Cedar will start new season in the Top 10

OMAHA — The Cedar Catholic High School football team will once again start the season with a target on its back.

The Trojans are ranked sixth in this year’s Nebraskaland Prep Report preseason poll.

The other statewide polls have not been released yet, but the Trojans are expected to make at least one of those polls, as well.

The Trojans did not earn a spot in last years’ Huskerland pre-season ratings, but were ranked 10th in the Omaha World Herald preseason poll. Cedar has started the season ranked in one of the statewide polls eight of the last 12 years.

Cedar’s 2024 schedule features two defending state champions in Norfolk Catholic and Boone Central, as well as two other state-rated teams — Battle Creek and Oakland-Craig.

Cedar has three teams on this year’s schedule that competed in Class C1 last year — state C1 champion Boone Central, Wayne and West Point-Beemer.

It’s been quite some time since the Trojans have tangled with anyone of these three.

Wayne was in the same football conference with Cedar for many years, so the two battled yearly throughout the 1970s and 80s.

Wayne holds a slight 14-13-1 advantage over the Trojans in their career matchups.

The Blue Devils held a 6-1 advantage over the Trojans during their games in the 1950s and 60s. While Cedar owned a 4-2-1 mark over Wayne in the 1970s. Wayne held a 4-6 advantage in the 1980s, and the Trojans won all four of the games they played in the 1990s, including the final game between the two — a 27-8 victory in 1993.

The tie came in a 9-9 thriller in 1978. The last time Cedar took on the Albion football team was in 1999 when the Cardinals earned a 21-6 decision over the Trojans. Albion holds an 8-4 alltime record over Cedar.

Fremont Bergan is another team the Trojans haven’t tangled with in quite awhile.

The last time these two squads met was in 2010 when the Knights blanked Cedar 40-0 in playoff action. Cedar defeated Bergan 22-20 in a 2007 playoff game. Cedar owns a narrow 6-5 record over the Knights in the all-time series.

This year’s West Point-Beemer game will mark the first time the schools have ever matched up on the gridiron.