SIDNEY - The C1-8 District game between Gothenburg and Sidney Friday night was scoreless through one quarter of play. Gothenburg running back Tra Rossell changed that on the first play of the second period with a 7-yard touchdown run. After a successful Bronson Long PAT, the Swedes had all the points they were going to need on the way to a 38-6 win over the Red Raiders.

Gothenburg entered Friday’s game fresh off their first win of the season, a 34-6 dismantling of Mitchell on October 1st. Sidney was trying to stop a 4-game skid and rebound from a 35-6 lashing at the hands of Chadron last week.

Sidney won the toss and deferred to start the game. The opening kickoff went out of bounds at the Gothenburg 42, so the Swedes started the game with excellent field position. After giving up an initial first down, the Raider defense clamped down and forced a Gothenburg punt. Bronson Long’s punt sailed into the endzone and Sidney started their first drive at their own 20…a theme that would be repeated all night long.

Sidney began their best drive of the night with a couple of Nathan Kennedy runs for 13 yards and a 12-yard gallop by Cam Leeling around left end to pick up a pair of first downs. Austin Wolfe’s 16-yard run got the Raiders deep into Gothenburg territory before the drive stalled at the Swede 26 yard line and Sidney turned it over on downs. That was the deepest penetration in the game for Sidney until a fourth quarter scoring drive by the Raider reserves.

Gothenburg moved the ball on 6 straight runs from the Swede 26 to the Sidney 48. Sidney’s defense stuffed the next two runs leaving the Swedes with a 3rd down and 7. Gothenburg quarterback Wes Geiken dropped back to pass but took off around left end for 25 yards and a first down. Junior Tra Rossell then cut up the middle on a toss sweep for 13 yards to give the Swedes a first and goal at the Sidney 7. Rossell followed that up with a 7-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter to put Gothenburg on top 7-0.

Bronson Long’s ensuing kickoff sailed 10 yards deep in the endzone, which became the premise for the start of all but one Sidney drive until the Raider reserves took over in the fourth quarter. The lone exception came on Gothenburg’s next possession, when the Swedes fumbled at the Sidney 4. Sidney went three-and-out on their next three possessions. Following Gothenburg’s fumble at the Sidney 4, the Raiders picked up only 3 yards and punted from their own end zone. A 28-yard Isak Doty punt and a 21-yard Jake Burge return set the Swedes up at the Sidney 14. Sidney’s defense stiffened. McGuire Rolls shot through to tackle Burge for a loss of 1 yard. After a pair of incompletions, the Swedes faced 4th and 11 and elected to attempt a 33-yard field goal. A bad snap to holder Jake Burge forced the junior running back to take off and pick up just what the Swedes needed to keep the drive moving. Senior Abe Mendez ran off left tackle for the touchdown to stretch the Gothenburg lead to 21-0 at half.

Following a first down on a Gothenburg penalty, Sidney’s first drive of the second half stalled at their 39. Isak Doty’s 31-yard punt was returned 10 yards to the Gothenburg 40. The Swedes moved the line of scrimmage to the Sidney 12 yard line in 9 plays where Gothenburg faced a fourth down and 2. The Swedes elected to go for it until illegal procedure penalty moved the ball to the 17. This time the snap and hold were good and Bronson Long booted a 34-yrad field goal to extend the Gothenburg lead to 24-0.

Sidney went three-and-out on their second possession of the half and was forced to punt. To make matters worse, a low snap turned into an 11-yard kick, setting the Swedes up at the Raider 29. It took Gothenburg only 3 plays to capitalize. A 17-yard pass from Geiken to sophomore Trey Stevens, followed by a 4-yard run from Rossell to the Sidney 8, set up an 8-yard touchdown run up the middle by Burge and the score was now 31-0.

The Red Raiders third possession of the half started with promise when Doty hit Cam Leeling for a 6-yard completion, followed by a 9-yard run by Austin Wolfe to the Sidney 35, for Sidney’s second first down of the third quarter. But the drive ended abruptly when senior Carson Rhodes picked off a Sidney pass at the Gothenburg 48 and returned it 21 yards to the Raider 31. Seven plays later Mendez pounded his way into the end zone from the 2 yard line to make the score 38-0 and initiate the 35-point running clock.

The running clock rule was not in affect long as the Sidney reserves marched the ball down the field in 7 plays for Sidney’s only score of the night.  Austin Wolfe led the Raiders with 49 yards on 8 carries. Nathan Kennedy added 37 yards on 14 carries. Sidney was held to just195 yards of total offense on the night.

Gothenburg was led by Jake Burge’s 63 yards on 10 carries. Tra Rossell added 61 yards on just 7 rushes. As a team, the Swedes rushed for 271 yards on the night.

Gothenburg will host Chadron next Friday in a C1-8 showdown while Sidney travels to Ogallala for a date with the Indians.