Late Touchdown Dooms Red Raiders

SIDNEY - Three missed extra point tries was the difference Friday night at Weymouth Field for the Sidney football team. The Red Raiders hopes of winning their season finale were dashed when Mitchell quarterback Carter Reisig scored from five yards out with 1:02 to go in the game to give the Tigers a 21-18 win.

Sidney switched their defense to a four-man front for this game and stopped Mitchell’s opening drive to force a punt. The Red Raiders, who started three freshmen and four sophomores on offense due to injuries, scored on their first possession of the game. An 11-play drive in which senior running back Nathan Kennedy toted the football 8 times, including a 3-yard touchdown run. As has been almost exclusively the case all season, Sidney attempted a 2-point conversion, which came up short. With 6:41 remaining in the first quarter, Sidney led 6-0.

As was the theme all night, the Tigers answered on the very next possession. Mitchell started their second possession of the night at the Tiger 27 yard line. Mitchell marched 73 yards in 12 plays and tied the score on sophomore Cael Peter’s 3-yard touchdown run. Fellow sophomore Santiago Castillo’s kick went through the uprights to give Mitchell a 7-6 with :45 remaining in the opening stanza. Neither team threatened in the second period so Mitchell headed into halftime with a 1-point lead.

Sidney, who deferred to start the game, received the second-half kickoff. Freshman Owen Gillham fielded the kickoff an reversed field, handing the ball off to junior Cam Leeling who traversed the Mitchell defense all the way to the endzone. But an illegal block against the Red Raiders erased the touchdown and set Sidney up to begin their most impressive drive of the night at their own 23. The Red Raiders used 16 plays to march 77 yards, converting a pair of fourth downs along the way, as Nathan Kennedy tallied his second touchdown of the night to put Sidney back on top. Again the 2-point conversion was stopped short, but Sidney led 12-7 with 5:34 remaining in the quarter.

Mitchell made the most of their only possession in the third period, driving 75 yards in 9 plays to respond. Reisig capped off the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run. After Castillo’s extra point kick, the Tigers had a 14-12 lead with 1:30 remaining in the quarter.

Sidney’s next drive stalled as the fourth quarter began. Facing a fourth-and-four at the Sidney 48, the Red Raiders lined up to punt. A direct snap to an upback on a fake punt came up short and Mitchell took over on downs at the Sidney 48. However, the Tigers fumbled on the very next play and Sidney got the ball back at the Red Raider 47. On third-and-ten from the Sidney 47, quarterback Isak Doty found Freshman Patrick McCartney on a 33-yard strike to set Sidney up deep in Mitchell territory. Six plays later, the Red Raiders faced fourth-and-goal at about the half yard line. Mitchell held and took over on downs.  

The Tigers moved the ball out to the 16, but a penalty moved the line of scrimmage back to the 11. On the next play Mitchell fumble for the second time in the game and Sidney was back in business at the Tiger 14. But after 3 plays, Sidney was still at the 14 and decided to have Isak Doty attempt a 30-yard field, well within his range. But the snap sailed over the head of the holder and Doty scooped it up on the bounce. The sophomore quarterback escaped the initial rush and rolled left. Mitchell was so focused on Doty they did not see Owen Gillham who was completely wide open in the endzone. Gillham hauled in the Doty pass. The 2-point conversion again failed, but Sidney had an 18-14 lead with just over four minutes remaining.

As was the theme all night, Mitchell answered right back. An 11-play drive that covered 80 yards. Reisig kept the ball and collected his second touchdown of the night, this time from 5 yards out with 1:02 remaining in the game.

Sidney could not mount a response and the Red Raider season came to a close with a 21-18 loss.

Carter Reisig led the Tigers with 116 yards on 19 carries. He added another 140 yards through the air on 8 of 15 passing. Cael Peters contributed 70 yards on the ground on 19 carries.

Sidney was led by senior Nathan Kennedy’s 133 yards on 33 carries. Owen Gillham added 48 yards on 11 carries. Isak Doty finished the night 3 of 12 through the air for 63 yards.

Mitchell ends the season at 6-3 and just misses out on qualifying for the C-1 football playoffs. Sidney ends the first year of head coach Todd Ekart’s second stint with the Red Raiders at 2-7.