John Hurt honored for decades of service to Sidney Public Schools

Photos courtesy of Donna Wiedeburg / Sidney Public Schools

SIDNEY, Neb. — Longtime educator and activities supporter John Hurt was recognized Saturday night for decades of service to Sidney Public Schools during halftime of the Sidney girls basketball game against Scottsbluff.

Hurt, a retired Sidney Public Schools teacher, spent 27 years in education, including 22 years in Sidney as a speech teacher. During his teaching career, he played a key role in student activities, serving as a coach and sponsor for high school speech, play production, mock trial, speech club and dinner theatre at Sidney High School.

His involvement with the district continued well beyond his retirement in 2003.

For the past 20 years, Hurt has remained a familiar and dependable presence at school activities, volunteering in numerous support roles. He has served as a public address announcer for football, basketball, wrestling and track events, worked as a scorekeeper for basketball at multiple levels, and spent many seasons as a line judge for high school volleyball.

School officials highlighted Hurt’s consistency and willingness to help, noting that he regularly stepped in behind the scenes to ensure activities ran smoothly for student-athletes and participants.

The recognition concluded with an emotional John Hurt receiving a standing ovation from the crowd inside the gymnasium.

Sidney assistant coach Scot Anderson earns Western Conference honor

SIDNEY, Neb. — Sidney High School assistant football coach Scot Anderson was recognized for his contributions to the Red Raiders program after being named the Western Conference Boys Assistant Coach of the Year.

The honor recognizes Anderson’s work during the 2024–25 school year and was presented as part of the Western Conference’s annual recognition of coaches across the league for their service to student-athletes, programs and schools.

Anderson began his teaching and coaching career in Sidney five years ago and has become a key figure within the Red Raiders football program. During his tenure, Sidney has established itself as one of the top programs in the conference.

Under Anderson’s leadership on the coaching staff, Sidney has advanced to the state semifinals in each of the past three seasons. The 2025 campaign marked a historic milestone for the program, as the Red Raiders reached the state championship game in Lincoln and finished as state runners-up, the best postseason finish in school history.