RHS Sports recap: Friday, Jan. .17

Boys’ basketball: Medford 71, Rhinelander 63

The Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team fell behind early and could never fully recover in a 71-63 loss to Medford in an battle for the Great Northern Conference lead Friday night at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium. 

The Hodags went 0-for-11 from 3-point range and were 25% from the field overall in the first half as they trailed 28-21 at the break. Medford opened the second half on a 10-3 run before the Hodags rallied all the way back to tie the game at 48. But Charlie Gierl, who scored a game-high 32 points for Medford, made three free throws after a foul and then converted a four-point play as the Raiders led by at least two scores the rest of the way. 

Truman Lamers scored 21 of his 22 points in the second half to lead Rhinelander. Evan Shoeder added 10 for the Hodags. 

Rhinelander (9-3, 5-1 Great Northern) fell in to a first-place tie with the Raiders with the loss and will take on Merrill in non-conference play at home on Tuesday.

Girls’ basketball: Medford 64, Rhinelander 56

The Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team, without leader scorer Aubryn Clark, made things interesting against Medford, but ran out of time in a second-half comeback as it fell 64-56 to the Raiders in Medford Friday night. 

Down 47-19 at one point in the second half, the Hodags cut the lead to single digits late, but got no closer as Clark missed a second straight game due to a back injury. 

Vivian Lamers picked up the scoring in Clark’s absence, scoring a career-high 23 points while Kelsey Winter added 10 points. Taylor Klingbeil scored 28 to lead Medford. 

Rhinelander (9-6, 4-3 Great Northern) travels to Antigo next Friday.

Boys’ swimming: Rhinelander 2nd/8, Appleton North Invite 

The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team scored five wins as Friday night as it took second place in Lightning Invite at Appleton North High School. The Hodags were edged by 18-points by Division-1 Oregon for the win. 

Mathias Fugle was a three-event winner for Rhinelander. He took the 200-yard freestyle, the 50 freestyle and was on the winning 200 freestyle relay team with Samson Shinners, Shawn Denis and Judson O’Malley. Shinners added a win for the Hodags in the 100 freestyle while Dolan O’Malley claimed the 100 backstroke. 

Shinners added a runner-up swim in the 200 individual medley, Dean Gillingham took second in the 500 freestyle and Shawn Denis was third in the 100 freestyle. 

The Hodags are back in action next Thursday as they host Lakeland and Tomahawk in a GNC double dual.

Full reports will be published in Tuesday’s River News