Pigskin Preview Week 1: Ashland at Rhinelander

It’s a bit of a new-look Great Northern Conference in 2024, with Tomahawk and Wausau East joining the league as football members. As the Rhinelander Hodags prepare to go after their fifth postseason appearance in six years, they will gear up for GNC play by taking on two former members of the conference.

The Hodags welcome the Ashland Oredockers to Mike Webster Stadium tonight for the season opener. Rhinelander will follow that up with a trip to Hayward next Friday night. Though both of Rhinelander’s non-conference opponents moved into the Heart O’ North Conference this season, Hodag coach Aaron Kraemer said he’s hopeful that two teams that are familiar with the GNC will help his team prepare for the conference opener Sept. 6 at Lakeland.

“Two different style teams that we’re going to be able to see, kind of a ground-and-pound type team, flexbone team (with Ashland) and then a spread team (with Hayward). We’ll be able to come into the season feeling like we’ve seen different types of offenses, defensively, and they play defense different too,” he said. “Hopefully when it comes around to Sept. 6 and we’re on the field at Lakeland we can get the job done and start the season positively.”

Rhinelander will look to take a step forward following a so-so performance in last Friday’s scrimmage at Crandon. Though the offense moved the ball, especially in the passing game, the defense struggled against the run, allowing nearly nine yards per carry.  

While the Hodags were down a few projected starters in the scrimmage due to injury, Kraemer said the issues boiled down to assignment breakdowns in the run game, and a number of missed tackles. 

“We fell asleep on a couple of deep passes and, in the run game, it was just about trusting our reads and being able to play physically to the ball and get the guy down with the first hit,” he said.

Rhinelander will need to get those issues fixed against a run-heavy Ashland offense. The Oredockers, who won the GNC a few shorts seasons ago, are hoping a change of conference will help them this year after winning just one game last season — a 7-6 decision over winless Merrill.

Tonight is just one of four home games for the Hodags during the regular season, an opportunity Kraemer said the team is looking forward to.

“We’re looking forward to seeing what we can do on a Friday night, under the lights. It’s Service Night for us, too. We’re really thankful for everybody that serves our community. We just can’t wait to get out there,” he said.

Here are five storylines going into tonight’s game.

Ashland offense

The Oredockers utilize a power running game out of a flexbone style of offense. Ashland ran the ball just under 87% of the time last year, averaging a respectable 4.8 yards per carry and 177.6 yards per game.

Ashland returns four of its top five rushers from a season ago, including senior fullback Owen Leask, who led the team with 418 yards and four touchdowns. Senior wingback Andy Brandis (348 yards 1 TD) also returns, as does last year’s starting quarterback Haydin LePlavy.

“The offensive backfield should be well rehearsed, a good unit that’s worked together before,” Kraemer said. “I think it’s about us winning up front. We have to be able to win up front, play out gaps, stay square, hustle to the football, make reads for our inside linebackers to be able to scrape over the top for their veer plays and make sure we’re calling out pulls because they’re going to run some trap plays up the middle.” 

While Ashland doesn’t throw often, the Hodags cannot completely fall asleep on the passing game. LePlavy hit tight end Chris Craig for a 66-yard score during last year’s meeting — one of just two touchdowns passes LePlavy threw all season. 

Ashland defense

Though the Oredockers allowed just over 30 points and 316 yards per game last year, most of their individual talent in the eyes of the GNC coaches was on that side of the ball. All five of the Oredockers all-conference selections came on defense including two players who return this season — Gunnar Crowe on the line and Leask at linebacker. 

The Oredockers play a five-man front and tend to roll a safety down into the box on running situations. While still wanting to be a run-first team, don’t be surprised if Rhinelander tries to air it out a bit tonight. Senior quarterback Truman Lamers went 8-for-8 passing in last Friday’s scrimmage and had his best game of the 2023 season against the Oredockers, going 7 of 13 for 176 yards with three touchdowns and an interception.

“Offensively, for us, it’s about figuring out how we can attack them and where they’re going to unbalanced,” Kreamer said. “While we do need to be successful running the ball to set us up in second-and-short, second-and-medium to give ourselves a chance, it’s also about having that good balance and keeping the defense on the back foot. That’s something I can do in my play calling.”

A number of returning players had highlights for Rhinelander in last year’s 32-7 win over the Oredockers. Senior tight end Bo Stott and receiver Zach Germain each had a touchdown reception while Logan Schwinger ran four a fourth-quarter touchdown.

Injury report

The Hodags have not seen much of Germain during the preseason as the team has tried to limit his workload due to a hamstring injury sustained in the offseason. Kraemer said that has been more of a precaution than anything and that Germain is expected to play in at least some capacity tonight.

“We know that he understands what he’s doing and we also know that he’s dynamic with the ball in his hands, offensively,” he said. “He’s also a physical tackler, too, which we can use defensively. We’re trying to make sure he’s prepared to play games.”

Rhinelander also expects to have junior Myles Eagleson back in the fold tonight after missing last week’s scrimmage due to concussion protocol. Eagleson’s return will add depth for the Hodags at both running back and middle linebacker.

Just for kicks

One piece the Hodags likely will not have back this week is senior Tyler Chariton, who injured his ankle last week at practice. That loss is a triple whammy for the Hodags. Not only in Chariton in the team’s backfield and linebacker mix, he served as the team’s punter last year and was battling to take over the kicking duties this fall prior to the injury. 

Early indications are that Eagleson will handle much of the kicking and punting tonight. He was 1 for 3 in extra point attempts during the team’s Green and White practice Aug. 10. But Kraemer noted that the team has a few options on the table and the special teams picture would likely become clearer during the week of practice.

“We feel like we have some good options of guys that can do things. We’ve also put in our goal line package and are ready to go for 2,” he said. “The punting game, that’s up to our offense. We don’t have to punt. If we play as well as we did against Wittenberg in the scrimmage and, at times, against Crandon, then we won’t have to worry about it but, if it comes to that, we have some guys that have been training and getting themselves ready.” 

Salute to service

    In this Sept. 1, 2023 file photo, Owen Kurtz carries the American flag on to the field for the Rhinelander Hodags prior to a football game at Ashland. Tonight is the Hodags’ Service Appreciation Night. First responders, active military personnel and veterans are invited to join the team for their pregame meal and other activities to honor their service throughout the evening. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

In addition to being the season opener, tonight will also be the team’s Service Appreciation Night. According to a flyer posted on the team’s Facebook page, first responders, military personnel and veterans are invited to join the team for its pregame meal at 4 p.m. at the Hodag Dome and escort the team to the field at 6:20 prior to pregame warmups. The Northwoods Honor Guard is scheduled to present the colors during pregame festivities and first responders are invited to take part in a tug-of-war contest against the Hodag JV2 team at halftime. 

It marks the second straight year that the team has held a Service Appreciation Night, a gesture Kraemer said is important for the program.

“It’s special because we work very, very hard as a football program to put the best product out there for our families but, sometimes, we don’t stop to think about the sacrifices that are made for us to allow us to play,” he said. “As a program that preaches service, that’s just one way we can give back to them and show our thanks — whether that’s a meal or by showing out and doing what we do on Fridays. I think that’s a big thing for our kids to rally behind this week.”

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].