Talking Sports: February brings critical local contests

When the first page of the of the 2014 calendar is torn off to reveal the second, it means the local winter sports scene will be racing towards its dramatic conclusion.

With February comes the final regular-season basketball games for all schools in our area, with sub districts and districts to follow quickly thereafter. The wrestling season will end, too, and then it’s on to districts in Cozad. The wrestling state tournament is slated for Feb. 20-23 in Omaha.

The Sidney boys and girls bowling teams have already earned their way to state and will take on that challenge on Feb. 8 in Lincoln.

But as the regular season still burns bright, we see some intriguing matchups near at hand on the hardwood. Twice over the next two weekends the Sidney boys basketball team will challenge the Bearcats of Scottsbluff. Saturday the rivals will do battle up north while the following Saturday they meet at the Cabela’s Athletic Facility.

The results of those two contests should lend some real insight into the Class B6 picture.

Early in the season at the Western Conference Invite, the Bearcats blew out Sidney 63-41 in Scottsbluff. But that was nearly two months ago on Dec. 7. Sidney shot poorly that day - just 17-51, including 3-15 from behind the arc for 33 percent overall.

But Sidney is better than that - much better.

Since that game Sidney has won 10 of their last 12, one of those losses being Tuesday’s heartbreaker to Sterling. One of those 10 wins came against another tough B6 foe, Gering, by a 75-64 count on Jan. 10. The Bulldogs opened their season by dropping Scottsbluff 67-44. Just this past weekend the Bearcats earned a measure of revenge by winning 65-52 in the Bearcats building. Any game involving Gering (11-5), Scottsbluff (11-4) and Sidney deserves a big red circle on the calendar.

But the Raiders can’t look too far ahead. Chadron visits Sidney on January’s final day. Sidney should top the 10-4 Cardinals (Class C1) but they can’t be overlooked. The Cardinals are used to winning. That alone deserves respect.

The Sidney girls know they can’t skip past Chadron. After starting out 1-2, the Cardinals girls have put together an outstanding season at 12-4. They’ve already embarrassed two Class B teams and will aim for a third on Friday night.

If the Cardinals aren’t enough to get the blood going, how about Hershey? The Panthers, another visitor from Class C1, have assembled a record of 18-1. Their resume includes a 39-26 win over Sidney on Jan. 3, in a second-round game of the Cabela’s Holdiay Shootout.

Like Chadron, Hershey has claimed two Class B pelts. The Panthers beat McCook 48-39 on Jan. 10 at home.

I think the Sidney girls would admit to not playing their best basketball following the Christmas break. Since the Hershey loss, however, the Raiders have gone 6-2. The two losses, to Kimball and McCook, were by a combined margin of three points.

Among the interesting matchups on the Class D docket features the Leyton boys and their contest with the Indians in Minatare Friday night. While the Warriors will be fresh off their triumph in the MAC Tournament the Indians will be licking the many wounds they’ve suffered in recent games. After opening the season with 9 straight wins, Minatare has gone on a 3 game skid.

The Indians first lost to Potter-Dix in the MAC semis. They were then blown out by a red-hot shooting performance by Garden County in the MAC third-place game. But Minatare has talent and would surely love to right their ship against their Class D2 District 11 rival Leyton. It will be a tall order. At least for now Leyton is the boss of D2 11 but Minatare is capable of earning a promotion.

It’s worthy of note also that the Warriors (10-3) have sustained all their losses to teams in higher classes. Twice they’ve lost to Class C2 Bridgeport (11-3) and once to D1’s Hemingford (11-3).

In girls Class D, the first Friday in February will give us an interesting rematch. On the 7th, the Creek Valley Storm will visit Dalton with an eye towards revenge over their “upset” loss in the MAC Tournament semi’s. The Storm went in as the No. 1 seed, but let a 7-point fourth quarter lead slip away. Leyton won the game on a nuetral court at Sidney Middle School 54-48.

The Warriors are riding a high after capturing the the MAC title. Leyton (8-5) is also playing their best basketball of the season. The Warriors have won five straight.

The Storm (8-4) meanwhile recovered their senses to topple Garden County in the third-place game.

Garden County, by the way, will have its own chance for revenge in a rematch with Creek Valley on Saturday in Oshkosh.

Over the border the Peetz Bulldogs will engage in a local battle of interest with Potter-Dix on the 11th. Before then, however, both the boys and girls of Peetz will enter the most important part of their schedule with plenty of league competition on the horizon. There won’t be any opportunity for the ‘Dogs to get too far ahead of themselves with the challenges they face from Colorado’s 1A North Central.

Friday Peetz (6-5) heads to New Raymer to take on Prairie in a 1A North Central battle. Saturday the road will lead the ‘Dogs to Grover and a date with Pawnee, another league foe. The following weekend, it is more of the same. League leader Briggsdale will host the ‘Dogs on Feb. 7, while Weldon Valley will give the Bulldogs a rest from the road the following night. A date at 1A’s Fleming also awaits on the schedule on the 21st.

During the week of the 16th, the final regular season games will be held on both sides of the border. There will also be girls sub districts in Nebraska. The boys sub districts will come the week after, while Peetz will be involved in their own districts.

So this is it. February is nigh upon us. For local sports fans, the highlight of the winter sports season has arrived.