The Northwoods River News

Hodag swimmers seek another sectional title, several state entries

Sectional Saturday is upon the Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team and, as its been the last several years, the goals for the start of the WIAA postseason are the same.

Barr, Myers named fastest Hodag harriers

Juniors Avrom Barr and Macy Myers were presented with the Rhinelander High School cross country team’s fastest harrier awards during a banquet in the RHS commons. They were two of seven award winners for the team this year.

Hodag harriers have solid races at state

The three members of the Rhinelander High School cross country team who qualified for the WIAA state meet all had strong performances to end their season on Saturday.

Vander Galien named Hodag tennis MVP

Heck, Evers honored with multiple awards

Sophomore Annie Vander Galien, who vaulted from outside the varsity lineup as a freshman to the Hodags’ No. 1 singles player this year, earned the RHS girls' tennis team's MVP award — which was voted upon by her peers.

Three more runners, three more miles

Hodag XC contingent readies for WIAA state meet

While the Rhinelander High School cross country team won’t have a team of athletes at the WIAA state meet, Saturday will mark the first time in coach M.J. Laggis’s tenure that he’s had entries in both the boys’ and girls’ races in the same season.

Hodag gridders earn 7 All-GNC nods

The Rhinelander High School football team ended up with seven all-conference awards among six different players on Monday when the All-GNC team was announced.

Hodag volleyball team hands out awards

The Rhinelander High School volleyball team capped of its 2025 season Sunday with an awards banquet in the RHS cafeteria. In addition to varsity letters, the Hodags handed out awards for the leaders in four statistical categories and two other coach-based awards.

Edgewood too much for Hodag football in playoff opener

Quarterback Gannon Bagstad ran for 151 yards, threw for 77 and accounted for four total touchdowns as Edgewood defeated Rhinelander 35-7 at Breese Stevens Field.

Super seventh: Hodag swimmers win another GNC title in a runaway

The Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team continued its domination of the Great Northern Conference Friday night. The Hodags won nine of 11 events and cruised to a 200-point victory in the GNC meet, hosted by Ladysmith at the Rice Lake High School natatorium. The triumph put the finishing touches on the seventh consecutive conference championship for the Hodags.

Barr wins XC sectional, three Hodags advance to state meet

It won’t be as a team, but Rhinelander will have representation at the WIAA state Division 2 boys’ cross country meet for the fourth time in five years. Meanwhile, the Hodag girls will have a runner in Wisconsin Rapids for the first time since 2017.

Pigskin Preview Week 10: Rhinelander at Edgewood

Given second life, Hodag football looks to make most of postseason opportunity

The sadness and uncertainty the Rhinelander High School football team faced when it left the field following a 27-13 loss to Merrill in its regular season finale last Friday was replaced with relief and happiness roughly 13 hours later when the Hodags found out that — despite a three-game losing streak to end the regular season — it had done just enough the qualify for the WIAA playoffs.

Hodag harriers eye return trip to state

RHS boys projected second, Myers in individual qualifying position entering today’s sectionals in Merrill

The Rhinelander High School boys’ cross country team finds itself in a very familiar position today as it heads into a WIAA Division 2 sectional meet in Merrill.

Hodag soccer’s season ends in PK loss to Medford

It’s come to the point where it’s almost a foregone conclusion that penalty kicks will decide a boys’ soccer match between Rhinelander and Medford. It happened again Tuesday night and, with its season on the line, the Hodags fell one kick short.

RHS volleyball takes set from Mauston in tourney loss

A long season for the Rhinelander High School volleyball team came to an end Tuesday night, but the Hodags went out with a bit of a positive and glimmer of hope for the future.

Last one in

Hodag football backs into final WIAA D3 playoff spot after loss to Merrill

Rhinelander fell at Merrill 27-13 after a late rally fell short Friday night in the regular-season finale. Luckily, the stars aligned and Rhinelander snuck in as the 32nd and final team in D3, just ahead of the first team out — Portage.

Striking gold: Hodag BMX to host Gold Cup Finals race in 2026

North Central Regional event expected to attract hundreds of top racers from around Midwest

After hosting the Wisconsin BMX state championships last month, Hodag BMX track operator Robbie Deede hinted that bigger events might be in the future of the facility located inside Rhinelander’s West Side Park. Last week one of those bigger events was revealed.

Rhinelander’s Barr wins GNC cross country title

Hodag boys take second, girls third in home conference meet

Avrom Barr led nearly wire-to-wire to take the GNC meet at Rhinelander’s Northwood Golf Club. He was one of six all-conference runners for the Hodag boys as they finished a close second behind Lakeland for the conference title. The Hodag girls had two first-team all-conference finishers and placed third as a team.

Hodag swimmers beat Merrill, cap off perfect dual season

The Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team finds itself in a familiar position heading into this coming Friday’s Great Northern Conference championship meet.

Hodag soccer drops regular season finale at Antigo

The Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer team was on the wrong end of a second-half scoring binge Thursday night as it dropped its regular season finale 4-1 at Antigo.

Pigskin Preview Week 9: Rhinelander at Merrill

Season on the line for Hodags against Bluejays

Winning tonight at Merrill does not automatically guarantee the Hodags a spot in the tournament, nor does losing automatically eliminate the Hodags from the playoffs, but the odds point to those statements almost certainly being true. As such, RHS coach Aaron Kraemer said his team is essentially treating this game as a playoff contest.

Hodag volleyball has happy home ending vs. Hurley

Rhinelander led wire-to-wire in a decisive fifth set as it knocked off Hurley in a non-conference match at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium. The back and forth affair saw Hurley win the first set 25-20 before the Hodags took the next two 25-18, 25-22. Hurley won the fourth 25-23 to force the final set, but Rhinelander pulled away late for a 15-9 victory.

RHS soccer slows down Northland Pines, but falls 2-0

The Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer team was unable to manage its third straight non-losing result on Tuesday, but did continue to showcase its improvement during the second half of the Great Northern Conference season.

Hodag harriers fare well in GNC primer

RHS boys 1st, girls 3rd at Tomahawk; Conference set for Saturday at Northwood

The Rhinelander High School cross country team got an excellent litmus test this past Saturday of where it stands heading into the Great Northern Conference meet. Based on that, the Hodags are hoping for good things this weekend when they host GNC championship.

Raider runaway: Medford trounces Rhinelander 42-12 on homecoming

Loss puts Hodags’ playoff hopes in peril

The Raiders rushed for 275 yards, scored on six of their first eight possessions and cruised to a 42-12 win over the Hodags on homecoming night at Mike Webster Stadium.

Hodag soccer holds on to draw with Merrill, takes PKs

Freshman Henry Bonardelli scored early and the Hodags partially withstood a second-half push to come away with a 1-1 draw at Merrill. Rhinelander garnered an extra conference point by taking the subsequent penalty kick shootout over the Bluejays, 4-3.

Hodag swimmers cruise past Mosinee, remain unbeaten in GNC

The toughest competition the members of the Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team had on Thursday night might have been themselves during a Great Northern Conference dual meet at Mosinee.

Hodags tennis wraps up season at sectionals

The season came to an end Wednesday for the Rhinelander High School girls’ tennis team as it won one of its three matches in a WIAA Division 1 sectional in Eau Claire.

Pigskin Preview Week 8: Medford at Rhinelander

Hodags need to clean things up entering homecoming tilt against Medford

Sitting at 3-4 on the season and just outside the Division 3 cutline with two weeks remaining in the regular season, Hodag head coach Aaron Kraemer said getting a key win and getting the team back to the playoffs for the first time since 2023 will boil down to better execution, beginning tonight as the Hodags entertain Medford on homecoming night at Mike Webster Stadium.

Finally ahead: Hodag soccer downs Medford for first win

The 14th time proved to be the charm for the Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer team in its quest for win No. 1 on the season.

Hodag tennis advances two flights to sectionals

Things played out about as expected for the Rhinelander High School girls’ tennis team on Monday as it advanced two flights on to the sectional round of the WIAA tournament during a Division 1 subsectional in Wausau.

Strong times for Hodag runners at Pines Invite

Times were fast across the board as the Hodags competed at the Northland Pines Invite in Eagle River. Rhinelander placed five runners in the top 18 to finish second in the boys’ division behind Great Northern Conference rival Lakeland while the Hodag girls finished third in the 11-team meet.

Hodag volleyball falls to Merrill

The Rhinelander High School volleyball team couldn’t dig itself out from early deficits on Tuesday as it concluded Great Northern Conference dual meet play with a straight-set loss to Merrill at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.

Hodag swimmers take 4th in Fond du Lac

The Rhinelander High School girls swim team placed in the top three in seven different events this past Saturday as it finished fourth in the 14-team Fond du Lac Invite.

Mosinee motors past Hodag gridders 41-14

The Rhinelander High School football team hung with Mosinee for two and a half quarters on Friday night but eventually ran out of gas against the GNC co-leaders.

Short-handed Hodag volleyball team swept by Medford

An already thin Rhinelander High School volleyball squad was even thinner on Thursday night as it was swept on the road by Medford 25-12, 25-13, 25-13.

Hodag swimmers roll past Ladysmith 134-27 in GNC dual

The Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team remained undefeated in Great Northern Conference play, winning all 11 events Thursday in a 134-27 victory at Ladysmith.

Hodag soccer falls at Mosinee 3-0

With wins hard to come by this season for the Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer team, the squad has had to look elsewhere for indicators of improvement. The Hodags saw some of those Thursday on the road at Mosinee.

Inaugural RHS girls’ golf season ends at regionals

The Rhinelander High School girls’ golf team wrapped up play for its inaugural season this past Wednesday, finishing 10th in a 10-team WIAA Division 1 regional at Brown County Golf Course near Green Bay.

Pigskin preview Week 7: Rhinelander at Mosinee

Hodags to begin key closing stretch against GNC co-leaders

Coming off its biggest win of the season, the Rhinelander High School football team enters a key three-week stretch to close out the regular season where each and every game may carry postseason significance.

Hodag netters edge Rapids 4-3 in regular season finale

Subsectionals to take place Monday in Wausau

The Rhinelander High School girls’ tennis team added one final piece to its postseason resume Tuesday, defeating Wisconsin Rapids 4-3 in a non-conference dual at the RHS tennis courts.

Hodag soccer closes gap on Lakeland in 4-1 loss

The Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer team played a more competitive game the second time around against Lakeland Tuesday night, but it was not enough for the Hodags to catch the GNC-leading Thunderbirds.

Hodag volleyball can’t keep up with Pines

The Rhinelander High School volleyball team was done in by big runs Tuesday as it was swept at home by Northland Pines in Great Northern Conference play at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.

Powder prohibited: Baby powder banned from Hodag games after dust-up chafes fans

It got a little dusty in the air last Friday night at Mike Webster Stadium — and that was more than just a handy excuse for any Hodag fans fighting back tears of joy after the Rhinelander High School football team defeated rival Antigo in the Bell Game for the first time in four years.

ROCKED THE ROBINS

Rhinelander wins Bell back with historic blowout of Antigo

Rowan Wiczek scored twice and six different Hodags recorded rushing touchdowns as Rhinelander shellacked Antigo 54-8 in the 91st playing of the Bell Game Friday night at Mike Webster Stadium.

Hodag soccer draws with Waupaca

The Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer team faced pressure much of the night from Waupaca, but never conceded a goal as it played the Comets to a 0-0 draw Thursday in a non-conference game in Waupaca.

Hodag golfers gear up for regionals

The Rhinelander High School girls’ golf team’s final match of the regular season was cancelled on Thursday, but the Hodags still tried to make the best of their second home appearance as they gear up for the postseason.

Pigskin Preview Week 6: Antigo at Rhinelander

The sound of silence: Hodags nix ‘Bell’ talk ahead of big Antigo game

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.