RHS Sports recap: Friday, Aug. 18

Football: Rhinelander 22, Tomahawk 21

Landon Bates kicked a 19-yard field goal with three seconds remaining as Rhinelander rallied from a 21-0 first-half deficit to defeat Tomahawk 22-21 Friday night in the 2023 football season opener in Tomahawk. 

James Heck rushed fro 120 yards and three touchdowns, the last put Rhinelander within 21-19 with 6:34 remaining. Following a stop on fourth-and-2 near midfield, the Hodags marched 52 yards in 1 minute, 48 seconds to set up the winning kick. 

Rex Reilly rushed for 91 yards and a score and also threw for 166 yards and two scores — all to Brayden Larson as Tomahawk led 21-0 with 1:38 left in the first half. 

Heck scored from four yards out with 36 seconds left before the break and again from 21 yards to cap off the opening drive of the second half. 

Owen Kurtz added 78 yards on eight carries but left in the third quarter due to cramps and did not return. Truman Lamers was 6 of 12 passing for 82 yards with two interceptions. 

Rhinelander (1-0, 0-0 Great Northern) hosts Wausau East next Friday.

Girls’ tennis: Rhinelander 3-0 Hodag Quad

The Rhinelander High School girls’ tennis team picked up its first wins of the season on Friday, taking all three matches in a home quadrangular. Rhinelander swept Ashland and Merrill 7-0 and beat Ironwood, Mich., 6-1. 

Tori Riopel, Dawsyn Barkus, Shayla Coppenger and Maya Patrick went 3-0 in singles play for Rhinelander. Evelyn Sawyer and Brooke Sisel won all three matches at No. 2 doubles and Teagan Turcotte picked up three wins with two different partners at No. 3 doubles. 

Rhinelander (3-3, 0-0 Great Northern) travels to Wausau for an invite Monday and Tuesday. 

Full reports will be published in Tuesday’s River News.