RHS Sports recap: Friday, Oct. 18

Football: Merrill 30, Rhinelander 18

Rhinelander’s faint playoff hopes were officially dashed Friday night as Merrill scored in every quarter and inched away to a 30-18 victory in the regular season finale at Mike Webster Stadium. 

Callum Wheeler rushed for 138 yards and two touchdowns for the Bluejays — including the clincher with 7:46 remaining after the Hodags had pulled within 22-12. Jax Hanson added a touchdown for Merrill and the Bluejays scored with offensive lineman Carson Brooks on a hook-and-ladder play near the end of the first half. 

Truman Lamers accounted for all three touchdowns for Rhinelander, thanks to a pair of one-yard runs in the second and fourth quarters and a 15-yard pass to Sam Zwaard late in the contest. Lamers finished the night 12 of 20 through the air for 202 yards while Zwaard caught six passes for 151 yards. 

The loss guarantees that Rhinelander will miss the playoffs for the second time in three years as the Hodags finish the season at 3-6 overall and last in the Great Northern Conference with a 1-6 mark.

A full report will be published in Tuesday’s River News.