previous three seasons the Raiders turnaround included a district championship. Topping Alliance and Gering on the road to start the swing, the Raiders defeated Scottsbluff on Oct. 25, at Weymouth Field to claim the district crown.

The Scottsbluff win earned Sidney the right to host a playoff game in the Nebraska Class B playoffs. At Weymouth Field on Nov. 1, Sidney won its first playoff game since 1993 by disposing of the Blair Bears 36-26 in front of an overflow crowd. The Raiders run was finally stopped in the final seconds at then No. 1 Gretna.

"The players really brought into what we are trying to do and it became a much more player-driven team and not so much coach driven," Ekart told HuskerlandPreps.com publisher Bob Jensen after being informed of the honor. "Leaders started to emerge and it helped our team to meet its goals."

In Tuesday's edition the Sun-Telegraph will provide reaction of the coach and his players.