Hodag wrestlers fall to Merrill in GNC dual

The Rhinelander High School boys’ wrestling team won the first match of the night against Merrill, but not much else went the Hodags’ way in a 69-12 loss to the Bluejays in Great Northern Conference dual meet play Thursday, Dec. 11 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.

Merrill (2-0 GNC) won eight of the nine contested bouts and was the benefactor of four forfeit wins in the dual. Rhinelander coach Scottie Arneson said it all boiled down to the fact that Merrill is the more experienced team.

“The experience definitely shows. Our work ethic is there, now it’s just getting mat time, and I think our most experienced wrestler still doesn’t have as much as their least experienced — especially on the varsity,” he said. “Wrestling is definitely one of the sports where it doesn’t matter how strong you are. If you know how to wrestle … technique wins in wrestling. And right now, they showed that they had better technique than we do.”

Junior Avrom Barr picked up the Hodags’ lone contested victory, stopping Merrill’s Noah Clifford 3 minutes, 14 seconds into the 144-pound bout. Barr got the opening takedown and led 3-2 after a period. After getting a quick reversal to start the second period, Barr never let Clifford off the bottom.

“Avrom, he’s been working on getting off the bottom. (We) put him down right away (to start the second period and he) got off the bottom,” Arneson said. “Getting off the bottom, it’s just continuing to move and like I say to the guys, ‘If you’re moving, you’re wrestling, and if you’re not moving, you’re not wrestling.’ So he does a really good job with that and he snuck out a win tonight. So that’s awesome.”

It was all Merrill after the opening bout. Remington Skic played a game of catch and release with Anthony Boldt at 150, getting seven takedowns to end that match by technical fall with three seconds remaining in the opening period. Ryan Coates had a second-period pin of Gage Anderson at 157. Ditto for Will Miemietz over Jeffree Dupree at 165. Forfeit wins for Hunter Opper, Preston Schuelke and Noah Klug at 175, 190 and 215, respectively, followed by first-period pin by Josh Gustum over Shayden Hylleberg at heavyweight made it 41-6 in favor of the Bluejays. 

Merrill also ran the final five matches of the dual. Koi Olson received a forfeit at 113, Dusty Schmirler stopped Noah Monk in 50 seconds at 120, Lakeyn Adams earned a first-period fall over Michael Tredupp at 126, Broc Suchocki downed Ivan Loka by major decision, 13-0, at 132 and Brett Suchocki fell Hoyt Dantoin in the second period at 138.

Rhinelander’s only other win on the night was a forfeit victory for freshman Juan Diego Grage at 106, in his first time stepping onto the mat.

“I tried hyping him up to act like he was getting a match, but he figured out that nobody weighed in at 106,” Arneson said. “He figured out before he went out there, but the guys get excited for him. Anytime that somebody steps out of their comfort zone and gets on the mat for their first time — which a lot of our guys did tonight — it’s always a good thing.”

Rhinelander dropped to 0-1 in conference duals. Their next dual meet will take place this coming Thursday on the road at Mosinee. 

“Finding wins in the conference is going to be tough. And we’re going to scratch and claw every dual meet, and hopefully we can sneak a couple out,” Arneson said. “Whether we win or lose right now, it really doesn’t matter. Just continuing to fight is what’s important.”

The Hodags took part in the Laona/Wabeno/Three Lakes Invite Saturday in Crandon, which concluded after deadline for today’s edition. Visit RiverNewsOnline.com for a recap of that match and read a full report in Friday’s River News.

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].