Stars shine in the fall

Over the roughly 11 weeks of the fall sports season there were plenty of ups and downs, with good days and bad days for all. During that journey, many of our area athletes have shined with brilliant performances that may be long remembered.

Week One

The fall season began in Peetz where the Bulldogs volleyball team came back from two sets down to win their opening match of the season. Senior Morgan Burns' strong game at the net, with 11 kills and 4 blocks helped lead the charge. Mikenna Curlee partnered with Burns at the net for 15 kills. Their efforts were aided by the performance of senior libero Caitlynn Peetz with 22 digs and 44 service returns.

On the football field the powerful running combination of Logan Lewis and Chance Anglin first gave a glimpse of things to come. Lewis ran for 267 yards and a pair of touchdowns while Anglin added 234 with 4 touchdowns. The duo helped the Sidney Red Raiders open their season with a blowout win at home over Grand Island Northwest.

Kelsey Rozelle of Potter-Dix got the Coyotes football season off to a strong start too as he scored 5 touchdowns on his way to piling up 161 all-purpose yards.

Week Two

The Leyton Warriors volleyball team got its high-powered game in gear right out of the box. Senior Kelsey Waite scored 20 kills, nine blocks, 13 digs and 6 aces in her team's first two wins of the year. Teammate Katy Ernest showed the kind of setter she was by opening the campaign with 20 set assists and 12 aces in the Warriors opening two matches.

Lucas Rosenbaum helped get Sidney off to a 2-0 start as he hauled in three receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown at Holdrege. On defense, he changed the momentum of the game with pick-six late in the first half. He also recovered a fumble to set up another touchdown in the second half.

Peetz football player Garrin Cox had probably had the most productive 1:15 seconds of the season for any player in any sport. He scored 3 touchdowns in that short span, including one on defense, to help the 'Dogs to a 61-14 win in their home opener.

Quarterback Alex W. Frerichs helped his team on the road to the playoffs by throwing for 232 yards and 3 touchdowns against district rival South Platte.

Sidney volleyball player Abbi Porter helped lead the inexperienced Raiders team on its path to a district crown. Over three matches in which the Raiders won two, she scored 38 kills. Her teammate Sarah Mahr proved her all-around abilities also with a week that included 35 kills, eight service aces and 55 digs.

Seniors Porter, Mahr and Cody Rowley were the only players that returned this season from the team that went to state in 2012.

On the golf course the Raiders were led by four seniors including Jessica Campbell, who shot a season low round 84 the Gering Invite. The others seniors, Rachel Petik, Karson Langly and Katelin Cole would eventually help the team to a berth at state.

Week Three

In a thrilling match at the Garden County Tournament, Creek Valley gave the powerful Leyton Warriors everything they could handle. Though the Storm lost 2-0, both sets went into overtime. Leyton prevailed 33-31 and 29-27. For the Storm libero Jerry Straber had 24 digs in the match and Jill Behrends recorded 9 kills.

Teammate Hannah Schievelbein had an impressive 13 blocks and Summer Mueller did not make a mistake from the service line.

The inspired Storm were countered by Kassandra Harris's all-around game including a team leading 10 kills, 24 digs and an errorless night at the service line. Ernest added 28 set assists.

Jordan Nelson of the Peetz football team helped keep his team on a playoff path with 247 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns.

Week four

At the McCook Invite the Raiders Alli Ehler finished fifth to lead the Raiders cross country team to its second straight win. In the meet at Littleton, Colo., Ehler finished third overall in another Raiders team win. Maddi Stafford, Abby Heller and Genessa Schilz all finished in the top 10 at McCook.

On the boys side, Jachob Wiedeberg was second overall while his teammates Hayden Lienemann and Brody McKnight were fourth and fifth respectively.

The Raiders Rowley continued her strong all-around play for the Raiders volleyball squad with 11 kills, 10 digs and 19 set assists at Chase County.

Potter-Dix football player Bryant Knigge was seemingly everwhere despite the Coyotes loss to Morrill. He caught four passes for 89 yards, returned 3 kickoffs for 66 yards, intercepted 3 passes, made 6 tackles and scored 3 touchdowns.

Week five

The Raiders volleyball team had a strong week with three wins, aided in large part by their big three. Rowley had 16 kills, 36 set assists, 20 digs and no errors in 20 service attempts. Sarah Mahr had 18 kills, 9 aces and 25 digs during the same time period.

Creek Valley golfer Tabetha Hayes fired a career best round for the fourth time in her previous five rounds.

On the gridiron Sidney linebacker Kevin Jurgensen brought down 14 enemy ballcarriers, including two for a loss.

At the Best of the West golf tournament, the Raiders Rachel Petik finished second at Monument Shadows Golf Course.

Week six

Petik continued her momentum to lead the Raiders golf team to a berth in the state tournament. Her 81 in the Class B4 District Championship also earned her a place at states as an individual. Campbell also qualified for the individual competition.

At the Western Conference Cross Country Meet, Ehler and Wiedeberg again led the Raiders to a strong finish. Both finished second.

On the Potter-Dix gridiron, Tyler Magninie threw 4 touchdown passes in a 60-6 win over Crawford. Knigge was at the receiving end of three of his TD passes. On defense, Jake Johnson had 18 tackles.

Over the border, Peetz quarterback Bradey Holtz picked up 303 all-purpose yards in a Peetz victory.

Week seven

Holtz kept going the following week in a Bulldogs 67-12 victory over Weldon Valley. The quarterback passed for 41 yards, rushed for 67 and even caught a 62-yard touchdown pass. He also returned an interception 70 yards for another score and hauled back three kicks for 42 yards.

Katy Ernest helped keep the Warriors train going forward 28 set assists, 8 kills, 5 digs, 2 blocks and 4 service aces.

Leyton signal caller Frerichs had another strong week passing with a 12-22 performance for 287 yards and five touchdowns against Crawford. James Rushman was on the receiving end of 5 of those completions for 141 yards.

The Sidney dynamic duo of Lewis and Anglin helped the Raider gridders get off to a good start in district play. Anglin rushed for 193 yards and Lewis for 139. Defensively, Peyton Hill and Dylan Haas had 10 and eight tackles, respectively.

Jerry Strraber and Summer Mueller continued strong play for the Creek Valley volleyballers with 28 and 17 digs, despite a touch five-set loss to Paxton.

Emily Mahr went an impressive 24 service attemps without an error for the Raiders volleyball team against a tough Chadron team. Rowley's 22 set assists helped three of her teammates to reach double-digit digs inlcuding Abbi Porter, Savanna Rosenbaum and Sarah Mahr.

Week eight

Despite already having an outstanding season the Raiders' Lewis saved his most impressive feats for the playoff push. Against Gering, Lewis racked up 282 rushing yards on 34 carries and scored four touchdowns in a 54-28 win. It was the third time he had gone over 200 yards and the seveth time he eclipsed 100 yards in a game.

Anglin supported his backfield partner with a 182 yard game of his own. For Anglin it was the sixth time he had rushed for over 100 yards.

The Leyton Warriors volleyball team won its eighth consecutive MAC Conference Championship with a strong team effort. Kelsey Waite had 11 kills in the clinching game over Creek Valley while Ernest notched 6 kills, 3 aces, and 22 set assists. For Creek Valley, Mueller and Straber had 16 and 15 digs, respectively.

Raiders volleyball player Rowley provided one of the teams most enjoyable highlights of the year in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. In a five-set win over Gering at the Cabela's Athletic Facility, Rowley dashed the Bulldogs hopes of victory by going on a 12-point service run in the deciding game. During the match she had 8 aces, 7 kills, 19 digs and 31 set assists.

The Peetz Bulldogs volleyball team recorded a five-set win over Creek Valley which was aided by 25 Burns kills. She also had 5 blocks and 13 digs. Jodie Schumacher recorded 32 digs during the match while sister Melissa had 26 more.

For the Warriors grid team, Frerichs racked up another 200-yard passing game, as he went 15-25 for 251 yards against Potter-Dix. Dylan Brenner caught 8 of those passes for 163 yards while Jarred Westman ran for 140.

Week nine

In the week preceding Halloween the Warriors volleyball team returned to the court after a 10-day absence. In the Leyton Invite, Harris led her team with 13 kills, 9 aces and 10 digs in three straight-set victories. She also served 25 times druing the tournament while committing only one error.

The Raiders Lewis managed to top his 282-yard performance at Gering with a 306 yard effort at Weymouth Field against Scottsbluff. Lewis took the rock on 35 occassions to help Sidney earn the district championship.

Lewis was aided by the Raiders offensive and defensive lines, which controlled the line of scrimmage all night against Scottsbluff. The trench warriors for Sidney inlcuded Cody Frerichs, Haas, MIchael Sukup, Dominic Beyer, Tucker Wintholz, Jake Sager and Jake Heeren.

Linebackers Jurgensen and Brian Rolls backed up the defensive line with 8 tackles apiece.

Alexus Rozelle and Regyn Hicks of the Potter-Dix Coyotes volleyball team each had 15 kills in a four-set win over district leading Creek Valley. Dawson Sharman recorded 3 aces and no errors in 20 service attempts while Morgan Wolff and Rozelle each had 19 digs.

Despite the loss, Mueller of Creek Valley had nine kills and 30 digs while not making an error from the service line.

In the Peetz Bulldogs 34-33 crossover playoff win over Arickaree, Nelson helped his team to victory with 160 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Cody Wilson had 10 tackles on defense.

Week Ten

Lewis ran for his third consecutive 200-yard game in Sidney's first playoff win in 20 years. In front of an overflow crowd at Weymouth Field, Lewis scored 3 touchdowns in the win over the Blair Bears. Teammate MIchael Deaver's 33-yard touchdown run marked the Raiders first post-season touchdown in those 20 years.

Potter-Dix's Rozelle and Hicks helped the Coyotes volleyball team emerge from the third seed to win its subdistrict tournament at Bayard.

Rozelle had 38 kills, five blocks, 57 digs and four aces over two matches. Hicks chipped in with 52 digs, 32 kills, and five blocks.

Taylor Juelfs had an impressive 92 set assists in the two subdistrict matches.

The Warriors volleyballers parlayed a strong serving effort to win their subdistrict tournament. Kelsey Waite, Harris, Whitney Goeman and Shaela Jenkins made no serving errors. As a team the Warriors clicked at 97 percent.

In front of a large crowd in Sidney, Abbi Porter's 15 kills and 10 digs helped lead the Red Raiders to a district championship over Gering. Rowley added 14 kills and 18 set assists in the final match. Junior Vanessa Riley and freshman Maddi Porter continued their solid serving to aid the victory. Riley and Porter each went to the service line 32 times in the tournament.

Riley made no errors while Porter made but one.

Week Eleven

Kelsey Waite had another strong effort at the net for the Leyton Warriors as they captured a district championship. In defeating Hay Springs for the crown, Waite led Leyton with 10 kills, four blocks and seven digs. Ernest contributed with five aces, three blocks and 28 assists while Harris added seven kills, three aces and 14 digs.

Rosenbaum played a part in all phases of the Raiders final-minute loss to top seeded Gretna in a quarterfinal playoff game. He had 3 receptions for 64 yards, an interception and 5 tackles. For good measure he booted a field goal and a couple extra points. His teammates Lewis (2,053) and Anglin (1.296) both finished the season with more than 1,000 yards rushing - a rare football feat.

Agile Raiders Quarterback Lane Harvey provided one of most exciting highlights of the season. With the game on the line he scrambled for his life while eluding several Gretna tacklers. He managed to stay on his feet long enough to find Anglin open down the sideline for a touchdown.

Harvey later threw another touchdown pass to Tyler Wintholz to tie the game in the fourth quarter.

Though the Raiders volleyball season ended in a substate game at Beatrice, Abbi Porter had 13 kills, three blocks and was 100 percent from the service line.

Sister Maddi Porter led in the backcourt with 15 digs while Rowley added 18 assists.

Winter sports await, just around the corner.