COZAD – A top-10 showdown turned into a statement game Friday night as the preseason No. 5 Sidney Red Raiders opened the 2025 football season with a 35-0 shutout on the road over the preseason No. 7 Cozad Haymakers.

Kickoff was moved up 30 minutes because of threatening weather, but the Red Raiders brought a storm of their own, especially on defense. Sidney forced turnovers on Cozad’s first four possessions and never let the Haymakers find their footing.

By night’s end, the Red Raider defense had piled up six takeaways: two fumble recoveries and four interceptions. Junior Kyle Jaggers accounted for three of those interceptions himself, including a pick-six as the defense dictated the game from start to finish.

The numbers tell the story. Sidney held Cozad to just 15 rushing yards on 19 attempts, while the Haymakers’ starting quarterback Ethan Atchison completed only 9 of 24 passes for 81 yards with four interceptions. Cozad managed just 136 total yards of offense.

Meanwhile, the Sidney offense methodically built its lead, scoring in each quarter. Running back Rhys Dorcey carried 17 times for 117 yards and three touchdowns, setting the tone on the ground. Quarterback Alek Doty passed for 100 yards on 8-of-17 attempts, though he was picked off once. Jaggers added the exclamation point in the fourth quarter with a 33-yard touchdown run, triggering the 35-point running clock with 7:16 left, part of his 45 yards on just two carries.

The Red Raiders move to 1-0 with the victory and will host Minden next Friday, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. at Weymouth Field. The Whippets opened the season with a 44-22 home win over Adams Central. Catch all the action on 1370 AM/95.7 FM Cheyenne County Country, online at thebigboy987.com, or on the News Channel Nebraska app.