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HARTINGTON — James Kaiser once helped lead Cedar Catholic to the biggest stage in Nebraska high school football.
Now, more than a decade after quarterbacking the Trojans in the 2014 Class C2 state championship game against Aquinas Catholic, Kaiser will lead the program from the sideline.
Kaiser was recently named the head coach for the upcoming Cedar Catholic football season, which begins in August.
He replaces longtime head coach Chad Cattau, who stepped away after guiding the Trojans to 165 wins, seven district titles and three of the four state championship game appearances in school history.
Kaiser has been a member of Cattau’s staff for the past six seasons and served as defensive coordinator last fall, helping Cedar Catholic finish 11-1 and advance to the Class C2 quarterfinals.
“Naturally, I’m really excited, but it certainly adds a lot of responsibility,” Kaiser said. “I know I will have some questions, but Coach Cattau has said just ask him and he will answer what he can.”
Kaiser said moving into the head coaching role means keeping an eye on every part of the program, from the practice field to the attitude and energy of the players.
“I know I will need to be aware of almost everything, right down to the attitude of the guys,” Kaiser said. “We need to find ways to keep things fresh and lively, especially in our summer workouts. Our guys work very, very hard, but we need to give them some variety to keep things interesting for them.”
He also knows his game-day responsibilities will look much different now.
“At our level, the head coach is pretty much responsible for getting the field ready and everything it entails to host a game or travel to a game,” Kaiser said. “You have to be a manager before and after the game and a coach during it.”
Kaiser will continue to serve as defensive coordinator, but will also take on duties as the running game coordinator. He said that role should fit well with his overall responsibilities on game night.
“I will continue to be the defensive coordinator, but I will also be the running game coordinator,” he said. “I will be watching our offensive line and see if we need to make changes in our blocking schemes. It kind of makes sense.”
Kaiser said he is eager to get started and believes the Trojans have a solid foundation to build on.
“We have some good players coming back,” he said. “I remember when I played and when I was a junior, I felt like I was strong enough and confident enough to compete with anyone. That’s the mentality we need all of our players to get to.”
That confidence helped carry Kaiser and the Trojans to Memorial Stadium as players.
Now, he hopes it can help carry the next generation of Trojans forward.
