Football · Preview · Class C2
No. 3 Cedar Catholic (9-0) opens its playoff run against No. 14 Lincoln Lutheran
No. 3 Cedar Catholic (9-0) hosts No. 14 Lincoln Lutheran (5-4) in the Class C2 first round Fri., Oct. 30. Stats, charts, players to watch, history and keys to the game.
Publication check, Oct. 28: Current NSAA seeds, records and point averages checked; kickoff and host details synchronized with the verified site schedule. Season statistics and chart reporting remain the dated Week9 draft snapshot, not a new full-season audit.
Seeds, records and point averages: NSAA's official bracket, Oct. 24, 2026. Scores: NSAA finals. Player stats: MaxPreps game reports through Week 9. Coaches poll: Hurrdat Sports, Oct. 18.
Cedar Catholic is 9-0 and outscored its regular-season opponents 432-54. Lincoln Lutheran (5-4) gets the first shot at it in the Class C2 playoffs.
The game is Friday, Oct. 30, at 7:00 PM CT. Reported site: Hartington. Current Game Center and source links →
The matchup at a glance
Cedar Catholic finished 4.4444 points ahead of Lincoln Lutheran in NSAA's point averages. Cedar Catholic scored 48.0 and allowed 6.0 points a game; Lincoln Lutheran scored 26.1 and allowed 27.1. Cedar Catholic's opponents went a combined 31-50, and Lincoln Lutheran's went 38-43.
| Cedar Catholic | Lincoln Lutheran | |
|---|---|---|
| Seed | No. 3 | No. 14 |
| Record (NSAA) | 9-0 | 5-4 |
| NSAA point average | 44.0000 | 39.5556 |
| Coaches poll (Oct. 18) | No. 2 | Not ranked |
| Points scored / game | 48.0 | 26.1 |
| Points allowed / game | 6.0 | 27.1 |
| Average margin | +42.0 | -1.0 |
| vs. playoff teams | 2-0 | 2-3 |
| vs. winning teams | 3-0 | 2-3 |
| One-score games | — | 2-1 |
| Opponents' combined record | 31-50 | 38-43 |
| Last 3 games | W 61-7, W 33-7, W 52-6 | L 13-49, W 30-27, W 31-14 |
| Streak | Won 9 | Won 2 |
How Cedar Catholic got here
Cedar Catholic went through the regular season 9-0 and outscored opponents 432-54. Its closest game was a 34-10 win over Scotus Central Catholic (6-3). Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 2-0. It comes in on a 9-game winning streak, capped by a 52-6 win at Ord (7-2) in Week 9. The defense posted three shutouts.
How Lincoln Lutheran got here
Lincoln Lutheran finished the regular season 5-4, scoring 235 points and allowing 244. Losses: at Milford (2-7), 48-26; Ord (7-2), 40-7; at Wilber-Clatonia (6-3), 28-24; Malcolm (7-2), 49-13. Its best win by opponent was a 28-26 win over Lincoln Christian (7-2), a playoff team. Against teams that made this year's playoff field, it went 2-3. In Week 9 it had a 31-14 win at H&H (1-8).
By the numbers
Shared opponent
They played one of the same opponent. Cedar Catholic went 1-0 in those games and Lincoln Lutheran went 0-1. Different weeks and sites, so it's a rough guide.
| Opponent | Cedar Catholic | Lincoln Lutheran |
|---|---|---|
| Ord * | W 52-6 | L 7-40 |
Players to watch
Season totals from MaxPreps game reports through Week 9. Not every game has a report, so treat these as minimums.
Cedar Catholic
- G. Haberer (QB): 1,592 passing yards, 89 of 125, 27 TD, 2 INT
- E. Hochstein: 752 rushing yards (8.4 per carry), 8 TD
- C. Hochstein: 26 catches, 654 yards, 9 TD
- J. Hoebelheinrich: 5 sacks
- B. Hochstein: 2 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 8 of its 9 games.
Lincoln Lutheran
- C. Ross (QB): 904 passing yards, 79 of 128, 11 TD, 8 INT
- E. Holle: 967 rushing yards (5.9 per carry), 10 TD
- C. Caldwell: 35 catches, 443 yards, 8 TD
- E. Grell: 61 tackles, 2 for loss
- Z. Petersen: 2 interceptions
MaxPreps game reports cover 8 of its 9 games.
Historical program and playoff-series claims are withheld pending school-identity verification. Current-season reporting above is unaffected.
Keys to the game
- Can Lincoln Lutheran slow Cedar Catholic's offense? Cedar Catholic averaged 48.0 points; Lincoln Lutheran allowed 27.1. Cedar Catholic scored 30 or more in 9 of 9 games.
- Lincoln Lutheran's answer. It scored 26.1 a game, and Cedar Catholic's defense allowed 6.0. In its losses, though, Lincoln Lutheran averaged 17.5.
- Tested against playoff teams. Cedar Catholic went 2-0 against this year's playoff field; Lincoln Lutheran went 2-3.
- If it's close late. Cedar Catholic hasn't played a one-score game (8 points or fewer) this season. Lincoln Lutheran is 2-1 in them.
- G. Haberer and the ball. Cedar Catholic's quarterback threw 2 interceptions in 125 reported attempts; Lincoln Lutheran's Z. Petersen has 2 picks.
- Stopping E. Holle. Lincoln Lutheran's top rusher has 967 reported yards and 10 touchdowns. Cedar Catholic allowed 6.0 points a game.
What's next
The winner plays the winner of No. 6 Boone Central vs. No. 11 Mitchell in the quarterfinals Friday, Nov. 6. Higher seeds host through the semifinals. The Class C2 state final is Tue., Nov. 24, 10:15 a.m., Memorial Stadium, Lincoln.
Game center: kickoff, live score and bracket path → · Full Class C2 bracket →
Verified state finals schedule → · Class bracket →
Cedar Catholic team center → · Lincoln Lutheran team center →
Nebraska football scores and schedules → · Football playoff tracker →
Result note: a 1–0 entry is shown as listed by NSAA. It is not treated as evidence of an on-field score or a confirmed forfeit.