July 22, 2021 at 9:04 a.m.
Strong turnout for Hodags' preseason football camp
Strong turnout for Hodags' preseason football camp
The Hodags concluded their four-day camp yesterday, the last offseason team activity before practice for the upcoming season starts in earnest Aug. 3.
Turnout was strong, with head coach Aaron Kraemer estimating an average of just under 60 high school players per day at the camp. Momentum is building for a team that has won 14 games over the past two seasons, after winning only 14 games total in the previous eight campaigns.
"Our kids see success on the football field and they want to kind of emulate that success," Kraemer said. "They've seen how the seniors have grown the team the last two years and the culture that brings. Success brings positivity, which then changes the culture around.
"We're looking at having a great season as far as numbers are concerned at the varsity level and we have a really big freshman class, which is really good."
This year's camp felt much more normal than last year's, in which contact was limited to pods of 10 players or fewer and plays were pantomimed without footballs, as the School District of Rhinelander started to return to activity following the COVID-19 shutdown.
Yet, Kraemer said some of last year's concepts - namely being able to work creatively and efficiently - carried over to this year's camp.
"You had to make sure you did what you needed to do safely and that we didn't overexert," he said. "We learned that you need to only do the essential things that we absolutely need, and cut out the BS that we don't need, just make sure we have everything the players need to be successful."
Fundamentals were the name of the game much of the week, as players got reacquainted with the Hodags' base offensive plays and formations. Defensive points of emphasis included working on stance and what to do at the snap of the ball. Kraemer said it was all in an effort to get a head start when practice begins for real.
"If you go and watch any of these groups, these are the things they should be doing every single day - basic drills that they're learning the fundamentals of so when they come to camp, we can just hit the ground running," he said.
The Hodags are coming off an 8-1 season, a runner-up finish in the Great Northern Conference, and the first two postseason wins in program history. Though the team lost a number of key contributors from that squad, Kraemer feels he has the group in place to build on last year's success.
"I think this is a year where we can thrive," he said. "If our seniors learn how to lead the correct way, it's going to be a great season. That's why their shirts say, 'Win from within,' because that's where it starts. It starts with leadership. It starts with our behaviors first before we even hit the field on Friday."
One of the key battles to watch entering camp is who will replace two-year starter Quinn Lamers at quarterback. Jacksen Smith, Lamers' backup last season, and fellow senior Joe Schneider are battling for the position.
While Kraemer said Smith has a leg up in the battle at this point, seeing some packages this fall with Schneider under center is not out of the question.
"When I look at the two of them, I see Jacksen maybe as a little more natural at the quarterback position, and a little bit more seasoned. He's played that position," Kraemer said. "Joe's got some tremendous arm talent and he can run the football - you saw it at the end of last year. But he's also somebody we count on massively defensively. We have to make sure we understand that.
"Joe, I think he can come in situationally, run the offense and do different things than Jacksen can. We're not going to platoon, per se, but we'll have some opportunities, I think, for Joe Schneider to get in there and show his ability, but I think Jacksen will end up being the every-down quarterback."
Whoever is under center will have a pair of all-conference running backs at his disposal in seniors Caleb Olcikas and Cayden Neri as well as an offensive line that returns players with experience, including center Conner Jensen and guard Joe Fugle.
Defensively, the Hodags will need to replace Jackson Labs' seven interceptions in the secondary, along with several other key seniors including linebacker Walker Hartman and all-conference defensive lineman Kirk Mathews, but the team returns an all-conference linebacker in the middle with Chad Hunt and has several other key pieces to build around.
"I think we're good defensively and we can be great defensively, it's just how far are they willing to push themselves to do it," Kraemer said.
Overall, Kraemer called an abbreviated offseason "weird" because there were essentially only three weeks between the end of spring sports and the start of camp. While the team still had open field and 7-on-7, there were not as many opportunities as in a normal summer.
"All I can say is we've had a pretty consistent group lifting weights, which is good, and this is my only real litmus test as far as the season's going to look, but the fact that we have 50-60 kids here, plus the middle school group, I think it's great," he said.
The program's middle school camp ran alongside the high school camp. Kraemer said numbers have been down at that level - mainly because the middle school program was not allowed to participate in any games last fall under the district's COVID-19 policies. Kraemer is hoping for a bounce-back this year as things return to normal.
"I hope (parents) send their middle school kids out and they practice and play in the fall, because it's going to be an excellent year," he said.
The preseason will include the Hodags' annual Family Day practice at Mike Webster Stadium Saturday, Aug. 7 along with a scrimmage at Northland Pines Aug. 13. Rhinelander opens with non-conference games at Tomahawk Aug. 20 and home to Wausau East Aug. 27 before kicking off the GNC slate against Lakeland at home Sept. 3.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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