New season

HARTINGTON — A familiar noise could be heard all across Cedar County early Monday and Tuesday mornings.

Whistles blared, coaches roared and out-of-shape athletes wheezed as they ran through the first two days of fall football practice.

Volleyball players, cross country runners and members of the girls golf teams are also hard at it now as the 2023-24 school year is set to begin next week.

Monday was the first day for practice for most teams across the state. Some schools, including Randolph and Wausa, will open the 2023 football campaign a week early, so all the teams involved in the Week Zero games were able to hit the gridiron a week early.

Randolph opens the new campaign on the road at Boyd County. The Cardinals are also on the road in their next game as they travel to Walthill.

Wausa opens the new season by hosting Elgin Public-Pope John.

Three of the five Cedar County football teams are hitting the field after 2022 playoff runs.

Wynot, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge and Cedar Catholic all not only qualified for the playoffs last year, but all won playoff games, as well.

Cedar Catholic had the deepest playoff run of any area team, advancing to the State title game in Lincoln, only to lose to perennial powerhouse Norfolk Catholic at Memorial Stadium.

Wynot earned playoff wins over Winside and Twin Loup before falling 34-22 to Bloomfield in last year’s quarterfinals.

LCC entered the playoffs with an unblemished record and then handed Mead a 68-20 setback in its playoff opener. The Bears were upset in the second round, though, falling 44-20 to Weeping Water.

Hartington-Newcastle opens the season with a short road trip to Wynot on Aug. 25. The Wildcats will then host Plainview for their home opener at Russ Hochstein Field on Sept. 1.

Cedar Catholic will start the new season on the road at Tekamah-Herman on Aug. 25 and then travel to David City the next week to take on David City Aquinas.

After hosting HNS in its homeopener, Wynot will travel to Humphrey to take on Humphrey St. Francis.

LCC gets the season started at home when West Point Guardian Angels comes to town. The Bears then host Wisner-Pilger in their next contest.

The volleyball season officially starts Aug. 24. Cedar Catholic, the 2022 D1 state champion, bumps up into C2 this year. The Trojans will host Randolph and Homer in a season-opening triangular.

The Lady Wildcats also compete in C2 this year. They open the season Aug. 24 at Crofton.