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Bison stop Raiders from looting Weiland for a 'W'
McCOOK, Neb. — A Sidney Red Raider was suddenly feeling really hip when McCook quarterback Cameryn Berry approached him Friday night.
Too hip as far as the tough upset-minded Red Raiders were concerned.
Holy super spin moves, Batman, where’d that Berry kid go?
With one sudden 360-degree move, Berry left that Raider behind and finished a crucial fourth-down touchdown run.
“We call it a hip shift,” Bison coach Jeff Gross declared about the final play of what he also called McCook’s “drive of the game” in a 28-7 win at Weiland Field Friday night.
Don’t let the final score fool you like Berry’s fancy moves.
The 1-2 Red Raiders delivered McCook’s toughest test so far this season. They only only trailed 7-0 at intermission and 14-7 through three periods.
On the eve of ACTs, Bison players didn’t mind a strong test from physical Raider beasts like defensive end Zach Pettit and running back-linebacker Derek Robb.
“It was good. A lot better than the Gering game (a 45-9 Bison win one week earlier),” senior Kaleb Taylor and junior Morgan Fawver both agreed about the Raider challenge. “It will help get us ready for the tougher games.”
The Bison defense clearly conquered another test, considering Sidney’s only score was set up with Robb stealing a Bison pass and returning to McCook’s 20.
Overall, the Raiders would generate only 119 total yards and seven first downs – not even matching Robb’s 191 rush yards vs. Aurora one week earlier.
“Robb who?” junior linebacker Paxton Terry joked about holding the three-time state wrestling champ to 32 yards.
“Our defense played great. Offensively, were were a little sluggish and didn’t execute very well at times,” Gross admitted. “I blame some of that on me. I got a little too basic with plays I called at times.”
Yet McCook still won the battle with three well-executed scoring plays.
Terry clearly enjoyed the first one. He had just blocked lively D-lineman Pettit, who often caused havoc and was clearly fired up about holding McCook scoreless through most of the first half.
MOST being the key word.
Because on second down from Sidney’s 10, Terry suddenly let Petit go to rush quarterback Berry.
Berry calmly flipped a screen pass to Terry and McCook’s 102-yards-per-game fullback had FINALLY reached the other team’s end zone.
“I’d been hearing a lot about it,” the smiling Terry said about not having any touchdowns through the first two-plus games. “Especially from (junior classmate) Billy Bennett, since he got one last week. Now we both have one.”
In other words, Terry and Bennett now own as many TDs (two) as Bison offensive opponents so far this season.
Fellow top rusher Gabe Sehnert earlier made a 34-yard catch-and-run to set up Terry’s score.
However, the Red Raiders were still hanging tough until that first Bison series following halftime.
Bison lineman Nick Baker and Colin Giron set the tone when they both knocked Raiders backwards with monster blocks.
Sehnert sandwiched several strong runs around a 19-yard gallop into Raider territory.
McCook even overcame a penalty as junior James Mockry made one clutch pass catch and classmate Alec Bunger ran to first down at Sidney’s 18.
Facing fourth down moments later seemed like a strange time to mention nudity – but it worked perfectly on Berry’s touchdown run.
“We called a naked bootleg where Cameryn looks to throw or tuck it under and run,” coach Gross explained. “Cameryn kept it to get the first down – but did you see that move he made? That’s why we call it a hip shift.”
Berry’s spin inside the five led to his final few steps into six-point paradise.
Junior Trae Koetter kicked the second of his four-for-four PATs.
The Bison seemed to be taking full control following D-tackle Taylor’s stop of another third-down Sidney play.
Momentum suddenly changed again with fellow state wrestler Robb’s third-down heroics. He intercepted a Bison pass and set up that lone Raider score which he made from one yard away.
“It was a curl pattern, but the outside backer (Robb) read it and got back to make a nice play,” coach Gross observed.
Sidney still needed a leaping fourth-and-nine reception from senior Colby Hass to turn that pick into points.
The Raiders never really threatened again.
McCook stuffed another Sidney series, then regained a two-TD lead on Sehnert’s team-leading eighth rushing score.
The clincher came on another “open-it-up” play call featuring junior tight end/defensive terror DJ Gross.
With Sidney expecting another grinding run, Berry suddenly sent one more perfect pass to Gross.
He rumbled 31 yards without being touched for his first touchdown of this still young season.
Koetter’s kick made it 28-7 while clearly ending any remaining Raider upset hopes.
Sidney quarterback Aric Doty fired a few more late throws though he would only complete six of 19.
Defensive backs Fawver, senior Hunter Potthoff and Berry led McCook’s solid secondary effort.
The final Raider play featured senior cornerback Gabe Marquez batting away a fourth-down long pass attempt.
They held star receiver Hass to just two catches for 25 yards.
“It’s fun. We’re playing good defense on every level,” Taylor concluded.
McCook (3-0) now moves on to its second long road trip this week.
The Bison will visit winless Alliance (0-3) Friday evening with kickoff at 8 p.m. CDT.
Alliance will need a lot of improvement after losing 55-12 to previously winless Holdrege Friday evening at Holdrege’s Keifer Field.
Coach Gross announced senior all-state quarterback/linebacker Zach Schlager will play for the first time since suffering a hip pointer at Aurora on Aug. 25.
Schlager was suited up and wearing his helmet, but did not get into the Sidney game.