Senior Nate McDonald scored three touchdowns in leading Sidney to a season-opening, 45-7 Section Four Football Conference non-division victory over Oneonta High on Friday night at Norwich.
McDonald scored two rushing touchdowns and caught a 55-yard scoring pass from Patrick Vibbard in a game Sidney was supposed to host but had to move to Norwich because its field was not playable.
“Our kids played a super game,” said Sidney coach Jeff Matthews, whose team is coming off a 4-4 season. “They really showed an intensity that I really didn’t see in them during the preseason. I’m extremely pleased.”
McDonald, one of 16 returning seniors for the Warriors, finished with 116 rushing yards on 15 carries. Billy Kozak had 62 yards on five carries; Damian Zimmer contributed 55 yards on six carries; Roberto Ojeda finished with 54 yards on 12 attempts; and Brandon Walters had 46 yards on his only carry.
“All of our backs ran extremely hard and we played well up front,” said Matthews, whose team led, 31-7, at halftime.
Defensively, Matthews said his team stuck to the game plan.
“The kids did a really good job of reading keys and were able to get to the ball pretty easily,” he said.
Matthews singled out the play of safety McDonald, and linebackers Michael Chase and Derek Northrop. He added that Zimmer had an interception.
Scott Conrade scored for Oneonta, which went 4-3 last season.
Sidney travels to Whitney Point next Saturday.
Oneonta plays host to Chenango Forks this coming Friday.
