2024 year in review: Top 10 local games

Editor’s note: This is the first in a two-part series looking back on local sports in 2024. Look for our top 10 local sports stories in the Tuesday, Dec. 31 edition on the River News.

When looking back at 2024, it was a case of quality versus quality in Rhinelander sports.

Some teams that normally have success had down years in 2024, meaning there weren’t as many top games to choose from, but the ones we had were really good. 

That was my reflection as I boiled the list down to the top 10 for the year. As a refresher, when ranking games I take into consideration if there was a dramatic finish, how important the game was in the context of the team or player’s season and if there was any other notable backstory that made the game intriguing. 

With that here are my top 10 games of 2024.

1. Boys’ basketball: Rhinelander at Mosinee (Feb. 16) and Rhinelander vs. Medford (Feb. 22)

OK, we’re cheating a bit right off the bat, combining two games into one entry for our No. 1 spot. But, considering how the games finished, and their context in the RHS boys’ basketball team’s run to the Great Northern Conference title, it’s impossible not to have the two linked together. 

Sitting a game behind Mosinee in the GNC standings with two games to play, the Hodags were the underdogs when they went to Mosinee Feb. 16. Down seven with 4:46 remaining, the Hodags rallied and took the lead on a 3-pointer by senior Will Gretzinger — which happened to put him over 1,000 points for his career — in the final minute. The teams traded free throws from there, with Evan Shoeder knocking down a pair to put Rhinelander with 64-63 with 22.6 seconds left and the Hodags won it after Mosinee’s Keagen Jirschele missed two free throws with 6.5 seconds remaining.

That set up game against Medford at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium six days later where the winner would be assured at least a share of the conference title on the line. The Hodags never trailed in the game, but Medford tied it on three separate occasions in the second half. Gretzinger put the Hodags on his back down the stretch. After being held scoreless for nearly the first 28 minutes, he scored 17 of Rhinelander’s final 21 as the Hodags preserved a 50-45 win to earn a share of their first conference title since 2018.

“This is what we dreamed of ever since we were little,” Gretzinger said afterward. “We’ve always talked about cutting down the nets senior year. To finally do it, man, it’s unreal. Words can’t describe how good this feels.”

2. Girls’ basketball: Rhinelander vs. Medford (Dec. 3)

    In this Dec. 3, 2024 file photo, Rhinelander’s Aubryn Clark fights through Medford defenders on a basket attempt during overtime of a GNC girls’ basketball game at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium. Clark scored a school-record 43 points as the Hodags rallied to defeat the Raiders 63-58. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

A record-breaking night and a come-from-behind victory give the Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team the No. 2 spot in the list. 

Aubryn Clark scored a single-game school record 43 points as Rhinelander rallied from down 21 at one point in the first half to defeat the Raiders 63-58 in overtime on Dec. 3. Clark went off in the second half, scoring 29 of the Hodags’ final 31 points in regulation — including a stepback 3 with 6 seconds left that tied the game at 53 and forced bonus basketball.

She put the Hodags ahead for the first time all night on a layup off a steal with 1:51 remaining in the extra session and then knocked down her final four free throws of the night. The last, with 5.2 seconds left in regulation, gave her the single-game RHS scoring record — surpassing the mark of 42 points set by Ava Lamers in an overtime loss at Rice Lake in November 2022. 

“I thought she was fearless. She was outstanding. Made her free throws, hit the big 3 to put it in overtime,” coach Ryan Clark, Aubryn’s father said. “Aubryn’s always been clutch, though. She kind of lives for those moments. I think she always rises to those big occasions.”

3. Boys’ basketball: Rhinelander vs. Wittenberg-Birnamwood (Dec. 10)

    In this Dec. 10, 2024 file photo, Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball coach Derek Lemmens discusses a play with his team during timeout late in the second half of a non-conference game against Wittenberg-Birnamwood at the Jim Miazga Community Gymansium. Lemmens notched his 200th career varsity victory as the Hodags defeated the Chargers, 63-59. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Just one week later the Hodag boys had their own thrilling finish at home that included an important milestone. 

Seth Nofftz’s layup with 7 seconds remaining helped the Hodags come from behind and defeat Wittenberg-Birnamwood 63-59 at the Jim as RHS head coach Derek Lemmens picked up his 200th career win.

The Hodags trailed most of the way, but were up 3 off a pair of Jatyn Barkus free throws with 1:00 remaining. Wittenberg’s Jett Rogowski hit a 3 on the left wing to tie it with roughly 25 seconds left before Truman Lamers found an open Nofftz under the hoop for what proved to be the game-winning score. 

Lamers then drew an offensive foul against Rogowski and, following a technical on the Chargers, Devon Feck made two free throws with 2.0 seconds remaining to ice it. 

“It was a great night for basketball and, again, we’re just so fortunate to have had such wonderful kids,” Lemmens said afterward. “I’ve always had amazing coaches with me, so it’s just been a special place to be. And like I said, I hope there’s a lot more (wins) to go.” 

4. Adult baseball: Rhinelander at Minocqua (July 28)

    In this July 28, 2024 file photo, Rhinelander’s Josh Randolph pitches during a Dairyland League baseball game in Minocqua. Randolph allowed no earned runs on four hits with eight strikeouts in a complete-game effort as the River Monsters held off the Wood Ducks, 4-3. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

In what was likely a must-win game for the Rhinelander River Monsters to assure their spot in the Wisconsin Baseball Association playoffs, the Hodag fended off Minocqua 4-3 on the road in their regular season finale on July 28. 

The Monsters got a complete-game, eight-strikeout performance from Josh Randolph and held on to win despite the Wood Ducks putting the tying run on third and the winning run on second with nobody out in the ninth inning. 

Rhinelander rallied from down 3-1 early in the contest to take the lead on a Jacob Dreifuerst RBI single in the top of the eighth inning. 

The win allowed Rhinelander, with a piecemeal pitching staff, to finish 7-5 in the Dairyland League and make the postseason.

“We came up with seven wins. I literally don’t know how because it was pretty ugly,” Monsters assistant coach Andy VanDyke said after the win. “Again, that’s baseball. Good teams find a way, and this is a good team. We just need to continue carrying some of that momentum that we somehow picked up into the playoffs.”

5. Boys’ tennis: WIAA Division 1 state doubles tournament (May 30)

    Rhinelander’s Joey Belanger, left, and Dalton Fritz used a match tiebreaker to defeat Wauwatosa West’s Connor Reynolds and Travis Wagy in the first round of the WIAA Division 1 boys’ state doubles tennis tournament in Madison May 30, 2024. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Rhinelander seniors Joey Belanger and Dalton Fritz won only one match at the WIAA Division 1 state doubles tennis tournament, but it was a dramatic one. 

The Hodag tandem won a pair of tiebreakers and survived a marathon match against Wauwatosa West’s Connor Reynolds and Travis Wagy during opening round down in Madison. The Wauwatosa pair led much of the match. Belanger and Fritz fought to force a set tiebreaker in the opening set, which they took 8-6 then, after dropping the second set 6-3, rallied for a 10-7 win in the supertiebreaker to decide the match.

Belanger said the key to victory was keeping an even keel.

“They were pretty rowdy on their side, but we stayed calm and collected the whole way through the match,” he said. “We played our game. We didn’t go down to their level and we came out winners, and that’s all that mattered.”

The Hodag tandem lost in the round of 32 the next day to finial 21-6 overall on the season.

6. Track and Field: WIAA D2 state meet, girls’ discus (June 1)

    In this June 1, 2024 file photo, Rhinelander’s Libbey Buchmann competes in the D2 girls’ discus during the WIAA state track and field meet in La Crosse. Buchmann finished fourth in the competition with a throw of 123 feet, 8 inches. (Brett LaBore/Lakeland Times)
  

Libbey Buchmann’s return to the podium at the WIAA state track meet came with plenty of nerve-wracking moments. 

Buchmann barely survived the preliminary round and then put up a throw of 123 feet, 8 inches in rainy conditions to take fourth in the girls’ discus in the D2 state meet June 1 in La Crosse. 

Buchmann’s toss of 112-10 sat in 10th place, the last spot to transfer to the finals, as the preliminary round wrapped up. She had to wait out a toss from top-seeded Casidi Pehler that landed short of Buchmann’s mark to make the final 10, and put up a big throw in her second toss of the finals to improve upon a sixth-place finish at state in 2023.

“(I just had to) keep the champion’s mindset, don’t give up even if you have a bad throw or barely squeak by because one throw can change everything,” Buchmann said.

7. Boys’ hockey: Rhinelander at Northland Pines (Feb. 6)

Though the Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team had some struggles during the 2023-24 season, it played some of its best hockey toward the end of the year — which included another win in a building that haunted the Hodags until the last few seasons. 

Down 1-0 going into the third, the Hodags responded with three goals in the first eight minutes of the period and then staved off some late penalty trouble to defeat the Northland Pines Eagles 3-2 at the Eagle River Sports Arena in the consolation semifinals of the Great Northern Conference tournament on Feb. 6.

It was a far cry from what happened during the regular season meeting between the teams in Rhinelander when the Eagles scored four goals over the final 11 minutes to defeat the Hodags 7-2.

“It was nice to come up and beat a higher-seeded team in their own building, and a team that really poured it on us in the third period in our barn,” Hodag coach M.J. Laggis said. “It was a demoralizing loss to them in our barn, it really was. To come up there and do that, to take a one-goal deficit into the third and beat them was a thrill.”

The win was Rhinelander’s fifth at the Eagle River Sports Arena since the start of the 2020-21 season. Prior to that the Hodags had last won in Eagle River in 1991.

8. Legion baseball: Rhinelander vs. Fond du Lac Springs (June 14) and vs. Minocqua (July 5)

    In this June 14, 2024 file photo, the Rhinelander Post 7 Rebels celebrate after defeating Fond du Lac Springs 9-8 in an American Legion Baseball game at Stafford Field. (Weston Kibler for the River News)
  

The two walk-off wins for the Rhinelander Post 7 Rebels during the 2024 season make up another two-for-one entry on our list. The Rebels not once, but twice, used four-run rallies in the late innings to knock off an opponent at home.

The first came during the Rebel Invite June 14 as the Rebels trailed Fond du Lac Springs 8-4 in the sixth, but scored four runs in the frame and then walked it off on a Sam Schneider double in the seventh to stun the Ledgers, 9-8. Not only did Schneider drive in the game winner, he made an impressive defensive play in the top of the seventh, turning a sacrifice bunt attempt into a double play to help keep the score tied heading to the home half of the inning. 

Tyler Chariton was the hero July 5 as the Rebels scored four times in the bottom of the seventh to knock off the 89ers 6-5. After forcing starter Ben Peterson off the mound via the pitch count limit, the Rebels went to work against reliever Danny Gahler, eventually loading the bases with one out for Chariton. The senior-to-be lined a 2-1 offering past a drawn-in infield to give the Rebels the victory.

“That was absolutely awesome. I feel great for him. He’s been putting together good at bats all summer long. To come through in the clutch is absolutely great,” manager Dan Huhnstock said. “You’ve got to believe right until the last out is made. I asked them for three to make sure we could keep playing. They overachieved and got us four.”

9. Girls’ soccer: Rhinelander vs. Waupaca (April 9)

    In this April 9, 2024 file photo, Rhinelaner’s Vivian Lamers is congratulated by teammate Leah Jamison after scoring the go-ahead goal late in the second half of a non-conference girls’ soccer game against Waupaca at Mike Webster Stadium. The Hodags scored twice in the final six minutes of regulation to defeat the Comets, 2-0. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

The Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer team had a penchant for the dramatic early on during the 2024 season. In each of its first three games, the Hodags were tied in the second half before scoring twice and earning two-goal wins. 

The third of those contests was the most dramatic. Rhinelander and Waupaca were scoreless until the 75th minute before the Hodags finally found the back of the net and earned a 2-0 win. 

Vivian Lamers scored with less than six minutes to play and Sophie Miljevich scored in the final seconds as the Hodags started out the year 3-0.

10. Football: Rhinelander at Hayward (Aug. 30)

    In this Aug. 30, 2024 file photo, Rhinelander’s Dolan O’Malley returns an interception during the third quarter of a non-conference football game at Hayward. O’Malley scored on the play, putting the Hodags ahead 15-7. Rhinelander went on to win the game, 21-7. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

While not a last-second victory for the Rhinelander High School football team, perhaps its grittiest and most surprising win came on the road Aug. 30 at Hayward. 

Starting quarterback Truman Lamers left the contest with an eye injury on the final play of the first quarter, but the Hodag defense responded to help earn a 21-7 victory in Hayward. 

The Hodags intercepted Hurricanes quarterback Keagan Walsh four times in the second half — including a 50-yard pick-six by senior Dolan O’Malley early in the third quarter that proved to be the game-winning score. 

“I said, ‘this is going to be a season-defining win if you guys can pull this out, because there was every single reason not to,” coach Aaron Kraemer said afterward.

Honorable Mentions

Two noteworthy games that barely missed our list were the Hodag wrestling team’s 42-36 win over Antigo Jan. 11 and the match tiebreaker victory by No. 2 doubles players Evelyn Sawyer and Maya Patrick in WIAA subsectional play for the Hodag girls’ tennis team Oct. 7. 

The Rhinelander-Antigo match came down to the final dual, with the match tied 36-all. Senior Owen Kurtz pinned Antigo’s Jordan Pregler to secure the win —Rhinelander’s first in GNC play in nearly two years. 

In tennis, Sawyer and Patrick faced Medford’s Lily Holmes and Hayley Metz in a second-round subsectional match with a trip to sectionals on the line. The Hodag pair pulled away late to get a 6-4 win in the first set, but couldn’t recover from falling behind a break point early in the second as they lost 3-6 to force another match tiebreaker. Sawyer took over the tiebreakers as the Hodags finished on a 6-1 run to win 10-6 and advance. Their final six points were either Sawyer winners or errors forced by Sawyer shots that were difficult to return. 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].