September 20, 2017 at 2:31 p.m.
Pigskin Preview Week 6: Rhinelander at Mosinee
Ferge: Hodags 'need to prove that we're a different team' vs. Mosinee
Pigskin Preview Week 6: Rhinelander at Mosinee
"It's hard to look at our last two performances," Hodag coach Chris Ferge said, referencing 36-7 and 48-7 losses to Medford and Antigo, respectively. "We are not happy at all with where we are at and our guys our excited to be at practice this week and to get back to playing football. We can't wait for Friday. We need to get under the lights and we need to prove that we're a different team than what we've shown."
Last Friday's loss against Antigo was particularly demoralizing and not only because it was the Bell Game or that Antigo racked up 42 points and nearly 400 yards of offense in the first half alone. Ferge said the loss was tough to swallow because a number of small mistakes led to a large margin of defeat.
"It was guys not going where they needed to go, running the right routes, getting to the right gaps," he said Monday after breaking down the game film. "It was guys not using their hands properly, not being physical. When you get beat like that, there's usually some things that are small that are really a big deal that they didn't get done."
The Hodags will try to bounce back this week and do something they have not done since joining the Great Northern Conference - beat Mosinee. The Indians are the only GNC school Rhinelander has not defeated at least once since joining the conference in 2010 (counting a non-conference win over Antigo in Week 1 of the 2013 season).
The Indians come in with a potent offense, putting up 408 yards last week in a 50-34 victory at Lakeland, which was the second-highest scoring game in conference history.
Quarterback Ben Vandehey poses a dual threat in Mosinee's pro-style offense. He's completed 46 percent of his passes this season (43 of 93) for 524 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. He's also added 83 yards and three scores on the ground.
In the running game, tailback Justin Stubbe is Mosinee's bell cow, averaging 5.8 yards per carry this season (107 carries, 618 yards, four touchdowns). He and Vandehey have accounted for all but Mosinee's 17 carries this season.
Basketball standout Oliver Barnes (12 receptions-153 yards) is Mosinee's top target. Loukas Trzcinski (10-124) and Ryan Thomas (7-141) have each caught two touchdown passes this season.
"They have good athletes," Ferge said of Mosinee's offense. "They're going to throw the ball. It's not even an issue of really reading anything. It's that they're going to throw the ball up and let their athletes go get the ball. They have some height. They can catch. They can throw. Running the ball, they like their back. They like to use their fullback to lead for them. They like to pitch."
Defensively, Mosinee comes in allowing 27.6 points per game, and have been outscored in the first half by their opponents 106-57. Ferge said the Hodags are looking to condense their offensive packages and will try to get the ground game going this week against Mosinee's base 4-3 defense.
"They play with a shell over the top is you have to be able to run the ball," Ferge said of a matchup against a Mosinee defense that has intercepted 10 passes, but comes in allowing 5.5 yards per carry.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Veterans Park in Mosinee.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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