Team Review: RHS Track & Field
Hodags reached new heights in 2025
It’s safe to say that, up until recently, Rhinelander has not been considered as a strong track and field program. Prior to a breakthrough Great Northern Conference title in 2019, the last time the Hodag boys’ track team won a conference championship was 1967.
Team Review: RHS girls’ soccer
There were certainly some highlights for the Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer team this spring. The Hodags didn’t allow a goal in nine consecutive conference games, which allowed them to earn a share of their first Great Northern Conference title since 2018.
Monsters win back-to-back games
Rhinelander downs Everest in extras, takes slugfest over Marshfield
Over the course of two days the Rhinelander River Monsters got right back into the WBA postseason race.
Schmidt shuts down Kingsford in Rebels win
Mason Schmidt delivered his best outing of the year thus far Monday night for the Rhinelander Post 7 Rebels. The senior righty struck out five and scattered three hits over seven innings of work as the Rebels knocked off Kingsford, Mich. 4-1 at Stafford Field.
Team review: RHS golf
Hodag golfers struggled to find consistency this spring
Rhinelander began the year with Great Northern Conference title aspirations — and had the talent capable of competing for a championship — but could never seem to find a way to get at least four of their five starters firing on all cylinders on the same day.
Team review: RHS baseball
‘New identity’ helped Hodags rebuild
An influx of young, talented underclassmen certainly helped the Rhinelander High School baseball rebound to a 13-11 record in 2025. But, moreover, coach Joe Waksmonski said last week during the team’s banquet that the Hodags’ turnaround came from the team buying into a new identity for the program.
Babe Ruth Roundup
Slow start costs Rhinelander Senior vs. Phillips
Rhinelander could not overcome a slow start Thursday and fell to Phillips 15-5 in Northwoods Babe Ruth Senior League Play at Stafford Field.
Rebels drop two in rain-soaked invite
Mother Nature took the first two days of the Rebel Invite away from Rhinelander Post 7 over the weekend. A pair of Class AAA teams nabbed the final day from the Rebels.
River Monsters’ late rally falls short at Whittlesey
The Rhinelander River Monsters found life late on the road at Whittlesey on Sunday, but their rally was too little too late to complete an epic comeback in Dairyland League play.
McCue, Rivord headline award winners at boys’ tennis banquet
The Rhinelander High School boys’ tennis team put a wrap on its 2025 season Monday with its year-end banquet in the RHS Library.
Conner Rappley voted Hodag baseball MVP
The sophomore who became Rhinelander’s No. 1 pitcher during the 2025 season earned the Hodag baseball team’s most valuable player award.
Team review: RHS softball
Amid struggles, Hodag fastpitch shows improvement
Following a 1-15 campaign in 2024, there wasn’t much direction for the Rhinelander High School softball team could go but up. The Hodags did make some strides this year, going 5-16 overall, but improvement was a struggle due to factors well outside the team’s control.
River Monsters split twinbill at Merrill
MERRILL — The secret, it seems, for the Rhinelander River Monsters to be successful this season simply boils down to the opportunity to hit last.
Hodag soccer earns eight all-GNC nods
Lamers, Tulowitzky among players of the year
It turns out the Great Northern Conference title is not the only thing the Rhinelander and Lakeland girls’ soccer teams shared this season. The GNC co-champs also shared the conference’s top three awards, sharing offensive player, defensive player and coach of the year honors following a spilt decision by the conference coaches last week.
Hodag baseball falls to Mosinee in regional finals
Postseason run included upset win over St. Croix Falls
The Rhinelander High School baseball team finally ran out of steam Thursday following a state-trotting final week of its season.
Rebels look to build on momentum of high school baseball season
Legion slate kicks off Wednesday vs. Antigo
As one season ends, another one begins for Rhinelander baseball. Given how the spring high school baseball season came to a close for the Hodags, there’s plenty of optimism surrounding the Rhinelander Post 7 Rebel American Legion squad as its season kicks off Wednesday night at home against Antigo.
Sent Wau-packing: Top-seeded Hodags upset by Comets in regional finals
There will be no chance at revenge this year for the Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer team. The Hodags hopes of a deep run in the WIAA tournament came to a sudden halt Saturday when the fourth-seeded Waupaca Comets came into Mike Webster Stadium and upset Rhinelander 2-1 in a WIAA Division 2 regional final.
Track team names athletes of the year, most improved
Prior to the WIAA state meet, the Rhinelander High School track team handed out its postseason honors during its team banquet last Tuesday in the RHS commons.
Schoppe shoots 89 at golf sectionals, does not advance
A slow start Wednesday cost Rhinelander High School senior Sam Schoppe the opportunity to have two more rounds to finish off his high school golf career.
Majority of All-GNC teams announced
Six recognized for Hodag baseball, two for softball
Eighteen Rhinelander High School student-athletes were recognized over the weekend as the Great Northern Conference released its all-conference teams in four of its six sports for the spring 2025 season.
River Monsters roughed up on the road by Abbotsford
Murphy’s Law plagued the Rhinelander River Monsters last Friday night in Dairyland League play at Abbotsford. The Merchants jumped on Rhinelander for six runs over the first two innings and cruised to a 10-0 victory.
Hodag softball team hands out awards
The Rhinelander High School softball team closed out its season on Tuesday by handing out a trio of awards to its varsity team.
RHS Class of 2025 bids farewell as Hodag Dome returns
When the Hodag Dome was damaged, deflated and temporarily closed following an end-of March ice storm, the Rhinelander community faced plenty of questions and uncertainty.
La Crosse bound
Hodag track sends three individuals, three relays to state meet
Truman Lamers was the only of Rhinelander’s 12 entries on the boys’ side to make it qualify for the WIAA state track meet in La Crosse. Five of Rhinelander’s 13 entries on the girls’ side made it through.
Hodag tennis goes winless at sectionals
The postseason run for the Rhinelander High School boys’ tennis team came to an end Wednesday as the three flights that advanced in the WIAA tournament all went winless in a Division 1 sectional in Eau Claire.
Hodag boys win regional track title
Girls finish 2nd, teams advance 25 entries to sectionals
Having a shot to win Tuesday’s WIAA Division 2 regional track title was not the main objective for either the Rhinelander High School boys’ or girls’ track teams. Nearly winning both was a very nice side effect, however.
Seniors shine for Hodag tennis at subsectionals
The seniors on the Rhinelander High School tennis team were able to extend their careers by at least one more day.
Hodag golfers miss sectionals by one stroke
Schoppe advances individually
A back nine fade on Tuesday cost the majority of the Rhinelander High School golf team the opportunity to advance in the WIAA tournament.
Hodag baseball spilts final regular season games
After closing out the Great Northern Conference season with one of its best games of the year, the Rhinelander High School baseball team followed up with one of its worst last Friday. The Hodags bounced back Tuesday, however, as they looked to carry momentum into the WIAA playoffs.
Late rally not enough for Monsters against Minocqua
The Rhinelander River Monsters found themselves down four runs on two separate occasions Sunday afternoon in Minocqua and, ultimately, ran out of time in their comeback.
How sweep it is!
Hodag track lays claim to GNC boys, girls titles
Both the RHS boys and girls’ track teams were victorious at the Great Northern Conference meet in Mosinee. It’s the first time the Hodag girls have ever won a conference title and marked the third conference title for the Hodag boys in the last seven years.
Hodag tennis nabs 11th straight GNC title
Team ties Mosinee softball for most consecutive titles all-time
The Hodags clinched their 11th consecutive GNC title on Thursday as they won the conference tournament at Lakeland Union High School in Minocqua.
Shutout of Pines clinches GNC share for Hodag girls’ soccer
The Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer team is back on top of the Great Northern Conference for the first time in seven years. The only question remaining is if any other team wil join the Hodags at the top of the summit.
Rappley tosses perfect game in Hodags’ win over Medford
Conner Rappley achieved perfection for the Rhinelander High School baseball team Thursday night at Medford in the Great Northern Conference finale.
Late rally not enough for Hodag softball in regionalsBy Jeremy Mayo river news sports editor The Rhinelander High School softball rallied in the final innings Thursday at Waupaca but didn’t have enoug
The Rhinelander High School softball rallied in the final innings Thursday at Waupaca but didn’t have enough offense to overcome a fast start by the Comets in a 4-2 loss in the WIAA playoff opener.
Hodag soccer inches closer to GNC title
Rhinelander shuts out Medford, Antigo in back-to-back contests
The Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer team is potentially one win away from taking home at least a share of the program’s first Great Northern Conference title since 2018.
Hodag baseball doubles up Lakeland, gets back to .500
The Rhinelander High School baseball team won its third straight game on Monday, doubling up Lakeland 8-4 in a Great Northern Conference contest in Minocqua.
River Monsters hold off Everest in extra innings
Nate Schmidt came through for the Monsters with the bases loaded in the 10th inning, delivering an infield RBI single that gave Rhinelander a 3-2 victory in Dairyland League play.
Hodag softball drops regular season finale to Mosinee
The Rhinelander High School softball team couldn’t keep up with Great Northern Conference champion Mosinee on Tuesday night, but saw some glimmers that they hope could propel them to a playoff rematch with the top-seeded Indians.
Hodag golfers finish 5th in GNC finale
The Rhinelander High School golf team shot 323 in the Medford Invite back in April. On Monday, with individual and team placement in the Great Northern Conference on the line, the Hodags got in to trouble too often and finished nearly 30 strokes higher.
Miracle over Mosinee
Hodags cash in on two-out error to walk off GNC leaders 4-3
John Turek and Jackson Waydick scored following a two-out error in the bottom of the seventh and the Hodags scored a dramatic 4-3 walkoff victory over Great Northern Conference-leading Mosinee Friday at Stafford Field.
Weather halts Hodags in home invite
Rhinelander was leading the standings in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions of the Hodag Invitational at Mike Webster Stadium Thursday when the meet was suspended, and eventually called, due to thunderstorms.
Johnson enshrined in Hodag Hall
ABC also honors Bauer Family at 43rd annual banquet
Tyler Johnson, a Class of 2005 Rhinelander grad, was this year’s only inductee into the Rhinelander Athletic Booster Club’s Hodag Hall of Fame. He was enshrined during the clubs 43rd annual awards banquet this past Wednesday at the Pines Event Center.
Headin’ toward eleven
Hodag tennis seizes control of GNC with 5-2 win over Medford
The Rhinelander High School boys’ tennis team took a major step toward its 11th consecutive conference title Tuesday afternoon. The Hodags took three of four matches in singles, and two out of three in doubles, to earn a 5-2 victory over the Medford Raiders in a battle for first place in the Great Northern Conference at the RHS tennis courts.
Hodag baseball rallies late to beat Antigo 11-8
Rhinelander sweeps Robins for first time since 2011
Rhinelander’s bats came alive in the sixth and seventh innings, scoring four times in each frame, as the Hodags rallied from behind to defeat the Antigo Red Robins 11-8 at Kretz Bros. Park.
Hodag golfers fade in back-to-back conference matches
Rhinelander took fourth Monday at home at Rhinelander Country Club and then followed that up with a sixth-place finish Tuesday at Minocqua Country Club as the GNC staged the fourth and fifth legs of the conference tournament.
Hodag track finishes top three at Tomahawk
The Rhinelander High School track team rested a few key pieces, got some other pieces back and performed well Tuesday in the Hatchet Invite in Tomahawk.
Rhinelander soccer breaks down Mosinee’s wall, wins 3-0
The Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer team overcame a pesky Mosinee defense Tuesday night to remain perfect in Great Northern Conference play, defeating the Indians 3-0 at Edgewood Park.
Stranded runners cost River Monsters in opener
The Rhinelander River Monsters had their chances Sunday in the 2025 Dairyland League opener against defending Large Division champion Marshfield.
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