Quinn named Hodag soccer MVP

One of Rhinelander’s top offensive players, a first-team All-Great Northern Conference selection, took home MVP honors Monday as the Hodag boys’ soccer ream put a bow on its 2023 season. 

Senior Will Quinn took home the top honor, as voted by his teammates during the team’s banquet at the Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom.

First-year head coach John Weigel brought back the MVP award, along with several others, after the team skipped those awards a season ago. Four of the seven honors went to seniors on the squad. 

    Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer award winners pose for a photograph following their banquet at the Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom Monday, Nov. 6. Pictured, from left to right, are Alex Tucci, Karter Massey, Neil Weigel, Hart Hokens, Matthew King and Will Quinn. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

“I think it’s fun. The kids deserve all these awards,” coach Weigel explained during the banquet. “The boys themselves vote on these awards. They have to pick a player and write something about them … The wrote some very good things about each other. I was really pleased to see that.”

Quinn led the Hodags with seven assists on the season. His 17 total points were second-most on the team as he was primarily looked to as a facilitator on the offense from his central midfield position. 

“What they said about this player is, ‘he gives 100% on and off the field and at practice, he’s very unselfish and a great teammate,’” coach Weigel said. “Then I really liked this one, a lot of kids wrote they loved playing with him.”

The team’s offensive MVP award went to a player who was not always in the attack, but was effective when he was. Senior Matthew King led the Hodags in scoring this year with nine goals and 20 points overall. 

“There were a few kids nominated for this but his numbers kind of stood out in voting,” coach Weigel said. “They said he’s a versatile player, able to play all positions, never gives up on a play, plays to the last minute of every game and has great knowledge of the game.”

On the other side of the field, junior Hart Hokens earned defensive MVP honors. Hokens’ speed on the back line neutralized a number of chances for opposing offenses, so much so, coach Weigel said other teams were specifically trying tactics to limit his effectiveness.

“When we played Mosinee the second time, they were trying to sub out kids to wear Hart down,” he said, recalling a postgame conversation with Mosinee coach Joe Carlson. “They kept rotating guys in and playing through balls to try to run him out. They did that and about the third guy, he stopped, looked at the coach and started yelling, ‘I can’t beat that kid. He’s too fast.’”

Another key figure of the Hodags’ back line, senior Neil Weigel took home the team’s Hodag Award.

“This is a general award that encompasses a lot of things. We look at leadership, good sportsmanship. He pays attention, shows up to practice, does all those little things you look for as far as a teammate,” coach Weigel said. “Some of the things that were said (by his teammates) where, ‘he has a passion for the game, gives 100% effort, he’s determined and able to play with the best players in the conference.’”

Junior Karter Massey, another key piece in a Hodag defensed that allowed 1.1 goals per game this season, took home Most Improved honors. Quinn also earned the team’s Academic Excellence award as the senior with the highest cumulative grade point average. Junior Alex Tucci was named the team’s junior varsity MVP. 

The Hodags, coming off a run to the WIAA Division 3 state tournament with a senior-laden squad in 2022, went 9-5-3 this year, finished third in the Great Northern Conference and fell to Mosinee in the regional final round of the WIAA tournament. 

“I’m proud of you boys. It was exciting. It was fun,” coach Weigel said. “Every game, you made every team that played against us work for it. All those games were exciting. It was a blast to coach you guys.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].