June 19, 2019 at 1:14 p.m.
Team review: RHS boys' tennis
Pieces fell into place for Hodags in another championship year
Team review: RHS boys' tennis
Rhinelander was 15-8 in dual meets this year, including a perfect Great Northern Conference record. The Hodags scored a record 40 points at the conference tournament, winning championships in six of the seven flights, and placing third in the WIAA subsectional round behind eventual WIAA Division 2 team state champion, Notre Dame Academy, and Appleton Xavier.
"From just the angle of achievement, it was a great year," coach Bob Heideman said.
There was plenty behind the Hodags' sixth consecutive conference title, however. It took a number of factors falling into place.
Here are five storylines from the season.
Missing pieces
The Hodags won the GNC title last year in runaway fashion but, after graduating No. 1 singles player Markus Johnson, and four players in doubles, another conference title was far from a certainty during the offseason.
Heideman said as fall turned to winter and, eventually, to spring, four factors fell into place that helped the team solidify its lineup.
First, he said sophomore Jacob Weddle took a bigger jump than he anticipated after winning the conference title at No. 3 singles as a freshman. It took only a couple of matches for Weddle to surpass Russell Benoy and claim the team's No. 1 singles position.
Second, with Benoy and Freddy Wisner back to solidify the middle of the singles lineup, Ian Conkey took a step in his game and filled the No. 4 singles spot nicely.
The third and fourth factors were in doubles, where there were question marks behind the top team of seniors Connor Young and Logan Oestreich. Freshmen Luke Ring and Elijah Evers stepped into the No. 2 role well and Bridger Flory rejoined the team after running track exclusively in his junior season. Flory teamed with Billy Berwig to round out the doubles lineup.
"All of a sudden, we had a pretty good team," Heideman said during the team's banquet.
Conference
The Hodags needed to take some time to find themselves early in the season. The team's first taste of outdoor tennis came April 4 in the GNC opener at Pacelli. Though the Hodags won that match 5-2, there was plenty of work to be done in Heideman's view.
Once winter finally abated and the team could get outside on a more consistent basis, the wins started clicking off. That 5-2 win was Rhinelander's closest in GNC dual meet play - matched by a pair of 5-2 wins over Medford and a 5-2 win over Antigo May 6.
That put Rhinelander into a commanding position entering the GNC tournament, and the Hodags followed up with one of the strongest performances in tournament history. Rhinelander won every flight except No. 3 singles, earning a near perfect score of 40 points at the event, as it cruised to its sixth straight conference title by 42 points over Antigo.
"As the weather improved, our play improved," Heideman said. "As our trophy will attest, we won conference in a record fashion."
Jacob's ladder
As Heideman mentioned, Weddle's ascension to the team's No. 1 singles spot was a great help to the team. Weddle solidified the top spot with a 21-7 record, which included conference singles player of the year honors and a trip to the sectional round of the WIAA tournament.
Heideman chalked up Weddle's improvement to one thing - hard work.
"It took Jacob hours, and hours, and hours and some more hours to get to where he's at," he said at the banquet, while presenting Weddle with the team's MVP award earlier this month. "I know he's disappointed that he didn't make it to state. I think he came within a whisker, but didn't quite make it. I think that's going to burn in him - and make that's the value of it in terms of what he can achieve next year."
State sendoff
For the second straight year a Rhinelander entry earned a special exemption into the WIAA state tournament, extending the career for seniors Young and Oestreich at No. 1 doubles.
Competitive in a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Manitowoc Roncalli in the sectional round, Young and Oestreich took on sixth-seeded Addison Elliot and Matthew Cooper of University School of Milwaukee and hung in against the seeded pair, losing 6-0, 6-3.
"We're proud of Connor and Logan for making it down and I'm proud of how they kept fighting, looking for ways to win some points," Heideman said following the state meet.
"They've had a great year and I don't know if I can replace them next year."
Young and Oestreich, the GNC doubles players of the year, finished the season 18-9.
What's next
The Hodags will have some stability at the No. 1 position in singles as Weddle enters his junior year. Otherwise, the Hodags will be in exactly the same boat they were a year ago, graduating seven seniors from this year's varsity squad - including conference champions Benoy, Conkey, Young, Oestreich and Flory.
Heideman hinted during the banquet that he may break up the No. 2 doubles team of freshmen Ring and Evers, possibly inserting them in the singles lineup. Berwig, is the only other starter due back. Rhinelander will likely expect more out of senior-to-be Bryan La, who made a couple of spot starts at No. 4 singles this year and will have to rely on JV players and incoming freshmen to fill the remaining slots.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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