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OMAHA — By the narrowest of margins, Cedar Catholic has reclaimed its spot atop Class C athletics.
The Trojans captured their second Omaha World-Herald Class C All-Sports Award in three years with 67.13 points — just barely outpacing Minden’s 67 in one of the tightest finishes in award history.
Cedar had never finished in the top three until its breakthrough two years ago. Now, the Trojans are champions once again.
Cedar Catholic Principal and Athletic Director Chad Cattau was surprised to hear the news.
“To be honest, I was pretty surprised we were named the winners,” Cattau said. “It was a great surprise.”
Cattau said the student athletes and coaches know that hard work in the offseason can really pay off.
“Our coaches and kids definitely work hard all year round to create the type of success that we have had and this really shows that work paying off,” he said.
Most of Cedar’s points came in the fall and winter, but it was a lateseason push that made the difference. Minden led 67-66 heading into the spring, but Cedar’s girls track team tied for ninth in the state meet to clinch the title.
“We have been lucky enough to find some great success in the past that has created a tradition here that our current students take a lot of pride in upholding,” Cattau said. “They have a lot of discipline and work ethic all year round to create their opportunities for success.”
Cedar Catholic scored in six sports overall. The Trojans placed third in Class C-2 volleyball, third in C-2 football, third in Class C wrestling, fourth in C-2 volleyball (likely a duplicate mention — see note), seventh in C-2 boys basketball, and earned additional points in girls track.
Cedar athletes are also led by some very caring and dedicated coaches, Cattau said.
“Our students not only learn the values they are taught about their specific activities, but they are also learning a lot of life lessons from our coaching staffs.
A strong desire to succeed in both the boys and girls programs has helped to bolster all the school’s programs, Cattau said.
“One of the great things about our school and teams is the balance that we have between having success in the boys and girls sides of extra curricular activities,” he said. Minden won the Class C girls championship behind a strong year that included a volleyball state title, a runner-up finish in golf, and a No. 3 final ranking in C-1 basketball — their first girls title since 1980 and 1981, when they competed in Class B.
Central City claimed the boys divsion All Sports title for the first time, finishing with 48.75 points. The Bison surged in the spring, aided by a Class C runner-up finish in baseball and a third-place tie in track. Their baseball team includes athletes from coop partner Centura, meaning the two schools split the 18 points awarded for the second-place finish. Central City had previously finished as runnerup in C-1 football and placed fourth in Class C wrestling. Central City edged out Battle Creek (36.5) and Cedar (36) for the boys title.
Kearney Catholic, the 2024 All-Sports grand champion in Class C, was the only school to win multiple state titles this year. The Stars claimed championships in both girls track and boys golf.
