New coach, but the same old story for Cedar Catholic

HARTINGTON — For the fourth consecutive season, Cedar Catholic is heading to Lincoln for the Class C2 State Basketball Championships, but the first year under head coach Nick Haselhorst, who replaced Matt Steffen in 2023-24 after a year on the bench last season as an assistant.

“Nick has done a great job this year,” Steffen said. “Kids are all going together at the end of the year, he went with the culture that was there. He’s been very gracious about doing what we used to do, he nips people in the bud when they need it, he’s doing a great job.”

Although Haselhorst has only been with the Trojans for two years, his former head coach and now assistant coach is impressed with the new head man’s take on basketball.

“He gets it, he knows what he’s doing,” Steffen said. “He understands what we’re all about here, and that makes us all happy.”

In his first year as the head man on the bench, Haselhorst has led the Trojans to a 19-6 record, a couple of title games in the Bergan Classic and the Great Northeast Nebraska Shootout and recently to the SubDistrict C2-8 Tournament, which they won, and the C2-3 District Tournament finals, which they also won.

“We are playing with a lot of effort and a lot of passion,” Haselhorst said. “All the players are playing with confidence and are going to battle for each other — we have done a great job of learning to put our team first and to leave it all on the floor.”

The Trojans used a 53-48 win over Lutheran High Northeast out of Norfolk to grab their fourth consecutive trip to Lincoln and their 23rd overall.

Cedar Catholic placed third last season after dropping an openinground match-up with Norfolk Catholic in 2022 and placing fourth in 2021.

The Trojans won a couple of State titles back in 1980 and 1984, and also placed second in 1991 and 1993 and third in 2012 and 2013.

Although the fourth-straight trip, this group of Trojans has not had a lot of experience on the big stage, a fact that doesn’t bother their head coach.

“We’ve spoken to the team about this; in December, a lack of experience may have been an excuse,” the coach said. “But that no longer holds weight. We have nearly four months of a season, played 25 games, played in championship games during the holidays and had a solid Mid-State Conference tournament. We are battle-tested, we’ve played a tough schedule and these kids have learned valuable lessons throughout the season.

“In addition, these kids are used to attending and watching State tournaments and they have had dreams about their moment on the grand stage. I believe we’ll be ready.”

Cedar Catholic will take on No. 6-seeded Lincoln Lutheran in the opening round at 3:15 p.m. March 6.