Notebook: Wyss feels energy on Hodag volleyball first day

Jayme Wyss’s first in-season day as head coach of the RHS volleyball team on Monday was a bit of a whirlwind between the typical first day paperwork, roughly two hours of practice, the first day of varsity tryouts and a parents’ meeting after practice.

Yet the former Three Lakes head coach came away energized from Day 1 as the team tries to take a step forward following several subpar seasons. 

“I’m excited. This is what I feel from the team, there are a lot of girls that are just ready,” she said. “God works things in certain timings and we’re still learning it. His timing is much bigger than ours. You can walk into a program that’s not ready and try to push it along but I feel like, walking in here, I’m walking into a group of girls that are ready to take it to the next level.”

While Wyss felt things moved slowly last month during the team’s summer camp, she said things moved at a much more accelerated pace on Monday and the coaching staff was able to cover much more ground, a sign that the players are ready to hit the ground running.

“We covered as much in 2 hours or less than we did in the three hours (at camp). I feel like there’s just a lot of really good, solid playing,” she said. “I feel there was a huge advantage of all the girls that came through camp. We did these drills and one of the assistant coaches was like, ‘Wow, you’re really moving through this.’ Because so many of these (kids), like 90% were at camp.”

There is still plenty the team has to accomplish in its first week, which will culminate in an eight-team scrimmage tomorrow at Northland Pines. Much of the early part of the week was devoted to skills and tryouts to sort out which girls will play at which level. Once teams are decided, Wyss said each squad will work more on strategy, team dynamics and rotations. 

Even then, Wyss said it will be a point of emphasis to have times where everyone in the program — from JV3 all the way up to varsity —practices together. 

“We’re just creating more cohesion in the program, top to bottom, understanding that we’re all one,” she said. “I’m just looking at how can I hit the ground running and pour into these girls in a way that they can build the confidence, they can build the skills, build the excitement and we build great things.”

The Hodags have a short turnaround they will host a season-opening invite at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium this coming Tuesday and then head to Wisconsin Dells over the Labor Day weekend for a two-day tournament.   

Bates gets reacquainted with boys’ soccer team

    Nathan Bates directs players during Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer practice in the Hodag Dome Monday, Aug. 19. Bates is back as head coach of the team following a one-year break. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

The roster for the Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer team looks much different than it did the last time Nathan Bates was on the sidelines. 

The majority of the Hodags’ roster is comprised of freshmen and sophomores who weren’t around when Bates guided the team to the WIAA state tournament in 2022. Meanwhile, there are only four seniors on the roster this fall. 

Back following a one-year break, Bates said a lot of the first week of practice has been about familiarizing himself with the roster and sorting out who can do what as the season opener approaches. 

“I know some of them on the team, got some background with them. A lot of them, I don’t know a whole lot about them,” he said. “It’s going to be a lot of trial and error right now, putting the puzzle pieces together and seeing who fits where so we can build, the best that we can, on the formation we have to work with.

“We’ve got a really young roster this year but, at the end of the day, it’s a good thing. It shows growth for the future here. We should have a lot of young kids and build something over the next couple of years with the program.”

While the Hodags aren’t doing two-a-days as in some years past, the team has tried to cover a lot of ground in the four 2 1/2-hour sessions that have taken place so far, and will have two more today and tomorrow to round out the opening week. The Hodags will open regular season play at home against New London this Tuesday, which Bates said, will be a bit of a trial by fire for his side. 

“There’s going to be a lot of changes between here and the first conference game, like always,” he said. “The first game will be a lot of trial and error, seeing where everyone fits and changing things on the fly. We’ll try to figure out what fits best and move forward from that.”

The Hodags will have to balance development while having an awkward number of players on the roster — 22. That’s not quite enough to field full, separate varsity and JV rosters, but not quite enough to have all 22 play varsity and forgo any JV development. 

Bates noted that a number of teams in the Great Northern Conference are in a similar, or slightly worse, boat than the Hodags on the numbers front. That will likely lead to more reduced-player games on the JV side this year. 

“We’re definitely going to do some small-sided stuff and then, if we can work it out where we can do 11-v-11, we will,” he noted.

Solid numbers for Hodag harriers

    A group of runners, led in the front row by Sophie Miljevich and Brynn Teter, run through Hodag Park during Rhinelander High School cross country practice Tuesday, Aug. 20. (Jeremy Mayo/River News)
  

After a few years where the girls heavily outnumbered boys, the Rhinelander High School cross country team hit equilibrium at the start of the season, with almost an identical numbers to start this season. With 11 to 12 on each side, coach M.J. Laggis said numbers are getting close to where he wants them to really build a self-sustaining program.

“If we can keep everyone and maybe even add one or two that have been in the woodwork, we always shoot for 30, but we’re never quite there,” he said. “You know what would be really nice, to be able to throw a full varsity and full JV out there when we have those opportunities and be able to field a JV side. That makes you feel like you’re working toward the bottom coming up. We’ve got to keep everyone healthy and everyone improving.”

The first day began with a casual four-mile jaunt. There was less mileage, but more intensity on Tuesday as the team gears up for its season opener at home next Thursday.

Laggis said a number of the athletes on the team are already in good form, having either run on their own or with teammates over the course of the summer. 

“We had four group runs per week and that was good. I would say it was definitely better than it was last summer, definitely better than it was the summer before, but I will tell you this, you’re never satisfied. You always want more kids running. It was a nice uptick and it was a good plan for the four days a week. 

“I think on the boys’ side especially, we have two or three boys that really logged some miles. They look really strong. It will be keeping them healthy and no worse for the wear throughout the season.” 

This week’s practices end today with the team’s annual triathlon that will include a dip in Boom Lake followed by a bike ride and run and end with a team cookout afterward. 

Otherwise, Laggis said the plan leading into next Thursday’s opener will be a matter of getting base miles on runners who need them while preparing everyone to compete in what Laggis views as a good, early-season litmus test for his squad.

“We’ll know more where we’re at after that first meet,” he said. “That’s for sure. We’ll really get a good taste. Our home meet is always a good competition day. You always walk away having a good idea of where you’re at on both sides.” 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].