April 12, 2021 at 8:13 a.m.
Team review: Rhinelander/Elcho/Three Lakes bowling
Strong individual success highlights Hodag bowlers' season
Team review: Rhinelander/Elcho/Three Lakes bowling
The Hodags had a tough go in a loaded D9 conference season, going 7-5 overall and finishing in a tie for fourth in the final standings, but the team ended the season with four individual state qualifiers - all four of whom also represented District 9 in the Wisconsin High School Bowling Club All-Star Team Challenge.
"We really did have a strong team," coach Mike Bourcier said. "When you have four kids that are (above) an 80% fill, and the others in the 70s, that is a strong team. But it is a team sport. You've got to have five doing well each time. It's great that we got back to at least singles. We're getting something out of it and we're going to be able to represent the Northwoods here."
Here are five storylines from the season.
Reunited
After fielding separate boys' and girls' squads for a number of seasons, the team's high school numbers dropped a little bit this season, and thus the squad merged into one co-ed team for this season.
Still, there was plenty of promise for the team this year with four returning bowlers from last year's boys' team that snuck into the state tournament and then made a run to the stepladder finals before placing fifth overall. Girls' individual state qualifiers Mackenzie Bourcier and Katrina McCarthy added to that already strong core.
"I think our enthusiasm grew because we had each other on the same team. That was the best part," McCarthy said.
The biggest adjustment proved to be how the team set its lineup with more bowlers than it had available positions in a given game.
Falling out of the team state race relatively early in the season, the team was able to shift its focus to getting as many individual state qualifying positions as possible.
That meant a few extra frames down the stretch for Mackenzie Bourcier and Bednarz so they could get to the mandated 144-frame minimum to be eligible for the state meet after missing some time at the start of the season. For Litzen and McCarthy, who were sitting in great shape in terms of frames bowled and fill percentage, that meant a few fewer frames to guard against percentage-robbing open frames.
"We've got to watch what they do, play the stats game, and make sure they get enough frames in," coach Bourcier said.
D9 buzzsaw
Despite the talent on the squad, the team had to go up against an extremely strong D9 field.
On the season, Rhinelander had the third highest scoring average in District 9 (188.1) and the second-best fill percentage (79.26%) but finished in a four-way tie for fourth in the standings with a 7-5 mark.
Ultimately, two one-game losses at the start of the season came back to bite the Hodags in their efforts to return to state. The Hodags lost the opener 5-4 to Iola-Scandinavia, losing three of four games decided by 13 pins or fewer. Next up, the Hodags fell 5-4 to Manawa after leading 4-2 in the match.
The Hodags ran off four straight matches after that to get back into the D9 race, but was defeated 6-3 Jan. 10 in Waupaca by a Comet team that performed nearly 40 pins per game better than their year-to-date average. Rhinelander responded the following with a tight 5.5-3.5 win over Antigo, but saw its team state chances dashed with a 7-2 loss to eventual district champ Amherst.
Overall, three of the Hodags' losses were decided by a single game. Amherst (11-1), Merrill (10-2) and Antigo (9-3) earned the district's three D2 state team qualifying spots. The Hodags beat Merrill and Antigo during regular season play.
"We've come against some buzzsaws, teams that bowled well at their home houses or bowled some of their better matches during the year (against us)," coach Bourcier said. "I'm extremely happy with the kids."
Singles success
In the end, though the Hodags did not make it to state as a team, they accomplished their other objective of getting as many individuals as possible through to the state meet.
Bednarz wound up second in the boys' standings with 88.74% fill rate while Litzen was fourth at 86.23%. McCarthy (82.51%) and Bourcier (82.05%) wound up second and third in the girls' standings.
"I think it's another checkmark that Rhinelander has accomplished that other centers haven't," coach Bourcier said. "We've solidified four spots. That's pretty darn good."
Unfortunately for the team, the regular season success did not parlay into success at state. Mackenzie Bourcier and Katrina McCarthy finished 21st and 27th, respectively, in the field. Only the top 14 advanced to the semifinals. On the boys' side, both Cody Bednarz and Kody Litzen were far outside the top 24 that moved on, finishing 68th and 77th.
"We were hoping to obviously get all four of the kids in, but ultimately, try to get as many as we can and everyone fell a little short tonight," coach Bourcier said. "The shot was a little different and what I could see with the shot is if you could get lined up with the right ball, and you were fairly consistent, you could score really well. You just had to play the lanes a little bit different. Even as much practice as we put into, going to a different bowling center, when you have 97 of the top boys from the state and 54 top girls from the state, it shows."
The four did get to end on a bit of a high note a week later in the All-Star Team Challenge. Litzen and Bednarz were part of a District 9 team that was the top qualifier in the event and advanced to the championship match before losing to District 3A out of the Racine/Kenosha Area 395-322 in a two-game baker series. Mackenzie Bourcier and McCarthy were on a D9 girls' squad that finished fourth and missed out on the stepladder finals by only 62 pins.
Nearly homeless
Lost in all the success was the fact that for a time during the offseason it was unclear if there would be a Rhinelander club team this season and, if so, where it would bowl.
That's because Hodag Lanes closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and was not planning to reopen. That left the Rhinelander club team looking for somewhere else nearby to bowl and wondering if some team members would be willing to dedicate themselves to the extra travel time that would be required for practices and meets.
Luckily, those fears were quelled when the facility was purchased by a local businessman and avoid bowler Nick Plouff, allowing the center to reopen just in time for the high school season.
"It was a relief from trying to figure out how we're going to organize it," Bourcier said back in October, prior to the team's first meet. "Six weeks ago we didn't know what we were doing. Now, here we are, one week til the first meet."
What's next
The team graduates for seniors from the squad. In addition to McCarthy and Mackenzie Bourcier, the team bid farewell to leadoff bowler Jacob Wagler (76.58% fill) and reserve member Jeremiah Braun (69.16% fill).
Litzen and Bednarz will be the two starters returning and will look to build on this year's success.
"Next year, they'll be back again. They'll know what to expect," he said. "Kody Litzen, he's already talking next year, things he's got to work on and do. Cody Bednarz, I think when he started the year out, it was like OK. Not a whole lot fazes him. Cody's kind of Cody, he just goes out there. But, as the year went this year and then state hit and the all-stars, you could tell he started getting a little more pumped up. He's talking more bowling. I look for good things out of him also."
The team will also get back senior-to-be Bella Walkowski (70.75% fill).
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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