October 31, 2021 at 7:30 a.m.
Hodag gridders earn 17 All-GNC nods
Neri, Hunt runners-up in conference player of the year voting
Hodag gridders earn 17 All-GNC nods
Rhinelander had 12 different players receive recognition and took up 17 spots overall on the all-conference team. That includes five unanimous all-conference first-team selections.
The numbers are virtually identical to Rhinelander's record number off all-conference recipients in 2020. In both instances, Rhinelander had 12 players honored and a total of seven first-team honors.
"It's really nice to have so many kids represented on the All-GNC team," Hodag football coach Aaron Kraemer said. "I was really, really proud of what we were able to accomplish all season long. Because of that, so many players were nominated and put onto the all-GNC team."
Senior Cayden Neri was a unanimous first-teamer as both a running back and a punter, while fellow senior Joe Fugle earned first-team honors at offensive lineman and outside linebacker. Chad Hunt was a consensus choice at linebacker and AJ Bergman was unanimously selected on the defensive line.
Both Neri and Hunt were in the running for the conference's offensive and defensive player of the year awards, respectively, but finished second in the voting. Mosinee quarterback Trevor Garski and linebacker Nolan Harris took home those honors.
"Both of them were split votes. I'll say this, when you win the conference, you always have a vote of confidence from the rest of the coaches in the conference. That didn't go our way and I think that swung the vote a little bit," Kraemer said.
Neri was second in the conference in rushing this year, running for 1,383 yards and 10 touchdowns in seven conference games. He finished 50 yards behind Medford's Aiden Gardner for both the GNC rushing title and the overall conference record. But Neri set all-time conference marks in most points scored (144) and total yards from scrimmage (1,594).
However, he ended falling short in the voting to Garski, who passed for 1,324 yards and 18 touchdowns in only five conference games - as Mosinee received two forfeit victories in league play with other teams unable to play due to low numbers and COVID-19 protocols, en route to an undefeated season and a conference title.
"Cayden broke a conference record in points this year. To me, that's the most valuable player, when you're able to break the conference record in points and you're responsible for points not only running the football, but catching it and kicking it," Kraemer said. "I was not necessarily upset, because I thought Trevor Garski had a great year and broke his own records. I was happy Cayden was nominated and that it was a split vote."
Neri also averaged 40.9 yards per punt in the GNC, leading the conference in that category.
Aside from interceptions, the GNC does not keep official individual defensive statistics. However, according to numbers complied by WisSports.net, Hunt's 56 tackles in league games ranked fourth overall in the conference and he led the GNC with 12 tackles for loss. Harris, in two fewer games, was credited with 44 tackles, but was a key piece in a Mosinee defense that was at the top of the conference in yards allowed.
"Nolan Harris is a great kid and he had a good season, but I definitely think that Chad deserved it," Kraemer said. "He had most tackles for loss and I thought he was the best defensive player, sideline to sideline, in the passing game, run game, trailing tackles and making plays. I thought he was the best, for my money in the conference. I was a little more disappointed with Chad not being defensive player of the year."
Fugle was a two-way all-conference player for a second straight year, after earning first-team honors as a offensive lineman and second team honors as an outside linebacker last season. Offensively, Fugle was part off a line that produced the GNC's No. 1 rushing and overall offense, in terms of yards gained per game. Defensively, Fugle had 31 tackles, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble in conference games.
"He had an amazing year too, but he had an amazing career," Kraemer said. "He's someone I'm going to missed totally next year because of his leadership ability and his ability to lead by example. Just a great kid."
Bergman was credited with only eight tackles and missed two conference games due to illness, but still made a significant impact defensively, including a forced fumble in the win at Medford that Neri returned for a touchdown in the Hodags' 28-14 win.
"For him to be unanimous first-team all-conference at the nose tackle position, is very, very special," Kraemer said. "You have to be a great player at that nose tackle position for people to see you and remember you on film. He's undersized and he's oftentimes going to be double-teamed, so the fact that he's a unanimous guy means enough coaches saw him as a disruption this year. He had a great season and deserve to be an all-conference player."
Olcikas rounded out Rhinelander's quintet of first-team players. He finished with 33 tackles and two interceptions in league play from his safety position.
"Defensively, other than Chad, I thought our best player all season long was Caleb Olcikas," Kraemer said. "He deserved a nomination and a first-team for sure."
In all, Rhinelander had 10 players earn recognition on the defensive side of the ball. Cole Lehman and Arik Beske were named second-team at linebacker and defensive back, respectively. Neri received honorable mention as an outside linebacker, as did defensive lineman Owen Kurtz, and defensive backs Cole Worrall and Kaleb Winter.
Rhinelander finished second in the GNC in total defense (166.6 yards/game) and was tops in the conference against the run.
"I'm not surprised. I told you from the very beginning of our season that our defense was special -really, really special. As the season went on, they became more special," Kraemer said.
Olcikas also received second-team honors for Rhinelander at running back, where he was fourth overall in the conference in rushing yards (605). Senior quarterback Jacksen Smith also received honorable mention. He was second in the conference in completion percentage (60.3) and third in quarterback rating (87.4).
"His leadership changed our team," Kraemer said. "Without his leadership, we wouldn't have gone as far as we did. It was quiet leadership at the beginning of the year. As the year went on, he became more and more vocal."
Starting center Conner Jensen and Kurtz, who started at left guard, each received second-team honors, giving Rhinelander's offensive line three all-conference mentions. Jensen, and junior, and Kurtz, a sophomore, are two of only three Rhinelander underclassmen who were recognized by the conference. Winter, a junior, was the other.
"We see Owen as a guy that's super versatile too," Kraemer said. "He's a player that's super versatile, a great kid, works his butt off in the weight room and he's well deserving. Conner, same thing. Conner, as he matures and becomes a great young man, he's turning into an amazing leader.
"Kaleb Winter, he deserves to be an all-conference player. He had a great season. He had to come in, in injury duty. He learned from Joe (Schneider). He learned from Caleb. He played there all-season long and, as an undersized-kid, durability was something we had questions about but, man, was he resilient all season long."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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