October 4, 2021 at 10:08 a.m.
Stymied
Mosinee shuts down RHS offense, jeopardizes Hodags' GNC title bid
Stymied
The Hodags were frustrated on a steamy night in Mosinee, held to a season-low 136 yards of offense in a 14-7 defeat to Mosinee at Veterans Memorial Stadium in a battle of the Great Northern Conference's two unbeaten teams.
Rhinelander's defense kept Mosinee's high-flying offense in check, too, but the Indians capped off an 80-yard drive with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Trevor Garski to Davin Stoffel less than a minute into the fourth quarter. It was the game's only offensive touchdown, and it proved to be the difference in a hard-fought, defensive battle.
The Hodags had three chances with the ball after Mosinee's go-ahead score, but could not so much as muster a first down against the Indians' fast, aggressive defense.
"We hung in there the entire game. Our defense deserved better tonight and offensively, that performance is on me," Hodag head coach Aaron Kraemer said. "We started off with negative self-talk early in the game, whether it was our coaches or our players, and then it just continued to grow."
Some of Rhinelander's early-season offensive woes showed up again on Friday with three botched snaps - including one that helped lead to Mosinee's first score. The Hodags were also penalized 10 times for 60 yards and nine of the 10 were due to some sort of illegal procedure.
The game turned midway through the third quarter. After being held to a three-and-out on offense, a bad snap on a punt sent Cayden Neri running for his life inside the Rhinelander 10. Neri eluded one would-be tackler and tried to get off a hurried punt, but it was blocked by Mosinee's Nolan Harris and the loose ball was recovered in the end zone by Barnes Bunkelman for the game's first score.
"We talked about it all week, we can't have bad turnovers. It's one of those turnovers that's just not smart," Kraemer said. "Special teams, it's one bad play and one bad snap that ended up costing us."
The Hodag defense answered by scoring its fourth touchdown in the last three games. A bad snap sent Garski scrambling. He dumped a pass off to Stoffel in the flat, but the ball went through his hands. It was intercepted by Arik Beske and returned 22 yards for a game-tying touchdown with 2:46 remaining in the third.
It was part of a long night for Garski, who entered the game second in the state in passing yards. He was held to just over half his season average, going 18 of 26 for 151 yards and threw two interceptions.
But the senior responded leading an eight-play drive in which he competed a 3-and-10 pass for 16 yards over the middle for Stoffel, ran twice for 22 yards and got Rhinelander to jump offsides on third-and-2 from the 12, setting up the go-ahead score.
Rhinelander, which came in ranked fifth in the WisSports.net Division 3 coaches poll, saw its bid for an undefeated season go out the window. The Hodags will need to win their next two games, and get some help from either Medford or Antigo against Mosinee, to win what would be only the seventh football conference title in school history.
"I'm sad for these seniors. I'm sad for the way that we responded to adversity tonight," Kraemer said. "Frankly, I'm sad for those guys who have been working hard all season long and they didn't get a chance to celebrate tonight being close to a conference championship. But, again, these are the moments that make people. It doesn't have to be the darkest moments in your life that define you, it's the way you move forward from those dark moments. This one can hurt for 24 hours and then we're back to the grind on Sunday."
Offense derailed
Neri, one of the top running backs in the state through five weeks, was held in check for the second week in a row, limited to 65 yards on 20 carries. Unlike last week, Mosinee kept Caleb Olcikas in check too, and the Hodags' passing game was non-existent against a fast, swarming Mosinee defense.
"Their two middle linebackers were the best in the conference," Kraemer said. "They had a helluva game against us, both those guys, Stoffel and Harris. They're both great players. Offensively, we were neutralized."
Neri had a 31-yard run on the first offensive snap for Rhinelander, and the Hodags got down to the Mosinee 31 on their opening possession before the drive stalled. That proved to be Rhinelander's best drive of the night. The Hodags did not take a single snap in Mosinee territory in the second half, held to just 31 yards of offense after the break. Rhinelander was held to 1 of 15 on third down and was 2 of 6 on fourth down.
Kraemer said frustration mounted on Rhinelander's sideline as Mosinee continued to have its way against the Hodag offense.
"We had a little bit of self-doubt, and a little bit of, I'll just say it, BCD tonight - a little bit of blaming others and complaining about our problems and being defensive of ourself when we have issues," he said. "That's stuff that can't happen, and it tears your team down from within. In a tight game like this, that just can't happen. First of all, it's on me, and I'm going to right it and fix it."
Getting defensive
The loss overshadowed another strong performance by the Hodag defense, which made life difficult for Mosinee all night.
Mosinee was held to 232 yards of offense, though it did muster 128 yards in the second half. Garski was picked off twice - both by Arik Beske - after throwing only one interception in his first six games.
Sophomore Keagan Jirschele led Mosinee in both rushing and receiving with seven catches for 86 yards, and eight carries for 37 yards.
"Our defense played well enough to win tonight, which is the sad thing," Kraemer said. "I'm upset for coach (Gary) Zarda, because he had a helluva game plan and he set it up the way he wanted to."
We are the champions?
Mosinee was excited, and rightfully so, after defeating Rhinelander on its homecoming night, but it was not lost on Kraemer or the Hodags that many Mosinee players and students gathered in the south end zone and blared Queen's "We Are the Champions," on a pair of portable speakers.
Mosinee can clinch a share of the GNC title with either a win next Friday at Medford, or a home win Oct. 15 against Antigo. But a loss next week at Medford could set up a potential tri-champion scenario between Mosinee, Medford and Rhinelander.
"They have to go and play Medford and Medford is a very tough team," Kraemer said. "I wouldn't be celebrating anything right now if I had to go play them, because they're going to be hungry to win a conference championship, too."
Bad omens
Rhinelander fell to 0-5 at Veterans Memorial Stadium since joining the GNC in 2010. Aside from Ashland's alternate site at Northland College - where Rhinelander has never played - Mosinee's field is the only venue in the conference where the Hodags have never won.
Rhinelander also lost at Mosinee 21-20 in Week 7 of the regular season in 2019, which the first of three attempts the Hodags needed to secure a win that ensured playoff eligibility. Kraemer fell to 0-3 in Week 7 games as Rhinelander's head coach.
Looking to respond
Kraemer's postgame message to the team included talk of not letting Mosinee beat Rhinelander twice - in other words, not allowing a hangover from Friday night's defeat linger in the Hodags' final games of the regular season.
"This is a game for us to learn from. If it had to happen, if we had to lose, I'm much happier right now than Week 9 or the first week of the playoffs," he said. "Our goals are still there, intact for us. We still have an opportunity to win the conference. We still have an opportunity to go into the playoffs and win games."
Merrill comes to town this Friday and the Hodags will close out the regular season at Ashland in Week 9.
"For us, we need to respond and go put it to Merrill next week and finish the season 8-1," Kraemer said. "That's all we can do. Our backs are against the wall now. We only have one option to win a conference championship and it's through the next two teams. That's what we're going to do, get back to work and find ways to finish."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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