October 2, 2017 at 1:41 p.m.
Merrill dampens Hodags homecoming
Bluejays beat RHS 41-21, eliminate Hodags from playoff contention
Merrill dampens Hodags homecoming
Merrill racked up 476 yards of offense, and scored on four of its first five possessions in the second half, to pull away to a 41-21 victory over the Hodags at Mike Webster Stadium.
The win made the Bluejays (4-3, 3-1 Great Northern) playoff eligible while the loss knocked the Hodags (1-6, 0-4 Great Northern) out of playoff contention for a fifth consecutive year.
After falling behind 14-0 early, the Hodags fought back to make it a 14-7 game at the break. But the Bluejays used their triple option attack effectively and made some big plays in the passing game. Halfback Nevada Laabs rushed for 173 yards. Quarterback Zach Mootz added another 61 on the ground, and was 7 of 12 through the air for 122 and two touchdowns. Tight end Josiah Nohr caught both touchdown passes from Mootz.
The Hodags had a season-high 294 yards of offense and the 21 points are the most the team has scored since a Week 3 win against Wausau East. Though not a win, coach Chris Ferge said he felt better about the tema's performance on Friday night.
"I would take the feeling I feel right now - even though I hate to lose and I hate it for our guys - but our guys (the previous three weeks) were at a sense where they weren't even playing football and it was really hard for coaches and for players," he said. "They played tonight and I feel they have a lot of confidence going into the last two games."
Rhinelander's Drake Martin rushed for more than 100 yards for the fourth time this season, carrying the ball 25 times for 106 yards, including a six-yard touchdown run that cut the lead to 26-14 moments into the fourth quarter. Logan Freund added 38 yards on the ground and threw for a pair of touchdowns.
Other notes from Friday night's game:
Another slow start
The Hodags, who fell into 20-0 and 21-0 holes following the first three possessions of losses to Antigo and Mosinee the previous two weeks, got off to another slow start Friday.
Hunter Hintze walked in virtually untouched on a 19-yard counterplay and Mootz found Nohr over the top of Josh Francisco's coverage to give the Bluejays a 14-0 lead following their first two possessions.
"We need to wake up faster and get playing at a faster level to start the game, and we definitely will do that," Ferge said.
Rhinelander's big plays
Unlike the previous two weeks, the Hodags were able to change first-half momentum thanks to an answer on its next possession. Sophomore Peyton Erickson returned the ensuing kickoff 43 yards to the Merrill 45 and the Hodags responded with a quick five-play drive that ended with Erickson catching a pass on a slant route from Freund and taking it the rest of the way for a 25-yard score with 1:27 to play in the opening quarter.
The Hodags kept the contest a one-possession game the remainder of the first half.
Freund was only 4 of 17 through the air, but passed for 150 yards, thanks to some big chunks in the passing game. Brad Comer had 125 yards on only three receptions, including a 78-yard score midway through the fourth quarter as he got behind the Bluejay defense.
"When we're running the ball as well as we are, we need to make the defense play when they (overplay the running game)," Ferge said. "We need to put some balls up that our athletes can go get. We need to work on that again next week. It would have been nice to have two more of those and I know our guys want them really bad.
"We had some nice plays. Brad Comer had some nice catches. Logan put up some nice balls for them to catch."
Merrill's big plays
Comer's score was the last of the contest and was too little, too late for a Hodag team that gave up too many big plays defensively. Five of Merrill's six touchdowns came from 12 yards or greater, including a couple of back-breaking runs in the second half. Laabs broke through the line on a counter play and rushed for a 57-yard touchdown to give Merrill a 26-7 lead with 4:35 remaining in the third.
After Martin scored to cut the lead to 12, Merrill responded and Mootz broke free on a 43-yard option keeper to give the Bluejays a 33-14 lead with 9:48 to play.
"Our defense didn't get off the field on certain downs were we could have had it," Ferge said. "They got some passes over us in the first have where I thought our guys were there to make those plays. We missed a counter and they took it deep on us in the second half. We had two guys in one gap one play. We needed to get some turnovers defensively. We didn't get any this week. I think that definitely would have helped us."
Injuries
The Hodags, who have been relatively injury-free all season, suffered a pair of key losses on their defensive unit in the first half when starting safety Reuben Guzik and middle linebacker Alex Monk left the game, both under concussion protocol. Neither returned to the contest. Erickson filled in at safety most of the night, while Martin and Isaiah Piosalan both saw reps at middle linebacker in Monk's stead.
"We had some guys step in and play very nicely for them," Ferge said. "It's asking some guys to come in who are a little green, but still guys that are capable, still guys that are athletes and strong enough, fast enough. We're going to have to work them, rep them (in practice this coming week)."
Playing for pride
The loss extended Rhinelander's Great Northern Conference losing streak to 23 consecutive games. The Hodags needed a win Friday to keep their slim playoff hopes alive. Regardless, Ferge said the team has plenty to play for in the next two weeks, beginning with a road trip this coming Friday at Ashland.
"There's always something to play for, no matter what," he said. "These guys are too good of a team. We have not shown our best game yet. Our best football is still ahead of us. It's about pride and we have to finish the right way."
After holding off Lakeland 46-40 in a wild shootout this past Friday in Minocqua, the Oredockers are one win away from becoming playoff eligible for the first time since 2009. The Hodags close out the regular season Oct. 12 at home against Lakeland in the Northwoods Axe game. The T-Birds were eliminated from playoff contention with Friday night's loss.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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