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Hartington-Newcastle claims another State One Act title
NORFOLK — Hartington-Newcastle students turned a once-forgotten Hollywood flop into a state championship performance Thursday, capturing the Class C2 State One-Act title at the Johnny Carson Theatre in Norfolk.
The Hartington-Newcastle cast and crew delivered a polished performance of Epic Proportions, edging twotime defending champion Ravenna and claiming the school’s 11th state one-act championship.
Director A.J. Johnson said the troupe executed its plan at exactly the right moment. “I was very proud of our kids for how they performed,” Johnson said. “We met all of the goals we had set for the day — from energy, to letting things happen naturally, to nailing the changes we had put in for this performance.”
Although rehearsals began in September, Johnson said the production never became stale because it continued to evolve throughout the season. That growth paid off at state. “That was one of our best state performances,” he said. “We won over the crowd early, and the kids kept them laughing the whole way through.”
Senior Dane Gotch said nerves were high when the cast first stepped on stage, especially after Hartington-Newcastle had not qualified for state in recent seasons.
“The moment we got on stage, the nerves were really high,” Gotch said. “For me, I knew it would be one of my last performances, so I made sure to leave everything on the stage.” Once the lights came up, he said the group settled in. “Everyone knew exactly what to do, and everything just flowed.”
Senior Issac Santiago said the moment represented the culmination of months of work. “This was the moment we were all working hard for,” he said. “We wanted this more than anybody else in the competition.” Santiago said seeing the size of the audience initially added pressure. “The nerves most definitely go crazy,” he said, “but when we’re performing, you forget what you’re competing for and just live in the moment.”
Johnson said the senior class played a critical leadership role throughout the season. “For this group of seniors, it’s a testament to their leadership,” he said. “All year long, they set the tone at practice. They wanted to get back to Norfolk very badly, and once there, they really wanted to win.”
Santiago said he felt an obligation to help younger cast members experience success on the state stage. “My big goal for this season was to get the younger kids a state medal,” he said. “I wanted to give them the same opportunity the seniors gave me when I was a freshman.”
Senior Lainey Morten said the group’s chemistry helped them handle the unexpected during the performance. During one scene, she accidentally broke a clipboard on her head — an unplanned moment that fit seamlessly into the show. “That was not planned or expected at all,” Morten said, “but it gave us a lot more laughs and fit the scene perfectly.”
Santiago said that ability to adapt separates successful productions from the rest.
Yost didn’t just buy a newspaper. He took on the responsibility of making sure birthdays were printed right, ads ran on time, photos looked sharp and the community saw itself reflected honestly in print.
Alongside his wife, Beth, Yost poured himself into the Blade. The couple sold the paper in January 1978 to Don and Pearl Johnson of the Cedar County News, only to buy it back less than a year later. It was a move that spoke volumes about how hard it was for Yost to let go of the press, the deadlines and the weekly rhythm of newspaper life.
The Yosts continued publishing the Blade until selling it in 2002 to Rhonda Leapley.
Through the years, Yost earned a reputation for top-notch printing, sharp photography and his familiar “Two Bits from Bob” column — a regular stop for readers who appreciated his straightforward, hometown perspective. He was the kind of publisher who noticed the details and cared deeply about getting them right.
In 2002, Yost was honored by the Nebraska Press Association as a Golden Pica Pole recipient, an award recognizing more than 50 years in the newspaper business. For those who knew him, it was a fitting tribute to a man who understood that a good newspaper didn’t happen by accident — it happened because someone was willing to put in the work, week after week.
For Coleridge, Bob Yost wasn’t just a publisher or printer. He was part of the machinery that kept the town connected and informed.
