HNS faces its first D2 test on Friday

HARTINGTON - The Wildcats football team starts the season with a top ten preseason ranking by Huskerland Prep, but Hartington-Newcastle will find an early test to their Class D2 season debut. 

HNS hosts Chamber/Wheeler Central/Ewing on Friday night on the Russ Hochstein Field at the Hartington Community Complex, and the opponent is largely unknown.

The Renegades only return two starters from last season from a team that went 8-3 last year before losing in the state playoff quarterfinals. 

CWCE, like Hartington-Newcastle, also dropped from Class D1 to Class D2 this year,. The team was briefly in D1 after combining with Ewing in 2016, but the school has dropped back to Class D2. 

Returning for the Renegades is a 6’3 250 lb lineman Joshua Klabenes who can expected to cause some problems for a young Hartington-Newcastle line. The Wildcats graduated Alex Kneifl and Ryan Koch, and will have a fresh look on the line this year. 

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