Pigskin Preview Week 6: Antigo at Rhinelander

Rhinelander and Antigo renew acquaintances tonight in the 91st playing of the Bell Game at Mike Webster Stadium. Just don’t say the “B-word” around the Hodags this week.

Much like how Ohio State refrains from using the letter M leading into its rivalry game with Michigan, Hodag head coach Aaron Kraemer said his team is not talking about the Bell — a trophy that was last held by RHS in 2021. 

“We put the kibosh on any type of trophy talk this week,” said Kraemer, whose team has lost seven straight trophy-trade games against Antigo and Lakeland dating back to the start of the 2022 season. “It’s just simply about we have to beat Antigo, and it’s a team that has beaten us the last three years. So we need to focus up, and we need to beat them.” 

With Rhinelander sitting at 2-3 on the season, and three strong opponents looming in the final third of the season, tonight’s game against the Red Robins may make or break the Hodags’ chances to reach the WIAA playoffs come season’s end. 

Rhinelander’s 49-7 loss last week to Tomahawk dropped the Hodags to 33rd in the unofficial WIAA playoff matrix standings in Division 3. That’s just outside the cutline as the top 32 teams at season’s end will make the postseason. 

“I think they’ll understand the importance of it when they look at them at a microcosm of what this actually is, and it’s a football game we absolutely have to win in order to put ourselves in the opportunity to make the playoffs,” Kraemer said. “(Winning the Bell is) a byproduct. It’s something that happens because you have done the work.”

For Antigo, making the postseason will be an even greater uphill climb. The Robins (1-4) sit 44th in the rankings following three straight blowout losses in the GNC in which they have lost by a combined score of 135-18. 

However, form has meant very little the last few years when these teams have come together. Antigo has had its way with the Hodags, winning the last three meetings by a combined 78-34.

“I know that coach (Tom) Schofield, I know that coach Al Fredrickson down there, they’re gonna fire them up. They’re gonna take everything that they can, (bulletin) board material, they’re gonna do everything they possibly can to get these guys fired up to beat us this week,” Kraemer said. “And we have to be prepared for those first punches early on. We have to start fast, and we have to finish strong. That’s all it is to it.”

Here are five storylines going into tonight’s contest.  

Antigo’s offense

The Robins are looking for their first points since some touchdowns in mop-up duty of a 51-18 loss to Medford in Week 3. After getting shut out by Tomahawk 49-0 two weeks ago, they were blanked 35-0 last week against Merrill. That game included a bizarre sequence where the Robins were held out of the end zone in a goal-to-goal situation in the second quarter that included a roughly 15-minute delay after the lights shut off at Jay Stadium.

Antigo runs similar concepts to Rhinelander in its Wing-T based offense. Senior quarterback Max Kneeland has struggled in the passing game, completing just 38% of his passes for 232 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions through the first five games.

The Robins do have some weapons on the ground, however, led by senior Levi Binversie who is averaging 7.1 yards per carry. He has 454 yards and three touchdowns on the year. Juniors Randy Quevedo and Seth Medo have four and three rushing touchdowns, respectively.

While the Robins have shown a willingness to throw the football this year, they did jump into a full house, power-T look last week.

Kraemer said he expects some power football from the Robins this week as the Hodags try to fix a leaky run defense that allowed nearly 9.4 yards per carry last week against the Hatchets.

“I think setting the edge is important against this team, especially when they’re in that Power-T. But they can throw it. I mean, they are obviously the shotgun Wing-T and they do that for a reason. They can spread guys out and have a run strength and a pass strength, which makes it difficult on the defense and stretches the defense in different ways,” he said. 

Antigo’s defense

The Robins come in trying to figure out how to shore up their own run defense. Antigo enters tonight last in the GNC in rushing defense, allowing more than 290 yards per game on the ground over their last three contests. That includes last week when Merrill ran for 354 yards, and 8.4 yards per carry, in their win over the Robins. 

“We’re going to have to take advantage of where we can see advantages in their defense and make sure we execute those plays,” Kraemer said.

By the numbers, senior JoJo Taylor is Antigo’s top defensive player. He’s recorded 25 1/2 tackles with a sack and three tackles for loss (TFLs) on the year. Binversie is right behind him with 25 tackles, one TFL, and a fumble recovery. Overall, Antigo has spread the wealth in its 5-2 Monster defense, with six different players recording 20 or more tackles so far on the year.

Stay on schedule

    Tomahawk’s Michael Samundsen pressures Rhinelander quarterback Abe Gretzinger during the third quarter of a GNC football game at Mike Webster Stadium Friday, Sept. 19. Gretzinger was sacked seven times in the contest and coach Aaron Kraemer said the Hodags must do a better job of staying on schedule offensively this week to prevent second-and-long and third-and-long scenarios. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

A big point of emphasis for the Hodags this week is staying on schedule offensive. That’s something the Hodags struggled to do last week against the Hatchets. Rhinelander gained a total of 19 yards on 19 first-and-10 plays. The Hodags had only six plays of four yards or greater on first down and had just as many plays that went for a loss. 

Kraemer said, in order to be as diverse as possible on offense, the team needs to win on first and second down to keep third down situations manageable. Rhinelander went just 4 of 13 on third down last week against Tomahawk, averaging 7.9 yards to go. 

“You become a lot more predictable when you don’t stay on schedule on first down. That’s our goal this week. We want to make sure that we can stay on schedule,” Kraemer said.

Trainer’s room

Rhinelander’s backfield/defensive back rotation figures to be near 100 percent this week. Though both Ben Olson and Cyrus Leisure were limited in the second half of last week’s loss at Tomahawk, but practiced early in the week and appear to be ready to go for tonight. Sam Zwaard did not practice Monday due to illness but is expected back in the lineup this week after missing last week’s game due to a non-injury related circumstance.

“We’re as healthy as maybe we’ve ever been at this point of the season, which is a knock-on-wood situation, but at the same time, it’s indicative of what we’re doing,” Kraemer said, noting the team’s commitment to splitting reps early in the season in an effort to stay healthy for a late-season push. “We have to play our best four weeks of football going into the postseason. And, Lord willing, we are able to win a lot of these games and make it to the playoffs. That is ultimately our goal.”

Myles Eagleson (wrist) will miss a fourth straight game for the Hodags, but the team is hopeful that he is close to returning in at least a limited capacity over the next couple of weeks. Kreamer did say that wide receiver/cornerback Weston Kibler (collarbone) will miss the remainder of the season due to an injury he suffered on the final play of the third quarter of last week’s loss to the Hatchets. 

Bell history

    In this Sept. 25, 2022 file photo, Antigo takes the Gene Shepard Bell Trophy from a cart on the Rhinelander sideline after wining the 2022 Bell Game in Antigo. The Bell’s legs and handle were painted green back then, but has since taken on a less-attractive hue of maroon the last three years thanks to back-to-back-to-back wins in the series by Antigo. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

The Bell Trophy has been traded between the rival schools since 1935 when Rhinelander Daily News sportswriter Jack Cory swapped trophy-trade ideas with Antigo writers Fred “Bus” Snyder and Johnny Tradewell. They eventually opted for the Bell over an old oaken bucket.

The Bell was once a piece of Gene Shepard’s most expensive fancies. In 1903, Shepard, the creator of the Hodag myth, built a large sternwheeler boat on the east shore of Boom Lake for about $13,000 with another $9,000 in silver and satin. The boat drew in water and rolled at its own dock. The winning school gets the honor of keeping the Bell in its trophy case and paints the Bell’s legs in its school colors.

Since the two teams began playing for the Bell, Antigo holds a 57-31-2 edge in the series (See scores below). Antigo enjoys the two longest winnings streaks in the series — having won 13 in a row between 1961 and 1973, and 12 straight between 2007 and 2018. Rhinelander’s longest winning streak in the series was 10 games between 1943 and 1952.

Antigo has won the last three Bell Games, after the Hodags had won three in a row from 2019-2021. 

Even though Kraemer is not speaking about the Bell to his team this week at practice, he said he recognizes its importance to both communities.

“I know that there are a lot of people that are passionate about this. I am too,” he said. “I love when we’re able to win it on the road or at home, celebrate with our fans or come back into the city and ring it on the way through. But that’s a byproduct of the hard mental work that we need to do this week, physical work, and then the preparation of playing Antigo and beating them.” 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected]. 

Past Bell Game Results

Year    Winner    Score

1935    Rhinelander     19-13

1936    Rhinelander     22-0

1937    Rhinelander     31-6

1938    Rhinelander     27-7

1939    Antigo     19-0

1940    Antigo     20-19

1941    Tie     13-13

1942    Antigo     19-12

1943    Rhinelander    19-0

1944    Rhinelander     14-12

1945    Rhinelander     26-6

1946    Rhinelander     28-0

1947    Rhinelander     14-6

1948    Rhinelander     26-0

1949    Rhinelander     6-0

1950    Rhinelander     27-0

1951    Rhinelander     18-6

1952    Rhinelander     14-13

1953    Antigo     38-6

1954    Antigo     19-6

1955    Rhinelander     25-6

1956    Rhinelander     20-13

1957    Antigo     20-13

1958    Tie     13-13

1959    Antigo     28-6

1960    Rhinelander     21-19

1961    Antigo     40-7

1962    Antigo     20-6

1963    Antigo     39-7

1964    Antigo     6-0

1965    Antigo     33-7

1966    Antigo     19-0

1967    Antigo     11-6

1968    Antigo     32-14

1969    Antigo     52-8

1970    Antigo     38-0

1971    Antigo     20-0

1972    Antigo    33-0

1973    Antigo     26-6

1974    Rhinelander     32-12

1975    Antigo     24-0

1976    Antigo     26-12

1977    Antigo     8-6

1978    Antigo     33-7

1979    Rhinelander     14-0

1980    Antigo     14-12

1981    Antigo     25-12

1982    Antigo     28-16

1983    Antigo     28-0

1984    Antigo     41-6

1985    Antigo     48-0

1986    Antigo     35-7

1987    Antigo     50-0

1988    Antigo     35-0

1989    Rhinelander     31-0

1990    Antigo     22-12

1991    Antigo     42-7

1992    Antigo     52-0

1993    Antigo     32-21

1994    Rhinelander     22-14 (OT)

1995    Antigo     8-7 (OT)

1996    Rhinelander     27-26 (OT)

1997    Antigo     30-13

1998    Rhinelander     26-20 (OT)

1999    Rhinelander     34-28

2000    Rhinelander     28-19

2001    Antigo     15-14

2002    Rhinelander     14-0

2003    Antigo     48-14

2004    Antigo     47-32

2005    Antigo     28-14

2006    Rhinelander     22-18

2007    Antigo     31-14

2008    Antigo     48-6

2009    Antigo     49-21

2010    Antigo     41-0

2011    Antigo     42-13

2012    Antigo     32-7

2013    Antigo    27-0

2014    Antigo    28-7

2015    Antigo    20-14

2016    Antigo    25-6

2017    Antigo    48-7

2018    Antigo    24-13

2019    Rhinelander    20-10

2020    Rhinelander    21-18 (2OT)

2021    Rhinelander    42-0

2022    Antigo    26-14

2023    Antigo    24-0

2024    Antigo    28-20