October 26, 2020 at 10:03 a.m.
Tiger tamers
Hodags hold off late rally from D5 power Stratford in replacement game
Tiger tamers
Caleb Olcikas rushed for 194 yards, Travis Towne caught a pair of touchdown passes and Jackson Labs broke up a two-point conversion attempt in the final minute as the Hodags knocked off back-to-back Division 5 state finalist Stratford 29-27 at Mike Webster Stadium.
The game came together hastily Thursday night after Stratford's Week 5 opponent, Manawa, had to cancel due to a positive COVID-19 case on its football team. The Hodags were in the same boat after Lakeland was forced to cancel due to a confirmed case of the virus earlier in the week. Kraemer had all but resigned himself to the fact that his undefeated squad would have a week off, until RHS activities director Brian Paulson called him with the news late Thursday.
"I had to call him twice to ask him whether or not he was joking with me," Kraemer said. "That's how Mr. Paulson is and, honestly, that's the person I want to thank right now ... He kept holding out hope. He kept working, trying to find a game, and he found us one."
The game itself was a classic, with the Hodags scoring 29 unanswered points after Stratford built a 15-0 lead in the first quarter, but the Tigers nearly forced overtime, scoring a pair of touchdowns in the final 3 minutes, 4 seconds of regulation.
Beau Gross had three touchdowns on the night for Stratford - a pair of first-quarter rushing scores, and a 32-yard screen pass with 29 seconds remaining that brought the Tigers within two. Going for the tie, quarterback Max Vanderhoof tried to hit Rafie Smart in the end zone following a scramble. That's when Labs closed in and knocked the ball away at the final moment. Jacques Tulowitzky recovered the ensuing onside kick and the Hodags celebrated what was, on a number of levels, an improbable victory.
"We held on as much as we possibly could," Kraemer said. "I think our guys began to feel what it takes to win in close games. All it took was one. We made the play that we needed, got the onside kick and it's all history from there."
Rhinelander, which scored on four of five possessions at one point in the game, racked up 351 yards of offense against a Stratford team that had allowed only 117 yards per game entering the contest. Olcikas capped off a huge night with a 30-yard score with 8:53 remaining to put the Hodags up 14, following a Quinn Lamers to Towne two-point conversion.
Olcikas stepped up for a second straight week in place of Cayden Neri, who missed the game with an ankle injury. The speedy junior had a 70-yard run late in the first quarter that set up Rhinelander's first score and helped the turn momentum.
While Kraemer said Neri's ankle injury is not as severe as first feared, and that there is a chance Neri could return in time for the Medford game Nov. 6, Olcikas and the rest of the team have picked up the slack.
"When we needed it most, Caleb Olcikas stepped up to the plate. Walker Hartman stepped up to the plate," Kraemer said. "Travis Towne stepped up to the plate and blocked his butt off. The offensive line, I can't say enough about them. That's the old cliche - offensive and defensive line never gets any of the credit, but this offensive line has a lot of confidence in each other. They have a lot of confidence in the play calls being run and their backs. They just do it. They stand up there. They're a strong group."
Though Stratford graduated a number of the players who led them to back-to-back state title game appearances in 2018 and 2019, the Tigers showed their championship pedigree in the late rally.
Stratford got some help when they looked to be stopped on fourth-and-9, but a facemask penalty on the Rhinelander defense extended the drive. Two plays later, Vanderhoof hit Colten Schillinger underneath for an 18-yard catch-and-run score. Schillinger's PAT sailed wide left, keeping the margin at 29-21 with 3:04 remaining.
Rhinelander went three-and-out on the ensuing possession, and Stratford got the ball back at the Rhinelander 46 with 1:44 remaining. Again the Tigers converted on fourth down and Vanderhoof hit Smart for 13 yards to keep the drive alive.
"We had a penalty called on us, we responded, and when we needed it most, on the two-point conversion, we just made the play - knocked it out, knocked it free and that's how it went," Kraemer said.
Rhinelander managed only one first down on its first two possessions and Stratford made use of short fields to get Gross scoring runs of two and 10 yards to go up 15-0 in the first. Olcikas' 70-yard scamper set up a Rhinelander touchdown on the first play of the second quarter as Lamers completed a jump pass to Towne from a yard out.
Stratford returned the ensuing kick down to the Rhinelander 28, but Kirk Mathews' strip sack of Vanderhoof gave Rhinelander back the football and the Hodags embarked on a eight-play, 71-yard drive from there. Towne hauled in his second score of the night from 14 yards with 4:18 left in the half to bring Rhinelander within 15-13.
After forcing Stratford to punt, the Hodags raced down the field 84 yards on seven plays, capped by a Hartman touchdown run to give Rhinelander a 21-15 lead with 23 seconds remaining before halftime.
"You could see our players, at the beginning of the game, gave them the respect of D5 state runner-up Stratford," Kraemer said. "I think our guys were nervous about the first couple plays. They were worried about the contact and how big this team was and what they could do. As soon as we grew into the game - just like Mosinee - as soon as we figured out we could do what we wanted to do, and as soon as we got a little bit of momentum, we just steamrolled from there."
Rhinelander failed on a chance to add to its lead, after a clock-churning 9 minute, 24 seconds drive to being the third quarter. The drive stalled due to a pair of penalties and ended with Lamers throwing an interception at the goal line. Lamers finished this night with 106 yards, two touchdowns and an interception on 7 of 14 passing. Hartman added 10 carries for 33 yards and Labs finished with three catches for 52 yards for the Hodags.
Vanderhoof passed for 89 yards for Stratford while Gross had 71 yards rushing. Schillinger added 49 yards on seven carries for the Tigers, who dropped their second straight game following a 28-13 loss to Amherst in Week 4.
The teams played on a night where the kickoff temperature was right at 32 degrees and snow showers fell on and off during the contest, coating the field in a light layer of snow by the end of the game.
Rhinelander, in addition to the non-conference win, received credit from the Great Northern Conference for a forfeit victory over Lakeland, with the T-Birds unable to play the scheduled Week 5 contest. The game was considered a no contest for Lakeland from the conference's perspective - meaning Rhinelander improved to 5-0 in the GNC while Lakeland remained 1-3.
The Hodags will look to move to 6-0 in the GNC this Friday at Hayward/Lac Courte Oreilles, which was blown out on the road 47-0 at Mosinee in Week 5. Should Rhinelander win, it would set up a showdown against 6-0 Medford at Mike Webster Stadium. The Raiders will receive a forfeit win over Lakeland this Friday, and have scheduled Rice Lake in a replacement contest.
Stratford (3-2, 4-1 Central Wisconsin Large) travels to Shiocton this Friday.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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