Hodag bowlers split D9 matches

The Rhinelander varsity bowling team finished split a pair of close decisions, defeating Merrill/Tomahawk 5-4 before losing to Wittenberg-Birnamwood by the same margin Sunday, Dec. 14 in the second round of Wisconsin High School Bowling Club District 9 play at Dale’s Weston Lanes.

It was a back-and-forth match with Merrill-Tomahawk taking the 1-0 lead after the first game and Rhinelander charged back to take a 2-1 after the third game before Merrill tied it up in the fourth at two. Hodags took the fifth game and Merrill claimed the sixth to keep the match tied at three games each.

Rhinelander held off Merrill-Tomahawk in the next two games (154-107 and 185-180) to take the match win before Merrill/Tomahawk took the final game.

The Hodags fell in the second match of the day, losing to Wittenberg-Birnamwood 5-4. Rhinelander jumped out to a 3-1 lead in that dual, before the Chargers reeled off three straight. Rhinelander took Game 8 203-145 to force a decisive ninth game, but the Chargers answered with their best score of the match and defeated the Hodags, 209-161. 

Senior Blake Klingen led the Hodags with 14 strikes, 15 spare and seven opens in 36 frames, while Dominic Hakala had 13 strikes, 13 spares and 10 opens. Jackson Fuss wrapped up with 13 strikes, 11 spares and eight opens in 32 frames of work. 

Leander Sprecksel had 10 strikes, seven spares and 11 opens in 28 frames. Closing out for the Hodags were freshmen Eli Miller (eight strikes, 13 spares and seven opens in 28 frames) and Brighton Walkowski (4 strikes, 7 spares and 9 opens in 20 frames).

Overall, the Hodags averaged 167.6 pins per game and filled 71.1% of their frames on Sunday. Despite the loss, their splits were slightly better against Wittenberg-Birnamwood with a 168.7 average and a 72.2% fill rate, compared to a 166.6 average and a 70% fill rate against Merrill.

JV squad picks up two wins

The Rhinelander/Elcho/Three Lakes/Phelps co-op JV team remained undefeated this season after winning both of its matches on Sunday. 

The JV team had the bye in the first match and had to beat a score of 111 each game to earn the victory. They won 9-0. The Hodags came out with a 6-3 win over Amherst in the second match. 

The Hodags jumped out to a 4-0 lead before Amherst clawed their way back by winning games 5, 6 and 7. Rhinelander collected themselves between the seventh and eighth games and came back to defeat Amherst 156-121 in the eighth for the match win. Rhinelander then took the final game 163-133. 

“The team has great chemistry and are very supportive of one another. It’s fun watching them between games as they hang out together and are having fun. That’s what a team is supposed to be,” coach Kevin Litzen noted.

Three Lakes junior Oren Alsager led the co-op team with 21 strikes, eight spares and seven opens. Elcho junior Alyssa Habeck followed with nine strikes, 15 spares and 12 opens. Rhinelander junior Oliver Doppke wrapped up with 5 strikes, 15 spares and 16 opens as fellow Rhinelander bowler Silas Johnson had nine strikes, six spares and 21 opens. Phelps freshman Charlie Duquaine had six strikes, nine spares and 21 opens.

The co-op team converted 103 marks out of 180 frames for a 57.2% fill rate and averaged 150.1 pins per game

Middle schoolers fall to Antigo

The Rhinelander middle school team ran up against a tough Antigo middle school team on Sunday afternoon, handing the Hodags their first loss of the season, falling 7-0 at Dale’s Weston Lanes.

Rhinelander’s best game was the second where we fell just one pin short of a game win and fell to Antigo 149-148. 

Natalie Dellenbach led the Hodags with two strikes, eight spares and four opens, while Charlotte Preuss had four strikes, four spares and six opens. Xane Kallio wrapped up with two strikes, two spares and 10 opens. 

Maggie Campbell had one spare and 13 opens, while Haylee Anderson finished with one strike and 13 opens.

“It was a loss, but our team had fun and they are all improving, that’s what I wanted to see,” coach Cory Dellenbach noted. “Maggie and Haylee especially made big strides from their first meet back in November and I really want to see them keep making those improvements each match.”

Up next

The next meet for the three teams will be Sunday, Jan. 4 at Dale’s Weston Lanes. Varsity and JV will bowl at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. and middle school at 3 p.m.

Some of the bowlers will be taking part in the Winter Classic annual tournament at Dale’s Weston Lanes on Sunday, Dec. 28. Hakala, Klingen, Alsager, Habeck, Miller and Natalie Dellenbach are scheduled to participate for the Hodags.