Team preview: RHS boys’ tennis

The Rhinelander High School boys’ tennis team enters the 2026 season with a chance to make history. The last time the Hodags didn’t lift the GNC championship trophy was all the way back in 2013. Though COVID interrupted the Hodags’ run in 2020, Rhinelander has won 11 straight Great Northern Conference titles.

That matches the longest conference championship winning streak in GNC history, equalled by the 11 straight softball titles Mosinee won from 2009-2019. 

Breaking that record is something coach Matt Nichols said is definitely top-of-mind for the Hodags as they begin play this week.

“If you have the opportunity, you absolutely 100% know that we’re gonna be gunning for it,” he said. “They know what it takes. They’ve been at the tourney. They know what the tourney’s about, and they’re ready to go back there and defend the title, and it’s the opportunity to make history, and it’s exciting. It is a monumental season.” 

Not that it will be easy for the Hodags, who will need to reload after graduating six seniors off last year’s squad. That includes the team’s top two singles players in Payton McCue and Karter Massey, and its top two doubles combos of Aiden Ostermann and Michael Schiek, and Hart Hokens and Van Tulowitzky. 

“We lost six seniors, good quality seniors, but we do have a really strong incoming freshman class,” Nichols said. “We’ve also had a lot of underclassmen and upperclassmen put in a lot of time in the offseason. So, hard spots to fill, but we do have a lot of talent, ready and promising and getting after it.”

The good news is that the four starters the Hodags have returning are all reigning individual conference champions. 

    Rhinelander’s Calvin Loomis works on his serve during RHS boys’ tennis practice in the Hodag Dome Monday, March 30. Loomis, a junior, went 12-11 for the Hodags last year, winning an individual GNC title at No. 4 singles. (Bob Mainhardt for the River News)
  

Junior Asher Rivord went 15-7 last year and won the No. 3 singles flight at conference while fellow junior Calvin Loomis was 12-11 and was the conference champ at No. 4 singles. 

They figure to by vying for the top singles spots this year, and got a taste of the competition at that level during the WIAA postseason last year. Rivord and Loomis bumped up to Nos. 1 and 2 singles for that tournament as McCue and Massey played at doubles. Loomis won a match in the subsections while Rivord was competitive in a straight-set loss. 

“Filling the top of the ladder is the most challenging thing, and we saw that coming,” Nichols said. “We got Asher and Calvin some good quality play at Nos. 1 and 2 singles (last year). They’re definitely there. They have the skill, they have the mentality, they have the experience. So those two are huge key returners.”

Rhinelander also brings back its No. 3 doubles team from last year in senior Danek Koniar and junior Aidan Lueder. Lueder went 6-8 overall last year and dabbled in singles, going 1-3 at the No. 4 flight. Koniar finished 7-6 overall on the season. 

The Hodags also return a number of their reserve players from last year, who will be in the mix to crack the varsity lineup. Those players include junior Brayden Barnhill, and sophomores Braydon Lorman, Roan Childs and Owen Evers. 

“There was a big offseason, a huge uptick in how many boys are doing the summer camp,” Nichols said. “They did that. They did league, but beyond that, it’s just what time are you putting in. And they put in countless hours outside of any type of organized league or clinic. Because they love the sport so much, they put in that time, they’ve improved so much, and those key players are going to make a difference as we rebuild the varsity lineup.”

The Hodags also bring in seven freshmen, a number of whom are in the mix for varsity positions. Henry Bonardelli, Kellen O’Malley and Juan Diego Grage are in the mix, along with a two with past connections to the program. Mark Currie is the younger brother of former No. 1 singles player John Currie, and Samuel Loomis is the younger brother of Calvin Loomis. 

“All of those freshmen they’ve played the last couple years of tennis, have some experience,” Nichols said. “They played either summer camp or at the middle school. They’ve done some offseason tourneys, and a couple have siblings. They’ve already been exposed to watching what these conference meets are like. And they’re competitors, I think that’s the biggest thing is the attitude. Because of their attitude, they’ve gotten to where they’re at and because of their attitude, they’re going to get that much better moving forward.”

The Hodags will likely still be tinkering with their lineup today when they host Wausau West in a scrimmage in the Hodag Dome. That will still likely be the case in Thursday’s non-conference opener at home against D.C. Everest. Nichols said he expects that the singles part of his lineup, given its returning experience, to stand out early in the season while the doubles side builds chemistry with new pairings.

“Having Calvin and most likely Asher, the singles lineup, Aidan, Henry, we’re looking strong in the singles,” he said. “When we look at (duals) — not that we can’t perform in doubles — but if you win four singles flights, you win as a team. So that’s going to be huge, especially early on. The doubles is currently looking like more of the less experienced players. So early on, especially there’s going to be some growing pains, but nothing that we can’t work through and get to where we need to be by the end of the season.”

Rhinelander is slated to begin its GNC title defense on the road at Medford April 16 and the Raiders, who are slated to return eight of their 10 starters from a third-place finish at last year’s conference meet, may end up being the biggest threat to the Hodags’ run at a 12th conference title. 

Lakeland finished second in the conference last year, but returns only three players from that squad. Ashland is slated to bring back seven players, but was unable to field a No. 3 doubles team at conference last year and Pacelli returns only two of the six players it had compete at the conference meet a season ago.

“I think each school offers competitive flights,” Nichols said. “I think Medford as a team is going to be the most competitive with us. So we’re looking forward to a good conference. I think we’re still in a really good spot to defend the crown.”

Rhinelander will see virtually all of the Wisconsin Valley Conference in non-conference play this year, which is vital because Rhinelander is still the only GNC program in Division 1 for the WIAA tournament and will be a plus-one to the six-team Valley when the group meets for subsections May 26 of 27 in Wausau. 

“I think when we look at subsectionals then … we’re looking at getting at least two, three, maybe four qualifiers through,” Nichols said. “SPASH (Stevens Point) is going to be a really strong team. They are returning a previously injured No. 1 singles player and I don’t know, that they actually lost anyone off their varsity roster. So, it’s going to make it really tough to get through the region at other flights, but we’re definitely there.” 

Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected]. 

TEAM SCHEDULE

Date    Opponent/Event    Time

4/7    WAUSAU WEST (scrimmage)    3 p.m.

4/9    D.C. EVEREST    4:30 p.m.

4/14    at Marshfield    4 p.m.

4/16    at Medford*    4 p.m.

4/21    ASHLAND*    4:30 p.m.

4/24    De Pere Invite    10 a.m.

4/25    De Pere invite    9 a.m.

4/28    at Lakeland*    5 p.m.

5/1    Wausau West Invite    Noon

5/2    Wausau West Invite    9 a.m.

5/4    Eau Clarie North  (at D.C. Everest)    2 p.m.

5/4    at D.C. Everest    4 p.m.

5/5    STEVENS POINT    4:30 p.m.

5/8    at Wis. Rapids    4 p.m.

5/12    PACELLI*    5 p.m.

5/15    HODAG INVITE    10 a.m.

5/16    HODAG INVITE    9 a.m.

5/21    GNC MEET AT RHS*    9 a.m.

5/26    WIAA Subsectionals at Wausau West    TBA

5/28    WIAA Sectionals at Eau Claire    TBA

* Conference matches | HOME MATCHES IN CAPS