August 15, 2018 at 1:35 p.m.
Something to build on
Hodag look to take confidence from scrimmage into season opener
Something to build on
The Hodags will open the 2018 season at home against Prescott at Mike Webster Stadium, the first of three non-conference contests for Rhinelander before opening Great Northern Conference play at home against Medford Sept. 7.
Last year, it wasn't so much how the Hodags started as it was how they finished. After going 1-6 in the first seven games, Rhinelander notched back-to-back wins over Ashland and Lakeland to head into the offseason on a high note.
Coach Chris Ferge said that momentum has carried over as the Hodags seek their first three-game winning streak of this century.
"I'm proud of our guys. We had a decent scrimmage and we saw where we need to get better," Ferge said. "There's many places where we can improve. That was exciting to see because I think all the coaches thought we did well. Then we watched the film and saw all the places where we can get better. I'm excited to see how they play once we fix all these mistakes."
Friday night's test will feature a run-first team from the Middle Border Conference which is looking to get back on track after dropping its final five games of last season following a 3-0 start.
Offensively, the Cardinals return a number of weapons from a team that defeated the Hodags 27-13 in last year's opener. They include quarterback Jonah Anderson, fullback Joe Schulte and tight end Carter Stenroos. Stenroos also was Prescott's second-leading tackler on defense a season ago.
"What they do they do pretty well," Ferge said. "They have good athletes. Their program turned around last year. We did not make the plays we needed to make to beat them last year. They took advantage of that and won. I'm sure they have more confidence now. They graduated a lot of seniors, too. It's really, I think, between the two teams, whose juniors and sophomores can grow up the fastest and mature."
Some keys to look for in Friday night's contest:
Junior juggernauts
The focus of Friday night's game could center around a pair of junior running backs - Schulte and Rhinelander's Drake Martin.
Martin had the better overall statistics last year with 1,122 yards and eight touchdowns to Schulte's 401 yards and four scores, but Schulte stole the show in last year's contest. He rushed for 177 yards and three touchdowns while Martin rushed for 67 yards and a score.
Ferge said Prescott, which has used a Wing-T offense each of the last two seasons, will likely run the ball quite heavily again this year.
Keep your strength
Prescott's ground game eventually wore down the Hodags during last year's matchup. The Cardinals outgained Rhinelander 187-43 in the second half while holding onto the ball for more than 16 minutes.
While a forecasted kickoff temperature of 77 degrees is expected to be cooler than it was for last year's game - or last week's scrimmage for that matter - Ferge said keeping guys fresh, especially up front, will be one of the keys to the contest.
"Really, it's about your line - your offensive line, defensive line - and making sure those guys get not too many reps and get (subbed) in," he said. "Our guys have been smart about conditioning throughout the week and really turning it up. I thought our conditioning was pretty good last week and we're going to turn it up another level this week."
Trial by fire
Roughly half of Rhinelander's roster will be suiting up for its first varsity game on Friday night. Ferge said all the practice in the world can't simulate what happens on the field when the lights come up.
"There's a learning curve to a Friday night varsity football game that these guys just have to experience," he said. "There's going to be a lot of ups and downs. Younger kids are used to things going their way and winning. That's just now how it works in a varsity football game. You've got to be prepared for a good call, a bad call, a turnover, a touchdown, a big play, a fumbled snap. You've got to be ready for everything, and it all happens. It's exciting and the teams that can keep it all together are usually the teams that win."
Don't beat yourself
Ferge called Prescott a very disciplined team, but Rhinelander also showed good discipline during its scrimmage last Friday, with only one penalty and no turnovers.
Don't be surprised if Friday night's contest boils down to which team makes fewer mistakes - easier said than done only 12 practices into the season.
"There's going to be some footballs on the ground Friday night," Ferge said. "There's going to be some interceptions. No matter what, there's going to be some penalties. It's the ups and downs of the game. Whoever can handle that and limit those mistakes is usually going to be in a good situation. Running the ball, for both teams, I think is really going to be a way to cut down on the turnovers."
Home sweet home
The Hodags open at home for the third time in five years, and have won their previous two opening week games at home. Prescott, meanwhile, faces a four-plus hour trek from near the Minnesota border to Rhinelander for tomorrow night's contest.
"The trip is a hard trip," said Ferge, whose team had to go to Prescott for last year's opener. "I'm not going to say that's not an obstacle. We should have an advantage playing at home. We need to take advantage of that."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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