Pigskin Preview Week 7: Medford at Rhinelander

Regardless of what happens tonight, the Rhinelander High School football team will enter the final two weeks of the regular season with a legitimate chance to go to the WIAA playoffs after missing the tournament a year ago. 

However, considering how the last couple of weeks have gone, the Hodags want to try to enter the month of October with some momentum. That will not be an easy task tonight as GNC co-leading Medford comes to Mike Webster Stadium. 

The Hodags faced the other conference co-leader, Mosinee, last week, and things did not go well. A combination of offensive struggles and explosive plays led to a 42-0 loss on the road. 

Coach Aaron Kraemer this week likened the Hodags’ plight to, of all things, the evolution of the golf ball. The premise being what was once a perfectly smooth sphere picked up cuts, scrapes and imperfections the more it was hit. Lo and behold, golfers discovered that those imperfections could lend to better flight — which led to the aerodynamic dimple patterns that appear on the modern golf ball.

Like the old feathery — the ball of choice back in the early 19th century — Kraemer said the Hodags have suffered their fair share of hits, cuts and scrapes over the last couple of weeks. Though the Hodags will likely no longer be titlists of the GNC, Kraemer said he is optimistic they can still reach their pinnacle of a playoff berth.

“Right now, we’re being dragged up the rough side of the mountain and the imperfections that are being caused by this rough time for us, they’re going to be the lessons that drive us to go further on in this season,” he said. “Their attitude has been unbelievable. Even through this tough time, they still believe that they can come and win this Friday. They still believe that we’re going to make the playoffs. They believe that we’re going to have those opportunities to show people what we were before, what we’ve learned and how great we can be.”

All of that will be put to a test against a Medford team that has won five straight games and has scored 50-plus points three times during its winning streak. Unlike Mosinee, which features speed and flashiness, Medford’s way is more old-school, smashmouth football. The Raiders feature the top rushing offense in the league and an aggressive defense.  

“Medford’s a playoff team and a perennial conference favorite,” Kraemer said. “They’re a team we could see in the playoffs, provided we make it there and we do the business we need to. They also rival some of the best teams in Division 3, what they want to do to you. They want to manipulate you by getting bodies to the party and they want to run the football hard.”

Here are five storylines going into the week. 

Injury report

The biggest question mark going into tonight will be the status of senior tailback/defensive lineman Owen Kurtz, who has been out since sustaining an ankle injury on the final play of the first half two weeks ago against Antigo. 

Kraemer still held out hope earlier this week that Kurtz could return to the lineup tonight, even if in a limited capacity, and said he expects Kurtz’s status to be a game-time decision.

“If Owen plays tonight, it’s going to be a limited way, and likely going to be on the defensive side of the football,” Kraemer said. “Obviously, we want him to be back and healthy for the last couple of games and the playoff run but if he’s healthy and ready to go at 90% today, then we’re going to try to get him to play.”

Otherwise, Kraemer said the Hodags expect to have those who have been on the injury report in the lineup this week. That includes center Kaeden Piller, who missed last week’s game due to illness, as well as running back/safety Payton Campbell (ankle) and linebacker/wingback Sam Schoppe, who exited last week’s game early under concussion protocol.

Numbers game

The Hodags will need as many healthy hands on deck as possible tonight to try to contain Medford’s strong power running game. 

The Raiders have the leading rusher in the GNC in Paxton Rothmeier, who has 785 yards and 14 touchdowns already on the season, despite platooning at the tailback position with Carson Carbaugh, who’s third overall in the GNC in rushing (379 yards-3 TDs).

Throw in Evan Wilkins (365-6) and Charlie Gierl (303-1) and the Raiders have four of the top seven rushers in the conference. 

Per usual, Medford’s attack under coach Ted Wilson comes from a variety of formations — from spread to Power T to single wing — and personnel groupings. Kraemer said the Raiders still run the same bread-and-butter plays regardless of the formation, and this week will be about staying fundamentally sound on defense. 

“They’re trying to manipulate your eyes, trying to get you to a certain position and they’re trying to exploit you in a gap,” he said. “They’re trying to bring as many guys through either the B gap, the C gap or the D gap. It’s really smart coaching and its efficient coaching because all you need to do is teach kids where they need to lineup and they know what the goal of the play is. 

“Those guys are explosive runners in the open field. When they’re able to run vertically and attack up on the second level very quickly, it’s difficult to stop. But as soon as you get teams to work horizontally, that’s when things can work out for you.”

Hit the mats

Part of the key this week will come down to pad level and playing low, especially in the trenches. Kraemer said there is plenty that can translate from what the Hodags are trying to do this week in the trenches and what can be successful on the wrestling mat. 

To that end, the team traded shoulder pads for singlets at practice on Monday and learned some basic wrestling technique from Hodag wrestling coach Scottie Arneson.

“I say, ‘Hey, can you put our guys on the wrestling mat? Can you teach us double-leg takedowns? Can you teach us to shoot? Can we make sure that we utilize those skills to tackle low this week and to do what we need to do to keep our eyes up, to get our knees down low — instead of bending at the waist, bringing our hips through and our knees through so we can be successful on those low challenges,” Kraemer said.

Back on track

On the other side of the football, Rhinelander is trying to get back on track after averaging less than 70 yards of offense and scoring no points in each of the last two games. In fact, the Hodags have gone nine straight quarters without scoring a point, dating back to the fourth quarter of the team’s 13-7 win over Hayward Sept. 8.

Kraemer said having Piller back at center will help re-establish some of the timing that was missed in his absence last week.

“We have to establish a run game that’s based on timing,” Kraemer said. “We have to get that done this week and we haven’t been able to do that the past two weeks. I think we have a good play on where we want to attack and who we want to attack but it’s just about getting that run game going early.”

Expect the heat

That will be easier said than done against an aggressive Medford defense that utilizes five defensive linemen and two linebackers. However, Kraemer said it might as well be a 5-4 look, considering how active Medford’s safeties are at the line of scrimmage.  

“I see those safeties being very, very, very aggressive, well-coached. Their inside linebackers as well coaches as well and they flow to the football very, very well,” he said. “When you’re bringing safeties, that’s a nine-man box so we have to do a few different things to combat that. The first thing we have to be able to do is we have to be able to establish a run game based on our base plays. When you base the run game off of your base plays, then you have the plays off of that, that work as counters and protectors to that base play.”

If the Raiders bring extra rushers, that could open up some opportunities in the passing game. Medford has given up roughly 127 yards per game through the air.  

Kraemer said it will be imperative to protect quarterback Truman Lamers, who has been under duress the last two weeks. He’s been sacked 10 times in the last two games and his numbers had struggled, going a combined 8 of 21 for 72 yards with three interceptions. He has also lost a pair of fumbles.  

“The most important thing for me is to protect No. 12. If we’re going to be doing those things, we ned to make sure that solidify protection this week, that we block to the whistle this week, that we give him the opportunity and time to throw the football and beat this team deep,” he said.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].