November 14, 2022 at 8:00 a.m.
Team preview: RHS girls' basketball
Lady Hodags hope to remain competitive in Great Northern
Team preview: RHS girls' basketball
Clark, entering his 10th season at the helm of the program, has seen his Hodags finish in the top four of the GNC every year and the Hodags have won at least 10 games each of the last six years.
It will be more of a challenge for the Hodags to duplicate that success this year. The team returns only one starter and a couple of other role players from a team that went 16-10 overall and 8-4 in the GNC behind sectional semifinalists Mosinee and Lakeland.
"We have one senior so we're going to have a lot of growth throughout the year, but I don't want to lose," Clark said. "We've got to find a way to win."
Rhinelander will begin figuring out how all the new pieces fit together Thursday as it opens the season on the road at Crandon.
Clark already has said the team will employ a different style on offense than last year's team, which was third in the GNC in offense, averaging 56.4 points per game. That's because Rhinelander graduated a number of key players, including leading scorer Audrey Schiek, along with fellow starters Annika Johnson, Megan Brown and Brynn Brzycki, along with reserve Mabel Spencer.
The team will go with a dribble-drive style of offense this year. Clark said the offense may expose some weaknesses, such as ball-handling, but will be a better fit for the program moving forward.
Within the offense, Clark said there will likely be wrinkles for the two returning players from last year's rotation.
Ava Lamers, the lone senior on the squad, was the team's co-leader in scoring last year at 12.0 points per game. Junior Lily Treder averaged 4.7 points per game off the bench, and shot 24% from 3-point range.
"Ava's a good post-up player, so we're going to put some specials in for her," Clark said. "Lily can really shoot it, so we're going to have some stagger and double screens for her through the dribble drive, but it will be more of a dribble-drive hybrid for sure."
The rest of the rotation is still a work in progress as nobody else returning averaged more than six minutes per game. Juniors Eva Hetland, Leah Jamison and Morgan Van Zile and sophomores Dawsyn Barkus, Cadence Lund and Kelsey Winter all saw limited time. Winter had the most experience of that bunch, working to the fringes of the rotation by season's end.
Additionally, the Hodags have two more sophomores who were not part of the squad last year - Kelsi Beran and Sophie Miljevich - who could make an impact. Beran's 5-foot-11 frame could provide the Hodags a post presence they lost with Brzycki's graduation. Miljevich made an abrupt switch from gymnastics to basketball after the start of practice last week, but Clark said she seems right at home, especially on the defensive end of the floor.
"Kelsi, inside, gives us a nice, different dimension with her size and athleticism," Clark said. "For her to get on the glass and get some rebounds will be really big for us. Sophie, I think she had a chance to play that Megan Brown role. She reminds me of Megan when Megan came out for the first time - a really good athlete, not really a basketball player yet. But if we can get her on the 1-3-1 and use her athleticism, she could really help our team as well."
Rhinelander will run a 1-3-1 zone for the second straight year. The Hodags switched to that defense at the start of last season and led the GNC in steals (265).
The Hodags saw their first live action on Friday as they scrimmaged against Edgar and Marshfield Columbus in Edgar. No official scores were kept, but Clark said he figured that his team had the better of Edgar in the opening session, while it struggled with Marshfield Columbus' height in the second session.
Height, or the lack thereof, will be an issue for the Hodags this season. Aside from Beran, nobody on the squad is listed as taller than 5-8.
"Defensive rebounding is a big concern and then just size," Clark said. "We're pretty overpowered a lot. We've got to find what works to give us the best chance to compete and win. I think we can clean up our 1-3-1, get certain kids in the right spots and really dial them up. We're going to have to run a 1-3-1 to create turnovers."
Though the Hodags have a young team this year, it still has a tough non-conference slate. Games against Crandon, Rice Lake, D.C. Everest and Holmen all take place before the Hodags' GNC and home opener Nov. 29 against Tomahawk. Rhinelander's schedule including five of the seven schools from the Wisconsin Valley Conference, along with both D5 state finalists from the 2020-21 season - Wisconsin Rapids Assumption and Three Lakes.
"We'll be tested right away, and I think that's good for us. I don't have a problem if we struggle early on," Clark said. "I think we're pretty realistic in what we have and what our concerns are and what we need to do to take care of some things that we lack.
Lakeland, which returns sisters and Division I prospects Julianna and Kristina Ouimette, figures to be the overwhelming favorite to win the GNC title. Teams like Mosinee and Medford lost a number of seniors from last year's squad and, behind Lakeland, the conference could be a wide open race.
"Conference-wise, other than Lakeland, I think it will be very competitive and the non-conference will be really tough again, but I think we can surprise a few people," Clark said.
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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