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HARTINGTON — The Cedar Catholic Lady Trojan basketball team has plenty of talent coming back to make another run to Lincoln next spring after finishing third in last year’s Nebraska Girls Basketball Championships in Class D1.
In fact, head coach Craig Wortmann returns four starters from last year’s team.
“We have four starters coming back and a good group of younger players,” said Wortmann. “We bring back most of our scoring from last year and if we can stay healthy, we should be very competitive in D1.”
The starters include sophomore, Anisten Wortmann; junior Addison Walter and seniors, Katelyn Arens and Lauren Bernecker.
After a very successful freshman campaign, Wortmann, the coach’s daughter, should improve on her 10 points per game last season and will be a “go-to” offensive weapon for the L ady Trojans.
Walter will roam the paint and developed into a solid outside shooter over the summer on her club team up in South Dakota.
Arens is steady inside and a good defensive player who put in eight points per game as a junior and Bernecker will be Wortmann’s Swiss Army knife, relentless on defense and a very reliable scorer, averaging nine points per contest last season.
Bailey Hochstein should fit into the mix at guard after averaging five points a game last year coming off the bench.
Wortmann looks for Crofton, Pender, Guardian Angels Central Catholic and Battle Creek to be tough this season and three of the four are on the Lady Trojans’ schedule.
Cedar Catholic will open the season with three games against Class C1 opponents.
Boone Central comes to the Monsignor Werner Activities Center on Dec. 6 with Omaha Roncalli showing up the following day.
The Lady Trojans head to O’Neill for their first road trip of the year on Dec. 13.
Norfolk Catholic comes to town Dec. 16 then a trip to one of Wortmann’s top teams, Crofton on Dec. 17.
The pre-moratorium schedule concludes with West Holt coming to Hartington.
Cedar Catholic will compete in the Wayne Holiday Tournament Dec. 27-30 then open 2025 at Dakota Valley in South Dakota on Jan. 3.
Cedar will compete in the D1-3 SubDistrict Feb. 17-20 with Bloomfield, Hartington-Newcastle, Osmond and Wausa.
