September 27, 2021 at 8:50 a.m.
An absolute Bell-ast!
Hodags rock Robins in historic fashion, improve to 6-0 on season
An absolute Bell-ast!
Cayden Neri scored three touchdowns, Rhinelander's defense had two scores of its own and the Hodags routed the Antigo Red Robins 42-0 at Mike Webster Stadium.
The Hodags have claimed the Bell for three straight years for the first time since 1998-2000. They did so by scoring more points than they ever have in a Bell Game, and by posting their largest margin of victory in the series.
"That's awesome. That's incredible," said senior quarterback Jacksen Smith, who threw for two touchdowns in the contest. "To be honest with you, I knew coming into it that was probably going to be the case. With this group of guys, with as conditioned as they are, we can do anything. Awesome win."
Friday night's game marked the 100th all-time meeting between Rhinelander and Antigo and the 87th time they played for the Bell, a tradition started back in 1935 when local sportswriters started the trophy-trade series and claimed the Bell that was once part of a boat owned by Shepard, the creator of the legendary hodag myth.
Rhinelander improved to 30-55-2 in the series since the Bell's inception, setting a number of records along the way. The 42 points were the most ever for the Hodags in a Bell Game, surpassing the mark of 34 set in 1999. The 42-point margin of victory was also Rhinelander's best, bettering a 31-0 shutout of the Robins in 1989. Overall, it was the 10th time Rhinelander has shut out Antigo in the series, and the first since 2002.
"It's one of the oldest game in the Northwoods, so it feels really good to win it again and to keep the Bell in our school," Hodag coach Aaron Kraemer said. "It's a lot of school pride on the line, a lot of town pride on the line. We have a lot of pride in this town and that Bell is ours. It's Eugene Shepard's bell. It says 'Hodag' all over it. It should be here in Rhinelander."
Antigo's bruising defense kept Rhinelander's offense in check until three big plays in the second half. The Hodag defense did the Robins one better, generating four turnovers - including two that were returned for scores.
The first served as a jolt of lightning for the Hodags, who failed to convert inside the 20 after a muffed punt gave them great field position midway through the first quarter. Linebacker Joe Fugle stripped Antigo quarterback Zach Zupon on an option play, and the loose ball fell right into Arik Beske's arms as he sprinted the other way 33 yards for the game's first score.
"I didn't even see Arik get the fumble," Kraemer said. "I heard everybody going nuts and then I freaked out after I saw him running into the end zone."
Following an Antigo three-and-out, the Hodags put together their best drive of the night, going 67 yards on 11 plays, capped off by a nine-yard run by Neri to go up 14-0 midway through the second.
Antigo responded with its best drive, which ended in disaster for the Robins.
A 33-yard run by Ben Beattie put Antigo in Rhinelander territory and the Robins got all the way to the 19 where they faced fourth-and-4. Antigo dialed up a playaction pass from Zupon that slipped through Conner Kolz's hands and right into Cole Worrall's. He raced 88 yards the other way on an interception return to give Rhinelander a 21-0 lead with 1:36 left in the half.
"I'm thinking of track season," said Worrall, a state qualifier in the hurdles. "I'm thinking 110 hurdles and I'm going all the way home as fast as I can. Nobody's going to catch me."
The Hodags were not able to score on their first drive of the second half, but Chad Hunt sacked and stripped Zupon on Antigo's next possession and Finn Tulowitzky recovered the fumble at the Antigo 19. Rhinelander went backward on a run and a penalty before Smith hooked up with Neri on a screen pass for a 26-yard score. Antigo failed to pick up a fourth down in its own territory on the next drive, and the Hodags went back to the screen, with Neri taking it to the house from 46 yards this time to put Rhinelander ahead 35-0 with a minute to play in the third.
Caleb Olcikas added a 53-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter before the Hodags turned the game over to the reserves and prepared to celebrate with their classmates on homecoming night.
"That was our game plan, to come in and enjoy it. You hear them dinging the Bell behind us. It means a ton to them and, therefore, it means a ton to me," Kraemer said.
Rhinelander improved to 6-0 with the win and, by improving to 4-0 in Great Northern Conference play, clinched a berth in the WIAA playoffs for the third consecutive year and only the fourth time in school history.
Antigo dropped to 1-4 overall and 1-3 in the GNC. That record includes both a forfeit win and a forfeit loss as the Robins have had three games canceled this year due to COVID protocols. Friday was Antigo's first contest since a 15-12 loss to Merrill Sept. 3.
Tenacious defense
Rhinelander stopped Antigo's Wing-T ground attack dead in its tracks, holding the Robins to only 87 yards on the night. Beattie had 50 yards on 10 carries while Kolz was held to 28 yards on 11 rushes.
After forcing five turnovers in a win at Medford, the Hodags had four more takeaways Friday night, bringing them to 20 on the season.
"That was as decisive of a victory, defensively, that I've seen all year long and just an unbelievable game," Kraemer said. "Coach (Gary Zarda) had a great plan. We took the ball away twice for scores. We took the ball away multiple times and didn't score with it but, I tell you what, coach has got them playing the best football of their life right now and we have to take this momentum and take it into next week."
"It's absolutely stunning how good we're doing this year," added Worrall, who recorded his second interception in as many weeks. "It's obviously showing that our hard work is paying off in practice and everything that we're doing is working."
Hard yards
Antigo's big, physical front held Rhinelander's offense in check most of the night. The Hodags had a season-low 255 yards of offense, and Neri was held under 100 yards rushing for the first time this season - finishing with 71 yards on 18 carries.
"I knew they were going to come in here and be physical," Kraemer said. "They're a physical team and you saw them on the field here, they're a big team. They have some large athletes and they brought it tonight."
Olcikas finished with 113 yards on 11 carries while Smith was 3 of 6 passing for 84 yards - all to Neri - and two scores.
"We just had to keep pounding, keep sticking to our basics," Smith said. "With some adversity, you've just got to keep going through it. I think we just had to keep doing that."
Rhinelander was held to 2 of 8 on third down and 1 of 4 on fourth down in the contest, twice failing to score touchdowns with the ball inside Antigo's 25. The Hodags were also penalized nine times for 62 yards.
"We just didn't finish drives offensively, which is uncharacteristic of us," Kraemer said. "We had some big plays and we just didn't finish it down by the goal line. We've got to finish drives and, honestly, that's indicative of the way we practiced this week. I thought it wasn't crisp enough. It wasn't good enough. Maybe my game plan wasn't what it needed to be, but we need to shore it up for next week."
Twenty and counting
Kraemer picked up his 20th win Friday in just his 25th game as Rhinelander's head coach. Having joined the staff in 2014 as an offensive assistant, Kraemer said he can appreciate the transformation that has taken place around the program.
"For our program, we've been thought a lot of dark times. I've been included in those dark times," he said. "What makes me very, very happy is our coaching staff that we have in this program is mainly the same group we've had the last couple of years. We've shuffled positions around but we all believe. We believe in each other. We believe in the system. We believe in what we're doing. The biggest change is character-based and I think the kids have rallied around that. I'm not anybody special. These kids have bought into what we're telling them. It's a constant belief and trust in our coaching staff."
Neri honored
Earlier in the week, Neri was one of 28 players statewide named as a semifinalist for WisSports.net's Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch Award, presented to the state's top senior running back.
Neri had rushed for 1,006 yards and averaged 8.7 yards per carry going into Friday night's game.
Fugle and Hunt, who were on the watch lists for the Joe Thomas (best offensive lineman) and John Anderson (best linebacker) awards did not make the semifinal lists.
Mosinee ahead
Attention now turns to Mosinee in what will likely be a battle for the Great Northern Conference title as the Hodags face the Indians this Friday night. Mosinee moved to 5-1 overall, and 4-0 in the GNC with a 27-12 win at Lakeland on Friday.
Rhinelander twice defeated Mosinee last year, including a 27-26 win in the final week of the season when the Hodags stopped the Indians on a two-point conversion attempt with less than two minutes remaining in regulation.
"We have to be as hungry as we possible can," Kraemer said. "We have to get ourselves acclimated to grass. We have to understand their speed. They're a fast time and we have to bring our physicality there, take the football away, keep them off the field, take the air out of the ball, play our game and that's what we'll have to do next week."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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