Gage Hedstrom is Hurrdat Sports Class D2 Football Player of the Year after a capping a record-setting career with the 2025 Class D2 state runner-up in O’Neill St. Mary’s.
The senior quarterback and linebacker received the award at Hurrdat Sports’ second annual NEBPreps Football Award Show Monday night. He broke the Nebraska 8-man record for career passing plus rushing touchdowns with 195, scoring seven times during the Cardinals’ semifinal win over Howells-Dodge to pass the old mark. He added 13 more touchdowns on special teams and defense to finish with 208 total scores in 40 career games.
Now, he’s getting recognized for his accomplishments.
“It means a lot to me,” Hedstrom told Hurrdat Sports. “I put a lot of work in, and there are a lot of early mornings, a lot of late nights that go into it. So, it just means a lot that putting that work in has come out to be something.”
Hedstrom had an outstanding senior season, passing for 2,311 yards and 46 touchdowns while rushing for 1,855 yards and 38 touchdowns. He was also a key member of the Cardinals’ defense, racking up 125 tackles including 7.0 for loss, 12 passes defense, six interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. However, he’s giving the credit to those around him.
“A lot of that success is from the linemen up front,” Hedstrom said of his offensive success. “They do a lot more than people think they do. They create a lot of holes, and sometimes I didn’t get touched at all. They create a lot up front, so that obviously helps a lot.”
St. Mary’s came up short of winning the Class D2 state championship game in a record-setting 71-60 loss to Wynot on Nov. 24, but Hedstrom had a great day with over 400 yards of total offense. He went 17-of-30 for 347 yards and six scores passing while adding 59 yards rushing and three more touchdowns. The senior tacked on 11 tackles and one interception in the loss.
The multi-sport athlete said that he found out that he was close to breaking Aiden Kuester’s 8-man career touchdowns record (185 for Neligh-Oakdale, 2019-22) from a substitute teacher ahead of the Cardinals’ game against Howells-Dodge on Nov. 14, but he did not know that he broke it for sure until later on.
“It’s crazy, just looking back over the years and seeing how much I had put into this,” Hedstrom said. “It felt really good, and I know Aiden Kuester pretty well. He was telling me congratulations and stuff, so it felt really good.”
Hedstrom started playing football at a young age but is competing for more than himself after losing a close friend to suicide his freshman year of high school.
“He’s always got a special place in my heart,” Hedstrom said. “He always motivates me to get up in the morning, so he’s always got a special place in my heart.”
The 180-pound athlete has offers from Midland, Chadron State and Mount Marty but is focusing on taking it day by day, before choosing the right fit for him.
“I want to prove my worth, because I’ve proved my worth to them,” Hedstrom said. “I want to play at a high level at the next level I go to, whatever level that may be. So [my goal is to] just play at a high level and do the things I did in high school there.”
With all of Hedstrom’s success — including a state championship on the basketball court last spring and a chance to repeat this year — he’s left his mark on the town of O’Neill, with a legacy that will live on long after he graduates.
“I’d want them to remember me as a good role model,” Hedstrom said. “I try to be the best role model to those little kids. I know they look up to me, so that kind of keeps me in check. It just keeps me in check to be a good person. So, when they hear the name Gage Hedstrom, I just hope they think of obviously a great athlete, but also just a better person.”
