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year in the Top 10
HARTINGTON — The Hartington-Newcastle Wildcats hit the road Friday as they begin their journey for a fourth straight playoff appearance.
Hartington-Newcastle put together an impressive 7-2 campaign in 2024, losing only to a pair of state-rated teams. The Cats fell to Crofton during regular season action and dropped a playoff nail-biter to Plainview in the playoffs.
HNS will be led by a big and experienced offensive line that should help them put plenty of points on the board.
The line is led by 6-4, 240-pound senior Ashton Wakeley. Senior Carter Kelly (6-5, 200) is another formidable player for the Cats while juniors Lincoln Grutsch (6-2, 235) and Colton Cavanaugh (6-2, 220) return to the starting lineup.
Austin Sudbeck is expected to take over at quarterback, while junior Will Feilmeier (5-9, 140) is another dual threat who should see a lot more of the ball after last season finishing with 14 receptions for 235 yards and two TDs and rushing for another 152 yards and three TDs.
Jason Heimes is also expected to contribute. He is a 5-8, 170-pound junior who got quite a bit of field time late in the season and even earned some starts.
He rushed for 104 yards and three TDs and will surely see a lot more time on the field this year.
