September 30, 2020 at 12:39 p.m.
Rising to the occasion
After dramatic Bell Game win, Hodags look to knock off Mosinee for the first time
Rising to the occasion
For Rhinelander to get off to a 2-0 start, it will need to do something it has not done since joining the Great Northern Conference in 2010 - beat Mosinee.
The Indians' high-flying offense comes into Mike Webster Stadium tonight for a Week 2 showdown between the two teams that figure to be Medford's biggest challengers in this year's Great Northern Conference title race. Mosinee checked in at No. 2 in both the GNC preseason media poll, as well as WisSports.net's preseason predictions. Rhinelander was No. 3 in the GNC in both surveys.
There's a decent chance the Hodags may find themselves in a moment where the outcome of the game will depend on how they respond. If so, Rhinelander need look no further than the second half last week's game against Antigo when the defense made a pair of key fourth-down stops and the offense rallied to tie the game with 49 seconds left.
It took two overtime sessions, but the Hodags downed the Robins 21-18.
"You have that type of resilience and fortitude and you can beat a lot of teams," coach Aaron Kraemer said. "The other thing we talked about in that postgame meeting is this is the Great Northern Conference and, every single week, we've got to bring it from the first play to the last play. Anything can happen if we decide that we want to play as a team and we want to respond to the challenges that are out there in front of us."
Rhinelander almost got into the win column last year at Mosinee, but could not hold on to a 20-7 halftime lead and fell 21-20. Drake Martin tweaked an ankle in the second half of that game and the Hodag offense was never quite the same the rest of the season.
"We thought we had one last year and it just shows the margins of success and failure in the game of football - and in life, too," Kraemer said. "We learned lessons in that game that are going to move with us throughout the season this year - one being how important one point is, but also finishing when you have your opponent's back against the wall."
Here are five key storylines entering tonight's game.
Build the rhythm
One of the keys for Rhinelander tonight will be to keep Mosinee's high-flying offense off the field as much as possible. This will require better ball control than what Rhinelander had last week against the Red Robins.
Antigo ran 24 more offensive snaps than Rhinelander did last week and held a 12-plus-minute edge in time of possession. The Hodags, meanwhile, had five of their first six possessions end in punts, including a trio of three-and-outs.
For much of the game, Rhinelander's offense did not have any rhythm, Kraemer noted.
"We didn't control the football at all. It starts with just finishing our runs and finishing our blocks," he said. "It starts with building a rhythm, finishing and getting first downs, and sustaining drives. We weren't able to do that last week. That's my charge this week, let's build some momentum. I told them it's rhythm and control this week. That's what we need to do to get better."
Cayden's chance
In order to establish that rhythm, look for Rhinelander to stick with what worked late in last week's Bell Game win - keeping the ball on the ground with junior Cayden Neri. Neri finished the night with 134 yards and two scores on 25 carries, 20 of those touches came on Rhinelander's last three possessions.
Kraemer said Neri will be the Hodags starting tailback tonight, in part because of his performance last week and in part to spell two-way players Walker Hartman and Caleb Olcikas.
"I thought that he was impressive in the last few drives. He deserves the start this week," Kraemer said. "Caleb played a lot defensively last week. Walker played a lot defensively last week. Those guys playing every single snap on defense doesn't really help them if there's not rotation on the offensive side of the ball. With that rhythm, you're putting a player in that's completely, 100% fresh and ready to run the ball hard. You saw that in the game on Friday. When he came in, he changed things."
A 'Dul' threat
Mosinee's offense, which was tops in the GNC last year in yards and second in the conference in scoring, did not seem to miss much of a beat last week. The Indians put up 328 yards - including 250 through the air - in a 25-16 home win over Lakeland. Mosinee had to replace co-GNC offensive player of the year in quarterback Trey Fitzgerald and have done so by moving Michal Dul, who played receiver last year, into that position.
Dul was 17 of 25 passing for 250 yards, but all of the touchdowns came via Dul's legs as he rushed for 33 yards and four scores on 12 carries.
"Trey Fitzgerald was an accomplished passer, and he was very good in the pocket, but Dul can make a lot of plays with his feet and he can still throw the football very well," Kraemer said. "He's somebody, obviously, we're going to key on a we're going to try to make uncomfortable."
On the outside, Dul has two of the same targets Fitzgerald had last year in seniors Drayton Lehman and Cyle Kowalski who finished 10th and 14th in the state last year with 67 and 63 receptions, respectively. Lehman had the hot hand last with 10 receptions for 155 yards. Kowalski had a big game a year ago against the Hodags with five catches for 165 yards and all three Mosinee touchdowns.
Using multiple three, four and even five wide receiver sets, Mosinee will be able to throw multiple different looks at Rhinelander.
Regardless of the formation, Kraemer said the key is to make sure whoever has the ball is taken quickly to the ground.
"We need to make sure we rally to the football, when we make tackles that we swarm defensively," he said. "If we can do that, and we can put them down at the point of attack rather than letting them get out of the contain, I think we'll be successful."
While the focus will be on Mosinee's passing game, change-of-pace back William Kennedy is also back for Mosinee. He rushed for 130 yards and two scores against Rhinelander as a sophomore in 2018.
Finish the drives
Rhinelander has been able to move the football on Mosinee's defense over the past few seasons, but finding the end zone has been another story.
The Hodags have had more than 260 yards of offense in each of the last three games against Mosinee, but only zero, 21 and 20 points, respectively, to show for their efforts.
Mosinee, which held Lakeland to 238 yards and only one offensive touchdown last week, brings back three returning all-conference selections on that side of the ball - Nolan Harris and Kennedy both at linebacker and Lehman and defensive back.
"They're fast to the point of attack and they are pretty physical and big up front," Kraemer said. "The major thing for us is to get to the point faster and sustain drives against this defense. When you look at the Mosinee defense, they want to put up points, they want to go fast. Trying to neutralize them by holding on to the football and possessing the football is a way you can do that."
Homecoming-ish
Tonight is Rhinelander's homecoming football game, but mainly in name only.
Much of the pomp, circumstance and extra-curricular activities surrounding the game - including the homecoming parade and dance - have been canceled for this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
While Kraemer said some coaches would breathe a sigh of relief that the distractions of homecoming week are eliminated, but he believes it's a part of the fabric of high school football that will be sadly missed this week.
"Our pep rally, powderpuff, all those things bring people together," he said. "I get that coronavirus is such where we can't bring people together, but it's just really sad that we're not able to have those events for our kids. I think it's a rite of passage kind of thing. It's something that they need, even now. They need connection with their peers. They need love and community more than they've ever needed it.
"It's just sad for me. I wish they would be able to experience these things but, unfortunately, the times don't call for it."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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