September 28, 2020 at 8:27 a.m.
INSTANT CLASSIC
Hodags repeat as Bell Game champs, rally late to beat Antigo in 2OT
INSTANT CLASSIC
No, one of the wildest games in the longstanding rivalry between Rhinelander and Antigo ultimately came down to the kicking ability of Lamers' right foot.
Lamers lifted a 27-yard field goal just over the crossbar in the second overtime as the Hodags completed a wild comeback, defeating Antigo 21-18 Friday night at Schofield Stadium. It was the Hodags' first win in Antigo since 2002, and the first time the Hodags have won the Bell in consecutive seasons since winning three in a row from 1998-2000.
It was also a bit of redemption for Lamers, who had a pair of extra points blocked earlier in the game, including the go-ahead PAT after the Hodags drove to the game-tying touchdown with 49 seconds left in regulation.
"I was just so focused on getting it up that time so it wouldn't get blocked," Lamers said. "I was doing anything to get it up in the air. I almost missed short again. I can't even tell you what this feels like. This is amazing."
The ending left the small crowd at Schofield Stadium, limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, stunned. Antigo controlled the game for the better part of 3 1/2 quarters with its old ground-and-pound offense. Rhinelander's offense, listless for most of the night, came to life late behind the rushing exploits of Cayden Neri. The junior carried the ball 25 times for 134 yards and two scores, as he became the focal point of the Rhinelander offense down the stretch.
Much uncertainly remains over what will happen with the remainder of the season, especially with COVID numbers on the rise in the Northwoods and scores of teams across the state having to cancel or reschedule Week 1 games due to the pandemic. But, for one night, none of that mattered.
"If this was the one we play, and I never want to say that's what's going to happen, but if this is the one we play, this was the most memorable game that I can think of that I've been a part of in my history here," Rhinelander coach Aaron Kraemer said. "This one, against a rival, that's been a rivalry for such a long time - one of the longest in the state - it's just a really, really special one and I'm very happy to be a part of it."
Antigo ran the ball like Antigo teams of the past, racking up 291 yards on the ground while possessing the ball for more than 30 minutes of the 48-minute regulation session. Dakota Matuszewski rushed for 170 yards on 27 carries, including a pair of second-quarter touchdowns that gave Antigo a 12-6 lead at the break.
Rhinelander, meanwhile, was held to only 58 yards of offense on its first six possessions. Things finally turned after the Hodag defense turned away the Red Robins a yard short on a fourth-and-5 play inside the Rhinelander 35.
The Hodags found a spark with Neri, one of the two juniors trying to replace the production of three-year standout Drake Martin in the Rhinelander backfield. Taking over from their own 31 with 8:26 remaining - and backed up to the 26 following an illegal procedure penalty on the first play of the drive - the Hodags marched down the field in 12 plays to score the game-tying touchdown. Eleven of those plays were Neri runs, including a two-yard score on third and goal with less than a minute remaining.
"Cayden Neri just showed up today," Kraemer said. "(Assistant) coach (Paul) Ellenbecker's been telling me since last year about Cayden. I've seen him playing in JV game and he just finished his (expletive) off.
"It wasn't deep passes. It wasn't trick plays. It was smash mouth football, taking it right to Antigo at the end of the second half."
Rhinelander got the ball first in the first overtime session and called six more consecutive run plays for Neri that brought the ball inside the 1, before Lamers finished off the drive on a quarterback sneak on third and goal. Neri's try for two on the conversion was stopped short.
Antigo answered in four plays in its first overtime possession. Fullback Josh Huess, who rushed for 102 yards on 20 carries, found the end zone from five yards out to tie the game. Antigo went for two and the win, but Huess was stood up inside the 1 on the conversion.
Getting the ball again to start the second overtime, Antigo faced a fourth-and-5 from the Rhinelander 20. Junior quarterback Zach Zupon looked to have back Casey Smith in the flat for a conversion, but Rhinelander defensive back Jackson Labs - who collected a pair of interceptions earlier in the contest - leveled Smith and dislodged the ball for an incomplete pass.
"It was a tide changer," Kraemer said. "That play right there, because it was a physical play and it got all of our guys on the sideline jacked up, the crowd behind us excited. It was a game-changing play and it was really, really well done."
Rhinelander picked up one first down on its second overtime possession before stalling out at the 10.
After Lamers missed Labs short on a slant route on third-and-7, Kraemer went back to the kicking game once more and this time Lamers delivered.
"It's both the same situation, you have a chance to take the lead and win," Kraemer said, referencing the decisions to go for the go-ahead PAT in regulation and then call for a field goal in the second overtime. "Whenever you get an opportunity to put points on the board and win, you should take those opportunities to win, not to tie but to win. I felt like Quinn had a great week of practice kicking. The blocks we can take care of. We've got to get him to understand that he's kicking a PAT. We've got to get the ball up off the ground a little bit higher, put it on a block so he's kicking the ball and getting trajectory on the PAT, but the field goal was exactly the way the PAT was kick, long straight and far enough. He had plenty to leg on it and it was through."
The Hodags, who ended a 12-year losing streak in the Bell Game with a 20-10 victory in Rhinelander last season, appeared to be on their way to an easy repeat early in the game. Labs picked off Zupon on the game's second possession, setting up the Rhinelander offense near midfield. The Hodags needed only two plays to find the end zone - a 22-yard run by Caleb Olcikas set up Neri for his 29-yard score off right end.
But Antigo marched methodically down the field on its ensuing possession, plodding 68 yards on nine plays before Matuszewski scored from nine yards out to tie the game. Rhinelander misplayed a squib kick on the ensuing kickoff and Antigo recovered at the Hodag 33. The Robins were not able to cash in, however. Following a penalty, Labs picked off Zupon for the second time.
Rhinelander's offense went backward, on the ensuing drive. A botched snap and a sack forced the Hodags to punt from inside their own 5. Antigo, set up with great field position at the Rhinelander 43, marched 12 plays for a Matuszewski go-ahead score from nine yards out with 1:50 remaining in the first half.
"We struggled in the first half," Kraemer said. "What we told them at halftime, we're going to make some adjustments, but the adjustments aren't magic. We're the first week into the season, we don't have a magic play. It is all up to whether or not we're going to respond to this challenge, and how we handle this challenge."
The beginning of the second half did not go much better for the Hodags, with a 3-and-out on offense on the opening possession. Antigo took over at its own 31 and went 66 yards on the drive. However, on fourth-and-4 from the Rhinelander 6, Ben Sinclair stopped Zupon one yard shy of the first down on a quarterback rollout. Kraemer credited defensive coordinator Gary Zarda for a bend-but-don't-break defense that rose to the occasion when necessary.
"Twelve points total (in regulation) for Antigo, you would have said no worries, Rhinelander's going to win," he said. "But it wasn't our day today, offensively, and they stood up and did everything they needed to do to finish this game."
For finishing, the Hodags once again got to hear the sweet sound of Gene Shepard's Bell chiming on its sideline.
"This is just something totally different for us," Lamers said, comparing Rhinelander's Bell Game wins in each of the last two seasons. "We wanted to make sure that last year wasn't a fluke and prove to everybody that we are who we say we are, and I think we did it tonight."
The Hodags now trail the all-time series 55-29-2. Friday's game marked the fifth overtime game in the series' history and the first since 1998. Rhinelander is now 4-1 in overtime Bell Games.
Rhinelander (1-0) comes home this Friday to take on Mosinee (1-0). The Indians defeated Lakeland 25-16 in Minocqua to open the regular season. Antigo (0-1) travels to defending conference champion Medford (1-0) on Friday. The Raiders rocked conference newcomer Hayward/Lac Courte Oreilles 52-7 in the opener.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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