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HARTINGTON — A strong fall football season earned several area athletes statewide recognition, as players from Cedar Catholic, Wynot and Hartington-Newcastle were named to 2025 Nebraska All-State football teams.
Cedar Catholic placed three players on the Omaha World-Herald’s Class C2 All-State First Team, led by senior linebacker Brady Hochstein and underclassmen Will Steffen and Micah Cattau.
Steffen was selected as an offensive lineman but made his presence felt on both sides of the ball throughout the season.
“Will was a dominant lineman on both sides of the ball,” Cedar Catholic coach Chad Cattau said. “He has a great ability to use his hands and feet, and his strength and quickness make him a very unique player.”
Sophomore Micah Cattau earned first-team honors as a punter after averaging 44.7 yards per kick.
“Micah has been a very consistent punter for us the past two seasons,” his coach said. “Having a weapon like that can be a real game-changer.”
Hochstein, the lone senior among Cedar Catholic’s first-team selections, was honored at linebacker after serving as a key leader on both defense and offense.
“Brady has a combination of strength, speed, quickness and power,” Cattau said. “He became our defensive leader the past two seasons, and this year he also became a great weapon for us on offense.”
Hochstein led the Trojans in total tackles while also pacing the team in rushing and receiving yards. He finished the season with 101 tackles, including 17 tackles for loss.
“He became our bell-cow running back after a few games,” Cattau said. “He had a great year leading us in rushing and tackles.”
Wynot also placed three players on the Class D2 First Team, with Kotner Koch, Lane Heimes and Parker Schmidt earning honors following the Blue Devils’ state championship season.
“Kotner was always ready to go and take on a challenge,” his coach said. “He consistently went above and beyond what needed to be done, and he really deserved that All-State recognition.”
Lane Heimes was recognized for his all-around play, particularly his physical running style and defensive aggressiveness.
“Lane did a very good job this year,” coach Steve Heimes said. “We really worked on a few things, especially running the ball. Defensively, he’s always aggressive and always going after it.”
Schmidt earned praise for his offseason commitment and physical development.
“Parker did a great job in the weight room,” Heimes said. “He’s probably one of the best weightroom guys I’ve had since I’ve been at Wynot. He was consistently working to make himself bigger, faster and stronger.”
Cedar Catholic had five additional players receive All-State recognition. Easton Hochstein earned thirdteam honors, while Breiton Whitmire, Sam Wiebelhaus, Jared Rutar and Bodie Hochstein were named honorable mention.
“Easton was a very consistent, well-rounded player on both sides of the ball and on special teams,” Cattau said. “He gave us a spark whenever he got the ball in his hands.”
Whitmire battled injuries during the season but remained a contributor.
“Breiton started the season really well for us, but the injury bug caught up with him,” Cattau said. “Even so, he was still a major contributor on defense and special teams.”
Wiebelhaus was recognized for his leadership and versatility.
“Sam was a great leader both vocally and through his work ethic,” Cattau said. “Defensively, we were able to use him in multiple spots because of his athletic ability.”
Rutar continued to develop into a dependable twoway player.
“Jared had an excellent year on both sides of the ball,” his coach said. “He just went about his business and played as hard as he could.”
Bodie Hochstein also made an impact on the field. “He made plays on both offense and defense and was a very good open-field tackler,” Cattau said. “His contributions on special teams were very important for us.”
Wynot quarterback Devin Brummer earned Second-Team All-State honors in Class D2, the fourth and final All-State selection for the Blue Devils.
“The game really slowed down for Devin this year,” Heimes said. “It became a lot easier for him.”
Brummer completed 71 percent of his passes, throwing for 2,145 yards while adding more than 200 yards rushing.
“He understood what we were trying to do offensively and read defenses very well,” Heimes said. “He was able to take advantage of his abilities.”
Hartington-Newcastle also had several players recognized, with Mason Krause, Austin Sudbeck, Jason Heimes, Ashton Wakeley, Lincoln Grutsch and Colton Cavanaugh all earning Class D1 honorable mention honors.
CEDAR CATHOLIC
Will Steffen - First Team Offensive Line Class C2; Lincoln Journal-Star, Omaha World Herald. First Team Norfolk Daily News 11-man. Brady Hochstein - First Team Linebacker Class C2: Lincoln Journal-Star, Omaha World Herald. First Team Norfolk Daily News 11-man. Micah Cattau - First Team Punter Class C2: Lincoln Journal-Star, Omaha World Herald. Easton Hochstein - Third Team Norfolk Daily News 11-man. Honorable mention Omaha World Herald. Honorable mention Omaha World Herald: Breiton Whitmire, Sam Wiebelhaus, Jared Rutar, Bodie Hochstein.
WYNOT
Kotner Koch - First Team Wide Receiver D2: Omaha World Herald, Lincoln Journal-Star. Second Team Norfolk Daily News 8-man. Parker Schmidt - First Team Defensive Line D2: Omaha World Herald, Lincoln Journal-Star. Lane Heimes - First Team Linebacker: Omaha World Herald, Lincoln Journal-Star. Second Team Norfolk Daily News 8-man. Devin Brummer - Second Team Norfolk Daily News 8-man.
HARTINGTON-NEWCASTLE
Omaha World Herald Honorable Mention. Mason Krause, Austin Sudbeck, Jason Heimes, Ashton Wakeley, Lincoln Grutsch and Colton Cavanaugh.
