August 19, 2021 at 9:57 a.m.
Medford still media's pick to win GNC, Hodags No. 2
Medford still media's pick to win GNC, Hodags No. 2
By the numbers, Medford has been the most successful team in the Great Northern Conference over the last decade. The Raiders have won conference titles in six of the last nine seasons, including back-to-back undisputed conference titles the last two years.
Not surprisingly, Medford remains the team to beat in the GNC this year, in the eyes of the panel assembled for this year's Great Northern Conference media poll - a joint-effort of the Northwoods River News and The Lakeland Times that canvasses those who cover the conference on a regular basis.
The Raiders earned five of the seven first-place votes cast with Rhinelander, last year's conference runner-up, receiving the other two first-place nods as it ended up second in the voting.
In fact, the results of the poll closely mirror last year's GNC standings with Mosinee third, followed by Ashland, Lakeland, Antigo, Merrill and Hayward.
This year's panel consisted of Northwoods River News sports editor Jeremy Mayo, Lakeland Times sports writer Brett LaBore, Antigo Daily Journal sports editor Scott Walbeck, Star News (Medford) sports editor Matt Frey, Great Northern Conference statistician Gregg Scott, Matt Mattano of WJMT-AM in Merrill and Terrell Boettcher of the Sawyer County Record.
The Raiders went undefeated last season in GNC play and their only two losses came to Rice Lake - a narrative that also played out elsewhere as Medford made deep playoff runs in boys' basketball and baseball only to be thwarted by the Warriors.
Medford lost a whopping 12 seniors who received all-GNC recognition last year including Joe Gierl and Brody Doberstein - who were unanimous first-team selections on both the offensive and defensive lines. The Raiders do bring back two key pieces of the offense, however, with tailback Aiden Gardner and quarterback Logan Baumgartner. Gardner was the GNC's offensive player of the year a season ago.
In two short years Rhinelander has gone from conference doormat to a legitimate title contender, falling to Medford 24-7 last November in what was a de facto conference championship game. The Hodags were also hit hard by graduation - especially in the passing game and secondary - but return the blistering running back duo of Cayden Neri and Caleb Olcikas, both of who were all-conference honorees last year.
Mosinee equals Rhinelander for the most returning all-conference selections with four. Ashland, Antigo, Hayward, Lakeland and Merrill all bring back one all-conference player.
Teams picked at the bottom of the conference this year are breaking in new head coaches - with Jason Wadzinski taking over at Merrill and Noah LeBlanc assuming the main headset at Hayward.
As a whole, the conference is eager to prove its place in the overall state landscape, as evidenced by an ambitious Week 1 non-conference schedule that includes traditionally strong programs Rice Lake (vs. Medford), Stratford (at Mosinee), Edgar (at Lakeland) and Northwestern (at Ashland). Medford will get a crack at perennial Division 5 power Amherst in Week 2.
The conference slate opens Sept. 3 with Rhinelander and Lakeland in the Northwoods Axe Game rivalry at Rhinelander's Mike Webster Stadium. Ashland at Medford, Merrill at Antigo and Mosinee at Hayward round out the first week of conference player.
Preseason conference favorites Medford and Rhinelander are set to meet Sept. 17 in Medford. Antigo and Rhinelander will meet for the 87th renewal of the Bell Game the following week. The two winningest programs in GNC history - Mosinee and Medford - will meet Oct. 8 at Medford's Raider Field.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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