New video board to be unveiled at Weymouth Field in Sidney
Sidney High School is gearing up for a momentous occasion as they are set to unveil their first-ever football video board at Weymouth Field this Friday when they take on Minden. This exciting addition, valued at $275,000, has been made possible through the generous contributions of the Sidney Raider Athletic Booster Club and private donors. Booster Club President Sarah Kaiser expressed her excitement, mentioning that this project is a significant milestone for the club since its inception three years ago. “If you’re going to do it, you might as well go big,” Kaiser stated proudly. “The sponsors covered 100% of the costs for this board. We managed to secure private funding for it, with invaluable assistance from numerous community volunteers who helped bring this project to life.”
Among the features of the new Daktronics board, located at the south endzone, are a state-of-the-art speaker system, crowd-engaging interactive games, impactful build-up music for kickoffs, player videos, mic’d-up referees, and home-field advantage graphics. Matt McKay, the district’s IT director and video board coordinator, emphasized that the aim of this board is to enhance the Friday night experience and create a professional atmosphere for attendees. “This atmosphere is going to be different,” McKay remarked. “I think we’re going to bring something to the community they’re not used to having. You can stream it or you can come feel it. There’s a difference being in a stadium than watching it. You can feel how the game is. The atmosphere is going to be electric and I’m excited for everybody to get to feel that here.”
The introduction of the impressive video board represents a significant upgrade for Raider athletics and community events alike. In addition to the video board, other enhancements at Weymouth Field include improved access to the stands, freshly painted bleachers, and the installation of hand railings on the stadium concourses. While the old scoreboard on the north end of the stadium will still be utilized during athletic events, the new video board is expected to elevate the game-day experience and align with prevailing trends seen in high school facilities across Nebraska. “Having something like this on a high school field is going to make the atmosphere awesome,” noted Activities Director Austin Lewis. “I think it’s going to be a hit. I think the crowd is going to really love it.”
Looking ahead, Kaiser highlighted the versatility of the video board, noting that beyond football games, it could support various events such as graduations, track and field meets, community movie nights, and serve as a platform for broadcasting students to gain hands-on experience. The highly anticipated debut of the video board will coincide with the kickoff against Minden at 6 p.m. this Friday. For fans unable to attend in person, the game will be broadcasted on Cheyenne County Country.