The Northwoods River News

Hodag Hoops puts clamps on Shawano in home win

The Hodags forced 21 turnovers and limited Shawano to 31 shots attempts as they beat the Hawks 49-34 in a non-conference contest at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.

Shawano pulls away from offensively-challenged Lady Hodags

The Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team had no answers for Shawano’s trapping half-court zone on Tuesday night and, ultimately, not enough firepower to keep up with the Hawks.

Hodag swimmers set to face tight battle at sectionals

The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team has its sights set on another WIAA state title next Friday night in Waukesha. First thing’s first, however, the Hodags are seeking their seventh straight sectional title — which may be easier said than done.

Mosinee edges RHS gymnasts in GNC dual

The Rhinelander High School gymnastics team put up a solid total on Tuesday but it wasn’t enough to take down a Mosinee team that delivered its best performance of the year.

Kassler, Robins too much for RHS hockey

Eli Kassler scored six times and Owen Dickman added a hat trick as Antigo knocked off the Hodags 10-2 in the consolation semifinal round of the Great Northern Conference tournament in Antigo.

MAGNIFICENT SEVEN

RHS swimmers break seven GNC records en route to seventh consecutive title

Rhinelander was in a class of its own at the GNC championship meet once again, winning all 11 events en route to a 228-point romp over Tomahawk for the team’s seventh straight conference title. It was a performance that’s sure to cement the team’s legacy for some time to come as the Hodags broke seven GNC records and set four new Heck Pool records in the process.

Hodag wrestlers take 5th in GNC tourney, finish 4th overall

Schultz repeats as conference heavyweight champ

The Hodags didn’t have the same success in the conference tournament that they had in the duals. Rhinelander finished fifth on Saturday in Minocqua and took fourth overall in the final conference standings.

Lady Hodags take care of Hatchets on senior night

Senior Makenna Sternitzky, who has battled injury the better part of the last two seasons, got the final bucket to the delight of her teammates and the home crowd as the Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team defeated Tomahawk 52-32 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.

Hodag Alpine takes second in Northern Conference

The Hodag girls, taking advantage of a short-handed Wausau squad, won the Northern Conference finale at Ski Brule while the Hodag boys edged Ashwabay for the runner-up spot.

Hodag Hoops dominates Tomahawk

The Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team got back in the win column in a big way Friday night, dominating Tomahawk on the road 81-13 in Tomahawk.

RHS hockey suffers back-to-back losses

A pair of non-conference games less than 24 hours apart yielded nearly identical results for the Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team late last week.

Rhinelander gymnasts post season high in Marshfield

Despite being without a handful of its usual starters in the lineup, the Rhinelander High School gymnasts team still managed its highest score of the season on Saturday.

One more for the home fans

Rhinelander seniors get final RIA experience as Eagles co-op skates Fox Cities

On Monday night two Rhinelander seniors got one final curtain call in front of their home fans.

RHS gymnasts edge Antigo at home

The Hodags came through on their final event of the night to edge Antigo 114.425-112.225 in a Great Northern Conference Small division dual at the YMCA of the Northwoods. The win moved Rhinelander to 1-1 in the GNC Small and marked Rhinelander’s first dual meet win over the Robins in nearly two decades.

Offense cools as Hodag Hoops falls to Wausau West

Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball coach Derek Lemmens said Tuesday’s non-conference game at Wausau West would be a good test to see how the Hodags’ offense would fare against a strong defense.

Wrestling: Hodags fall to Antigo,bunching field for GNC tournament

The Rhinelander High School wrestling team missed out on an opportunity Tuesday to cement itself into second place in the Great Northern Conference heading into this weekend’s conference tournament.

Hodag hockey falls to No. 1 Tomahawk in GNC tourney opener

The Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team was no match for the top-ranked team in Division 2 on Tuesday night as the Tomahawk Hatchets rolled past the Hodags 9-0 in Tomahawk in the opening round of the Great Northern Conference tournament.

Hodag Hoops races past Pines, reclaims share of GNC lead

Evan Shoeder had 13 points and 10 rebounds to lead a balanced Rhinelander attack and the Hodags used a 31-7 run spanning both sides of halftime to defeat Northland Pines 56-38 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.

Hodag gymnasts top GNC Small squad in return to competition

It’s been a long time between competitions for the Rhinelander High School gymnastics team but, in the opener of a busy stretch run to finish the season, it showed Saturday it is right in the mix in the GNC Small Division race.

Hodag hockey drops two more ahead of GNC tourney

The Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team had a tough go of it to end the Great Northern Conference regular season, suffering an 8-0 home loss to Lakeland on Thursday night, followed by a 5-0 loss at Mosinee on Friday night.

Hodag wrestlers split duals in Three Lakes

The Rhinelander High School wrestling team split a pair of non-conference duals in Three Lakes. Rhinelander had enough depth to take down an extremely short-handed Iron Mountain (Mich.) squad, 54-12, but struggled in the lower weights in a 46-29 loss to host Laona/Wabeno/Three Lakes.

Lady Hodags fend off Eagles 40-34

Dawsyn Barkus and Vivian Lamers scored 10 points each and the Hodags defeated the Eagles 40-34 in Eagle River.

Hodag Hoops gets back on track with 63-45 win at Rapids

Jatyn Barkus scored 20 points to lead all scorers and the Hodags took care of business in the paint as they raced to a 63-45 victory on the road at Wisconsin Rapids.

Hodag hockey falls to Waupaca 4-1

Nate Hines scored twice for Waupaca, including an empty-netter with 2:04 remaining as the Comets beat the Hodags 4-1 in a Great Northern Conference matchup.

Lady Hodags can’t keep up with second-ranked Assumption

The constant pressure applied by the Wisconsin Rapids Assumption Royals on Tuesday night eventually became too much for the Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team to withstand.

Hodag Alpine skiers take second at Ashwabay

The Rhinelander/Northland Pines Alpine Ski team held on to its standings in the Northern Conference on Tuesday, but the end result may have taken a toll — especially for the girls’ squad — as the season enters the home stretch.

MAROONED

Hodag Hoops stumbles at Antigo, falls out of GNC lead

The Hodags suffered their fourth loss in the last six games Friday night — and perhaps the most stunning of the bunch — as they faltered late in a 70-62 defeat at Antigo.

Hodag swimmers 2nd at Small School state

RHS within shouting distance of reigning state champ McFarland

Rhinelander was the WIAA Division 2 boys’ swimming state champion two years ago. McFarland won the title last year. Whitefish Bay was right in the mix both years. If Saturday’s prelude to next month’s state meet is any indication, those three teams will be battling it out again for the gold and silver trophies next month in Waukesha.

RHS wrestlers reclaim Hammer, knock off GNC-champ Medford in successful home meet

After a few lean years from a team standpoint for the Rhinelander High School wrestling team, Thursday night served as a reminder of where the Hodags were during the mid-2010s, and where they hope to return once more.

Lady Hodags rout Antigo, snap 3-game skid

Vivian Lamers scored 22 points and Ella Miljevich added 12 points and 13 rebounds Rhinelander led wire-to-wire in a 67-35 win over Antigo at Sheldon Fieldhouse.

Short-handed Hodags fall to Shawano

The Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team was unable to keep up with Shawano/Bonduel in non-conference play Thursday night, falling 5-1 to the Hawks at the Rhinelander Ice Arena.

Alpine: RHS/Pines girls 2nd, boys 3rd at Snowriver

The Rhinelander/Northland Pines Alpine ski team couldn’t quite figure out the snow conditions Friday in the third Northern Conference meet of the season. While the Hodag girls still managed a runner-up finish, the Hodag boys slipped back to third in a Northern Conference race at Snowriver Resort in Wakefield, Mich.

Coaches seek change to football playoff qualification model

A proposal being pushed by the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association would change that, introducing a computer formula it says would make the process of determining which teams make the postseason, and where they are seeded once they get there, more fair.

Seven steps to success

Rhinelander’s Wyss sets American heptathlon record

It wasn’t long after her first season as coach of the Rhinelander High School volleyball team that Jayme Wyss set her sights on a different, personal goal — one she was able to achieve earlier this month.

Wysses named to Hodag track staff

Former Three Lakes track and field coaches Andy and Jayme Wyss will be part of the Rhinelander High School coaching staff in 2025 it was confirmed this past week.

Reeled in by the Raiders

Hodag Hoops falls to Medford 71-63, drops into first-place tie in GNC

The Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team squandered a chance to take full control of the Great Northern Conference Friday night. Instead, if the Hodags are to win their second straight conference title, they’ll have to prevail in a three-way dogfight down the stretch.

Hodag swimmers win double dual, take 2nd in Appleton

The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team had back-to-back days of successful swimming, sweeping both ends of a Great Northern Conference double dual at Lakeland on Thursday before finishing second in the eight-team Lightning Invite in Appleton on Friday.

Clark misses another game, Lady Hodags fall at Medford

Sophomore Aubryn Clark missed her second straight contest Friday night for the Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team. The Hodags’ leading scorer will likely miss a few more games, but the team is starting to adjust to life without its standout guard.

Medford foils Hodag hockey in rematch

After defeating Medford five days earlier in non-conference play, the Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team had visions of earning its first Great Northern Conference win of the season Thursday night against the Raiders.

Hodag wrestlers split matches in Mosinee

Able to fill the majority of the weight classes, the Rhinelander High School wrestling team split its two Great Northern Conference duals Thursday night in Mosinee.

Banged up Lady Hodags fall to Mosinee

Top scorer Aubryn Clark (back) misses contest

Facing Mosinee in a battle for second place in the GNC would have been a tall enough challenge for the Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team at full strength. Without its leading scorer and do-it-all guard, the task proved to be insurmountable.

Hodag Hoops fends off Mosinee on the road

First-place battle vs. Medford tonight

Jatyn Barkus scored 15 points — all in the second half — and made 10 free throws over the final two minutes as the Hodags secured a 63-54 win at Mosinee in a battle of last year’s GNC co-champions.

Northland Pines too much for Hodag hockey

The Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team could not keep up with Northland Pines Tuesday night, falling to the Eagles 11-2 in Great Northern Conference play at the Eagle River Sports Arena.

Hodag Alpine skiers take second at Granite Peak

The Rhinelander/Northland Pines Alpine ski team tried to narrow the gap on Northern Conference leading Wausau/D.C. Everest Monday on the central Wisconsin co-op’s home hill.

Hodag Hoops routs Lakeland, snaps skid

The Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team got a little bit of its mojo back Friday night entering an important stretch of games within the Great Northern Conference.

RHS swimmers take second at Jaguar Invite

Hodags, top D2 school in field, claim 3 events

The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team turned in a strong performance Saturday at a venue it will visit again in five weeks time, with tickets to the WIAA state meet on the line.