August 19, 2019 at 11:02 a.m.
Ready for some football
Rhinelander shows promise in 4-team scrimmage
Ready for some football
The Hodags dominated sessions against Northland Pines and Northern Elite, and played even with GNC rival Lakeland, in a four-team scrimmage at Northland Pines High School in Eagle River.
Rhinelander won the touchdown count 5-1, forced a turnover, and held opponents to less than 2.3 yards per play. Offensively, the Hodags showed plenty of balance with eight different ball carriers and touchdowns by five different players.
"That's exactly what you want in a scrimmage," first-year head coach Aaron Kraemer said. "First you want to come out healthy. That's the most important part. We came out healthy today. We had a few nicks and bruises, but that's football. You also want to end up on the positive side of the positive plays. If you can do that, then you feel pretty good about it."
Each varsity session consisted of 12 plays on offense and 12 plays on defense, with each possession beginning 40 yards from the end zone.
In the opening session against Pines, it took the Hodag offense only six plays to strike first on a three-yard touchdown run by junior H-back Walker Hartman. Three plays later, senior Nathan Kempf found tight end Connor Lund wide open behind the defense for an easy 40-yard touchdown pass.
It took the Hodag offense eight plays to score against Lakeland. Quinn Lamers found senior tailback Drake Martin for 18 yards to convert a key third-and-7, setting up a Martin two-yard touchdown run three plays later.
Lakeland quarterback Michael Ouimette led the only scoring drive against the Hodags, scrambling for runs of 11 and eight yards to pick up a couple of fourth down conversions before calling his own number again for an 18-yard scoring scamper on the 10th play for T-Bird offense. Rhinelander responded on the final play of the session, however, as senior safety Peyton Erikson picked off Ouimette. Rhinelander held Ouimette, the GNC's most efficient passer from a season ago, to 1 of 5 passing for one yard with one interception.
The session against Northern Elite (Niagara/Pembine/Goodman) started strong for the Hodags as Lamers hit junior Jackson Labs over the middle for a 40-yard catch-and-run for a score. Ten plays later, the Hodags were in the end zone again as Tim Fox converted on fourth and goal from the 2.
"All of our kids got reps today," Kraemer said. "It was good to get every single player that was here on the field and get them reps that are measurable, that you can see on film and get the best squad possible ready for Prescott and the travel next week."
The QB decision
Friday's scrimmage marked the final day of the preseason battle for the starting quarterback between Lamers and Kempf. Neither made the decision easy on Kraemer with efficient days under center.
Lamers finished 2 of 4 through the air for 58 yards while Kempf was 1 of 2 for 40 yards. Both quarterbacks threw a touchdown and did not commit a turnover.
"Ultimately, it's about securing the football and making smart decisions and the quarterback position," Kraemer said. "You saw today, when we can play action and we can throw the ball deep, we can be scary when that happens because we have such a great backfield and guys that are dynamic."
Kraemer was not immediately ready to name a starter after the scrimmage but said the decision would be made over the weekend in advance of the season opener Friday at Prescott.
"I still have to talk to them. I still have to talk to their families. I have to evaluate film, too. I'm going to turn over every leaf and make sure we have evaluated every piece of film," he said.
Backfield in motion
After back-to-back 1,100-yard seasons, Martin is the centerpiece of the Hodags' ground attack. He got the most work Friday, rushing eight times for 56 yards and a score while adding a pass reception of 18 yards.
Martin was far from alone in the backfield, however, as six different Hodag backs touched the ball during the varsity sessions. Hartman had 31 yards and a score on three carries while Erikson was held to three yards on five carries.
Sophomore Caleb Olcikas shined in limited varsity work, carrying three times of 34 yards, including a pair of 13-yard gains. He also ran for two long touchdowns while playing quarterback in the JV sessions that followed.
Overall, the Hodags averaged nearly five yards per carry on the ground, rushing 29 times for 144 yards.
Stingy defense
Rhinelander's defense looked strong Friday, allowing only three first downs the entire day. Opponents carried the ball 26 times for 78 yards against the Hodag defense - and that rate improves to 23 carries for 41 yards if you take away the long scramble plays by Ouimette.
In addition to Erikson's interception, Trevor Knapp came up with a tackle for loss to deny Northland Pines on fourth and 7 during the Eagles' first offensive series. Lund recorded a couple of tackles for loss, including a sack, in the session against Northern Elite.
"The one thing we did is we rallied to the football and we hit hard," Kraemer said. "There were some kids feeling sore from Hodag hits this afternoon. I was proud of the effort and proud of the intensity."
Battling the elements
Conditions were damp following overnight rain in Eagle River. It was cool and overcast much of the scrimmage before the skies let loose and soaked the field during the final session against Northern Elite. Aside from a muffed snap on the first play of the day - which Lamers recovered and turned into a one-yard gain - the Hodags did not appear to have any issues with ball security.
"There were a few things they can't control today," Kraemer said of the opportunity to play in adverse conditions. "They can't control the weather. They can't control the time. We've been practicing late so this is an early wake up for us. They certainly cannot control where they're playing. The things they can control are their attitude, playing together as a team and their effort. That's what we asked them to do, take care of what they are supposed to do and take care of it positively."
Up next
The Hodags open the regular season Friday against Prescott. This is the fourth straight year Rhinelander has opened the season against the squad from the Middle Border Conference. The home team has won all three meetings between the schools that are located roughly four hours apart.
Kraemer said the long road trip will be the 12th man the Hodags will have to battle this week.
"We have to mentally prepare and take care of the little things," he said. "Physically, we have to get right, take care and make sure we are fresh for the game. Last but not least we have to battle the trip. It's four hours. We're going to make sure we'll do what we can do as coaches to prepare them for the trip."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.