December 22, 2017 at 2:39 p.m.
Top 10 local sports stories of 2017
Streaks, coaches and accomplishments highlight this year's local list
Top 10 local sports stories of 2017
It was another busy year on the local sports beat and we've distilled the year down to the 10 top stories, as decided by River News sports editor Jeremy Mayo.
1. The reign ends
All good things must come to an end. In 2017, the Rhinelander High School girls' tennis team's run atop the Great Northern Conference met that fate.
Antigo knocked off a young Rhinelander squad that had to rebuild in 2017 after graduating its Nos. 1 and 2 singles and doubles entries from a season ago.
The Hodags actually had an early leg up against the Red Robins, defeating Antigo 4-3 in a dual Aug. 31 in Rhinelander, but the Robins scored a 5-2 win in Antigo five days later and held the conference lead all the way until the GNC meet later in September in Antigo.
Entering the final round of the conference tournament, the Hodags still had a chance to defend their title, but they had to win all five championship matches they were in. Antigo quickly ended that notion, winning the titles at Nos. 1 and 2 singles.
"We hung in there," coach Bob Heideman said. "I'm proud of the team. We'll improve, work hard and see what happens. This match wasn't decided until (late in the final round). That says something (about this team's resolve).
"Antigo was just slightly better in more positions. I give them credit."
The Hodag girls' tennis team's run atop the GNC was the third longest in conference history, surpassed only by Lakeland boys' cross country (9) and Mosinee softball (8).
The Hodag girls' tennis team was not the only RHS squad to see its GNC title streak end in 2017. The RHS boys' basketball team had a four-year conference championship streak stopped and the RHS wrestling team saw a three-year run atop the GNC come to an end. Medford won the conference title in both sports.
2. Community remembers Apfel
In February, the Rhinelander sports community mourned the passing of longtime RHS assistant football, basketball and baseball coach Mark Apfel who passed away unexpectedly at the age of 54.
A few days later, hundreds of people showed up for a celebration of life for Apfel at Rhinelander High School, describing a man who cared deeply about Rhinelander sports and the kids who play them.
"The biggest lesson I've learned from Mark of the past 15 years is how to love, how to not be afraid to love, how to love everyone, how to treat everyone the same," said Zach Ready who was once one of Apfel's players and who served with him on the RHS football coaching staff. "If Mark had a fault it was that his heart was too big. He always gave, gave and gave, but never did anything for himself. I think that if we all had a portion of Mark's heart, this world would be a better place."
Added former RHS football defensive coordinator Gary Zarda, "He's a person of legacy in this town. It's not everyone who fills a room in a moment like this, but this guy has a legacy. He mattered to people and I think that's something to be extremely proud of."
Apfel was honored before an RHS boys' basketball game against Marshfield that week, the RHS football team wore an "A" decal on its helmets during the 2017 season as a tribute and Apfel was posthumously presented with the Rhinelander Athletic Booster Club's Heart of the Hodag award in June.
"The Heart of the Hodag pretty much described him to a T," said Kyle Apfel, one of Mark's three sons. "He truly bled the kelly green. He loved everything about this town, this community and especially the athletic programs.
3. Girls' swimming saga
2017 was one of the most successful seasons in recent history for the Rhinelander High School girls' swim team. It was also one of its most turbulent.
There were a list of accomplishments for the Hodags this season - a runner-up finish in the Great Northern Conference, its first dual meet win over Ladysmith/Bruce/Flambeau since joining the GNC, a fifth-place performance at sectionals and qualification for the WIAA state meet in a pair of events.
But the season will likely be most remembered for the major change that took place midway through the season. Coach Lindsay Byrka stepped down Sept. 20 after she and the School District of Rhinelander could not come to terms on a contract. Byrka accused the district of not negotiating in good faith in regard to the special accommodations she requires stemming from a previous cancer diagnosis and, in essence, forced her resignation.
District superintendent Kelli Jacobi disputed the claims stating, "the District provided several alternatives and support for Ms. Byrka with respect to her salary and terms and several opportunities for Ms. Byrka to sign the contract, but she chose to resign instead."
The Hodags pieced together a coaching staff for the remainder of the season consisting of middle school coach Marna Winnicki, Rhinelander Swim Club coach Jenny Heck and volunteer assistant coach Brent Olson. Those three remained on staff for the boys' swim team as the district did not offer Byrka a contract for the winter season.
In the pool, the Hodag girls fought through the distractions to post a 5-1 record in GNC competition. A year after graduating double state champion Kiah Francis, the Hodags had a number of freshmen step up and help lead the team back to state.
Makenna Winnicki qualified individually in the 500-yard freestyle and finished tied for ninth at state. Winnicki along with fellow ninth-graders Lisa Kennedy and Marissa Martin made up three-fourths of the Hodags' state-qualifying 200 medley relay team along with junior Grace Heck.
The finality of the postseason can be cruel, especially when a season comes to an end in a blink of the eye.
In 2017, the Hodags experienced a few such playoff heartbreaks.
The Rhinelander High School boys' hockey team fell 3-2 in overtime in the WIAA playoffs at Merrill/Wausau East on a Ty Bailey goal 2:04 into the extra session.
The Hodags rallied from down 2-0 in the first period to force overtime, only to lose by a goal in the playoffs for the second year in a row.
"It's so brutal to lose a playoff game, but when you're pouring your guts into it and you lose it in overtime, unless you're on that bench and on that ice, you really don't understand," Hodag coach M.J. Laggis said. "You truly don't. When you're in the locker room with those kids and its over, it's brutal. It's a punishing way. All you have after that is just time to think about it, to dwell on it, to wish it would have went differently, but it's over. That's a very difficult thing to face."
The Hodag hockey team wasn't the only one to experience some last-minute playoff misery. The RHS girls' soccer team was seconds away from forcing overtime against Pulaski in the WIAA regional finals, but Brooke Schauer's 90th-minute goal gave the Raiders a 3-2 victory. It was the second straight year Rhinelander's season ended at Pulaski.
In golf, Rhinelander junior Nick Twite played his way into a one-hole playoff for the final sectional qualifying spot during a WIAA regional at Northwood Golf Course, only to lose as Michael LaPree drained a 40-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole.
"The other kid made a miraculous putt, kudos to him," Hodag golf coach Adam Schmidt said.
5. Football snaps streak
Nearly four years of frustration for the Rhinelander High School football team finally came to an end on a rainy October night in Ashland.
The Hodags defeated the Oredockers 20-12 to snap a 23-game Great Northern Conference losing streak.
Rhinelander got the win on a last-minute goal-line stand, denying Ashland's Zach Coffland on back-to-back dive attempts from the one-yard line. It was Rhinelander's first conference win since defeating the Oredockers in Ashland in October 2013.
"We just believed in our guys the whole way," said senior Colton Krueger who helped turn the Oredockers away. "We were not letting that happen. We were not letting them get in after everything we put into this game. So much hard work just paying off right here and the emotion's just incredible, to finally get the goal we've been seeking for so many years. This is a night we're going to enjoy."
Sophomore running back Drake Martin, who rushed for more than 1,100 yards this season for the Hodags, scored three touchdowns in the contest as Rhinelander rallied from down 12-7 at halftime.
Rhinelander wasn't done. The following week the Hodags knocked off Lakeland 49-34 to close the 2017 season. The Hodags will enter 2018 on their first two-game conference winning streak since 2012.
6. Soccer makes deep playoff push
A drop to Division 3 and a strong side helped push the Rhinelander High School boys' soccer team to its first WIAA Division title since 2008.
The Hodags earned the No. 1 seed for their eight-team regional, beating Medford 4-0 in the regional semifinals and Clintonville 2-1 in the regional finals.
Rhinelander's quest for its first state tournament berth, and first sectional final appearance since 2008, came to an end however with a 3-1 loss to Amherst/Iola-Scandinavia at the RHS soccer fields. Amherst lost to ninth-ranked Amery two days later in a sectional final at Rice Lake.
Regardless, Rhinelander experienced one of its most successful seasons in recent memory as it captured its fourth straight Great Northern Conference title, in sixth in the last eight years. The team's 16 wins were the most it has had since joining the GNC in 2010.
"You guys have a lot to be proud of," coach Dan Millot told the team during its season-ending banquet. "You are continuing the tradition of excellence within the soccer program at Rhinelander High School."
7. Franson's finale
It was a bittersweet ending to Rhinelander senior Alayna Franson's cross country career. She had perhaps her strongest individual season to date but she always seemed to end up one spot short.
It happened on five occasions during the regular season as Franson posted five runner-up finishes without a win.
Three of those second places were to Lakeland's Ashley Peterson, who beat Franson for the conference title.
Franson finally got the better of Peterson at the WIAA state meet, but finished 11th in Wisconsin Rapids, one spot off the podium.
"Both happiness and sadness," Franson said, struggling to fight back tears and put her emotions into words after the state meet. "It's just hard because I worked so hard the last four years. I knew it had to come to an end."
Franson's career ended with a Great Northern Conference title and three runner-up finishes in the conference race. She also made three trips to the WIAA state meet, where she recorded two top-15 finishes.
"Her legacy is not only being a good runner, but being a hard worker," coach M.J. Laggis said. "That means more to me than the (results). If there's anything young athletes can find from her - I don't care if you're (playing) basketball or football or hockey or what - when you look at her, you see what happens when hard work meets opportunity. That's exactly what she is. She's a great role model for all the kids in our high school."
Franson is currently being recruited by a number of schools to run collegiately.
8. The streaks go on
Though some conference championship streaks ended for the Hodags this year, a few others remained intact.
In soccer, the Hodag girls won their sixth straight GNC title while the Hodag boys won their fourth in a row. Both sides did it with unbeaten and untied conference marks.
"It says that coach (Dan) Millot is doing an amazing job with this team. He works with the kids to keep the program strong," assistant coach Richard Kotula said after the Hodag boys' team wrapped up the conference championship with an Oct. 5 win over Northland Pines. "It just shows how much dedication he's putting into it and the result of it we can see by the team winning titles."
The RHS boys' tennis team also kept a conference championship streak rolling, winning its fourth straight conference title in spring. The Hodags went undefeated in league play, setting a GNC record for most points in the conference tournament (38) and most points in a season (140).
9. Wrestlers run to state
The Rhinelander High School wrestling team did something for the first time in a quarter century this year when it sent four wrestlers to the WIAA Division 1 state meet at the Kohl Center in Madison. It was the first time the Hodags sent more than two grapplers to state since 1992.
"To get four guys down there, it's pretty impressive considering we haven't had that much success in a long time," coach Paul Ellenbecker said. "It was a tribute to our kids who really brought it today. It was definitely a lot of fun and we represented Rhinelander really well."
In Madison, the Hodags represented themselves well. Jacob DeMeyer advanced to the semifinals at 145 pounds before falling to eventual state champ Jared Van Maanen of La Crosse Central. DeMeyer wrestled back on the final day for fourth place.
Alec Kurtz (182) won a couple of matches at state, falling one victory short of qualifying for the placement rounds. Alec Bess (160) and Reuben Guzik (113) were knocked out in the first round of the wrestleback.
The good news for the Hodags is they may have a chance to match the feat this year, with four wrestlers currently ranked in Division 1 by Wisconsin Wrestling Online. The team also received honorable mention in the state earlier this month, its first appearance in the team rankings since 1994.
10. Hodag hockey's hot start
The Rhinelander High School boys' hockey team won only eight games the entire 2016-17 season. The Hodags have nearly matched that total this year, thanks to a hot start.
Rhinelander reeled off seven straight victories to start the season, its longest winning streak to start a year in coach M.J. Laggis' two-plus decades on the job.
A team that lost a number of one-goal and overtime games last season has had a knack for winning them early this year. Rhinelander's first three wins were each decided by a goal, including a 4-3 win at Waupaca on a Danny Zuiker goal with just over three minutes to play.
Most of last year's young team returned and the addition of underclassmen Harlan Wojtusik, Abe Laggis, Conor Pequet and others has helped spark the hot start.
Rhinelander's streak reached seven with a 6-0 win over Tomahawk Dec. 14. The Hodags lost 2-0 a night later at Wisconsin Rapids, and then dropped their next two contests at Lakeland and Northland Pines to hit the holiday break 7-3-0.
"We've gotten out of the gate fast and have played really well but, overall, we talked about it in the locker room ... we got to play better, no doubt about it," Laggis said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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