September 30, 2019 at 12:44 p.m.
BELL-IEVE IT!
Hodags defeat Antigo 20-10, win back Gene Shepard's Bell for first time since 2006
BELL-IEVE IT!
So, when his number was called to charge in on a blitz, with the Red Robins facing a critical fourth down in Rhinelander territory, the Hodags' senior standout knew exactly what he needed to do.
"I knew I had to make a play and make up for the mistakes I had before. I went all out and did what I had to do," he said.
Martin recorded a sack fumble on Antigo quarterback Nevin Cornelius on the play, and then scored a curse-breaking 47-yard touchdown run a few plays later as the Hodags finally got another win over their long-time rivals, defeating the Red Robins 20-10 Friday at Mike Webster Stadium.
Martin scored twice in the game, and sophomore Caleb Olcikas added an 85-yard kick return for a score, as Rhinelander won the Bell for the first time since 2006 - snapping a 12-year run for Antigo that marked the second longest string of domination in the series.
Anticipation built the entire night in front of a raucous, standing-room only homecoming crowd. After Martin's fourth-quarter score put the Hodags ahead 20-3, Rhinelander's student section began filtering out of the bleachers and into the tunnel that leads onto the field, ready to storm when the clock finally struck zero.
After the teams exchanged handshakes, the Rhinelander captains went to midfield to collect the Bell that once resided on a boat owned by Eugene Shepard - the creator of the hodag myth that put a sleepy logging town in northern Wisconsin on the map. The captains then raced to the north end zone, gleefully ringing the Bell all the way as the student body joined in the celebration.
"I can't describe it right now," senior captain Peyton Erikson said. "All the hard work we've put in this season and offseason, all we wanted to do was accomplish greatness and make history."
"It's the best feeling in the world," said senior lineman Trevor Knapp. "I told myself, and I might sound crazy, I don't care if we win another game all year if we win this one. It's all worth it."
Coach Aaron Kraemer said in the week of preparation leading up to the game the focus for his team was not winning back the Bell, rather simply winning the game to get closer to its ultimate goal of making the postseason for the first time since 2012.
After the game, however, Kraemer allowed himself to get caught up in the emotion of the moment.
"I talk about loving the guys, I really do," Kraemer said, his voice cracking slightly. "This is another one of those moments I wanted them to have. We talked about moments all week. We talked about believing and getting to those moments. It's a moment that they're going to cherish for a very long time."
Two momentum shifts ultimately swung the game in Rhinelander's favor. After Martin scored from 13 yards on Rhinelander's opening possession, Antigo marched down the field on a 7 1/2-minute drive that stalled out inside the Hodag 10. The Robins settled for a 25-yard field goal by Santiago Ossa-Corredor.
On the ensuing kickoff, Olcikas stepped in front of Erikson to pick up a low, line-drive kick at the 15-yard-line, found a hole in the middle of the Antigo kick coverage and sprinted all the way to the south end zone to give Rhinelander a 14-3 lead.
"The kickoff return was awesome," Kraemer said. "Caleb Olcikas has been working really hard to get fast last year. He was a track athlete, went down to state with us as a freshman. We knew that he had that speed. Putting him back there, that gave him a great opportunity and he took it. He did everything he needed to do."
Antigo misfired on a couple of drives late in the first half, both stalling near the Rhinelander 35. The Hodags got the ball to start the second half and plowed down the field on a drive that took 7:32 off the clock but ended in disaster as Martin was stripped inside the 5 trying to convert on third and 6. Isaac Wickershiem recovered the ball in the end zone for a touchback.
Antigo then went on a plodding drive of its own, taking 6 1/2 minutes off the clock before a key fourth down play at the Rhinelander 22. Martin led the charge on a blitz and Antigo was never able to get a fourth-down pass away.
As they have done virtually every time they've had to this season, the Hodags responded to adversity and played some of their best football in the fourth quarter. It was a far cry from last year when the Hodags gave up two fourth-quarter touchdowns and lost to Antigo, 24-13.
"I'm proud of the way we came out in the second half," Kraemer said. "In the locker room we talked about last year and how we had an opportunity up at half and we didn't keep it. We didn't keep that lead. I'm proud of the way the guys played, the way they responded to the adversity of last week. Now we have to keep it rolling."
Antigo air raid
For decades Antigo has been synonymous with running the football, but the Hodags limited the Robins to only 113 yards on the ground. Surprisingly, it was Cornelius and the Antigo passing game that found the most traction.
Cornelius threw for 148 yards, completing 11 of 25 passing attempts. Tight end Alec Hotchkiss was the top target, hauling in eight passes for 109 yards, including a touchdown late in the fourth quarter that made the final score a little more respectable for the Robins - who scored their fewest points in a Bell Game since being shutout by the Hodags 14-0 in 2002.
"That's what we wanted to do. You always want to make your opponent left-handed," Kraemer said. "Antigo is a running team. They want to run the ball, but since they had to throw it we got a little practice for next week. I'm not satisfied with how we played the pass. That's my position group defensively. I'm going to the drawing board and figure out what the heck we need to do to stop them."
Cornelius threw an interception in the game as Rhinelander linebacker Jacques Tulowitzky wrestled away a pass intended for Hotchkiss midway through the fourth quarter.
Special special teams
After special teams mistakes cost Rhinelander early in a Week 5 loss at Medford, special teams coordinator Matt Steingraber laid out a list of objectives for his unit to accomplish. They included 100 percent ball security, starting offensive field position of the 35 or better, and making at least three big plays on special teams.
The Olcikas kick return helped achieve a number of those objectives, but it was part of an overall improved effort from the Hodag special teams.
"The one thing that stuck out to me is the way we covered kicks," Kraemer said. "(Defensive coordinator Gary) Zarda talked about it all week. We can't start out on defense against these guys on the 50 yard line. We have to start inside the 30 or 35. That's what we looked at this week. We looked for guys who could kick it deep and guys who could cover it. I thought Cayden Neri did an excellent job on the kickoff coverage. The rest of our guys rallied to the football. They did a great job."
Rhinelander punted only once in the game, and it was a dandy. Martin uncorked a 62-yard boot with Antigo selling out for a punt block in the fourth quarter that pinned the Robins back at their own 2-yard line.
Winner, winner
In addition to snapping a 12-year drought in the Bell Game, the Hodags achieved a number of milestones with Friday's victory. The win guaranteed Rhinelander's first winning season since 1994 and was Rhinelander's first homecoming victory since knocking off Merrill in 2012.
More importantly, the win moved Rhinelander one win away from becoming playoff eligible for only the third time in school history, and the first time since 2012.
"We can't stop now. We've got to make history every single week," Erikson said. "Prove people wrong, that's our mentality. We got a ways to go."
Statbook
Martin reached a milestone on Friday, surpassing 3,000 rushing yards for his high school career. He finished with 151 yards and two touchdowns for Rhinelander and also added a catch for six yards. Walker Hartman had 47 yards on only three carries, including a 42-run scamper in the first quarter that set up Martin's first score.
Wickersheim led a balanced, but relatively ineffective, Antigo ground game with 41 yards on 12 carries. Noah Musolff added 40 yards on 14 carries and Cornelius had 32 yards on 10 carries.
Paint it green
As is tradition, Rhinelander now gets to decorate the Bell, painting the legs green and removing the Antigo helmet decal that has resided on the trophy for years.
According to RHS activities director Brian Paulson, a pep assembly to paint the Bell has been planned for 2:55 this afternoon.
Up next
The Hodags (5-1, 2-1 Great Northern) travel to Mosinee (4-2, 2-0), which outlasted Lakeland in a high-scoring affair 45-35 on Friday night. The Indians are the only conference team Rhinelander has not defeated since joining the Great Northern Conference in 2010.
Antigo (2-4, 2-2) returns home to face Medford. The Robins must win that game, or its regular season finale at Mosinee Oct. 18, to become playoff eligible.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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