Hodags push Tomahawk in playoff loss
The Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team could not pull off a Cinderella upset Thursday night in Tomahawk, but it certainly gave the top-seeded Hatchets much more of a game than it did in the regular season.
‘A win of our own’
Hodag swimmers break three school records, finish second at D2 state meet
The Hodags scored four runner-up finishes and placed second at the state championships in Waukesha. Rhinelander broke three school records in the process and wound up with eight podium finishes out of their 16 entries.
Swimming: A look at the field for tonight’s state meet
Rhinelander has tough road ahead of it as it tries to become the first repeat WIAA Division 2 boys’ swim state champion since Madison Edgewood in 2019-20. Here’s a quick look at what to expect from each event.
Hodag Hoops rolls Shawano 72-55
First-place battle at Mosinee on deck tonight
Seth Nofftz scored 20 points, leading four Hodags in double figures, and Rhinelander led nearly wire-to-wire in a 72-55 victory in a non-conference contest at Shawano.
Still something to prove
Hodags swimmers back in Waukesha, aiming for another state trophy
The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team does not have much to prove as it heads back to Waukesha tonight as the defending WIAA Division 2 state champions — at least not to itself or the rest of Hodag nation.
Hodag Hoops fends of Lakeland, stays alive in GNC title race
Will Gretzinger led all scorers with 25 points and the Hodags fended off Lakeland down the stretch in a 65-55 win at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Lady Hodags drop GNC title fight to Lakeland
The Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team needed a win Friday night to keep its Great Northern Conference title hopes alive. The defending conference champion Lakeland T-Birds had a different idea.
Hodag wrestlers advance three to sectionals
Three members of the Rhinelander High School wrestling team are moving on to sectionals as the Hodags took eighth place in a 13-team WIAA Division 2 regional Saturday in Medford.
Hodag hockey falls to Antigo, finishes 6th in GNC
The Robins raced out to four goals in the opening period and defeated the Hodags 9-4 in the fifth-place game of the Great Northern Conference tournament Saturday in Mosinee.
Hodag gymnasts take 8th in Ashland
The Rhinelander High School gymnastics team posted another solid score as it took eighth on Saturday in the Ashland Valentines Invite. The Hodags earned their third-best score of the year, totaling 109.9 points.
Sectional six-peat
Hodag swimmers hold off Ashwaubenon, advance 16 entries to state
The Rhinelander Hodags had a strong day Saturday, winning seven events and advancing 16 of their 21 entries into the WIAA state meet, as they won a sixth-straight sectional title in Ashwaubenon.
Boys' hoops: RHS can’t keep up with No. 4 SPASH
A big first half run proved too much for the Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team to overcome against one of the best teams in the state Tuesday night.
RHS/Pines skiers battle slippery slopes at Snow River
The Rhinelander/Northland Pines Alpine ski and snowboard team did not have its strongest day on the snow Tuesday in the Northern Conference finale but did enough throughout the course of the season to take home some team and individual hardware.
Hodag Hoops falls in OT to Medford
RHS drops two in three-game stretch
The Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team came into Raider Hall Thursday night looking to kick off a daunting three-game stretch and keep itself in the driver’s seat in the Great Northern Conference title race. The Hodags left disappointed, as a team searching for a signature victory let another close game slip away.
Three Hodags wrestlers win GNC titles
Kurtz named co-wrestler of the year
Logan Schwinger, Owen Kurtz and Reid Schultz claimed titles at 190, 215 and. 285 pounds for Rhinelander, which finished sixth in the tournament. The Hodags finished tied for fifth in the final conference standings with Antigo, which they beat head-to-head during dual meet competition.
Hodag hockey snaps skid, wins back-to-back over Shawano and Ashland
The Hodags snapped a seven-game losing streak Thursday with a 10-4 victory on the road at Shawano/Bonduel and followed that up by winning consecutive games for the first time all season, defeating Ashland 5-1 Saturday at the Rhinelander Ice Arena.
Lady Hodags cruise past Tomahawk 69-35
The Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team was clinical on Friday night as it took care of last-place Tomahawk in Great Northern Conference play.
Hodag gymnasts take 6th at Marshfield Invite
Even down a couple of gymnasts the Rhinelander High School gymnastics team was able to post some season highs on Saturday in the Marshfield Invite.
Hodag Alpine competes at Ski Brule
The Rhinelander/Northland Pines Alpine ski and snowboard team hosted the fourth race of the Northern Conference season Saturday at Ski Brule in Iron River, Mich.
Hodag swim claims all 11 events, GNC title
Rhinelander was once again the class of the Great Northern on Friday, winning all 11 events as it rolled to its sixth straight conference championship at the GNC meet in Medford. The Hodags took the meet by a whopping 160 points over runner-up Tomahawk.
A celebration of human spirit
Lack of snow no obstacle as Rhinelander hosts 49th annual Ski for Light
Anyone who has been involved in the sport of cross country skiing for any length of time has likely heard the term “sisu.”
Lady Hodags down Wausau East, Three Lakes on consecutive nights
The Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team picked up back-to-back home wins Monday and Tuesday but is still looking for more consistency as it enters the home stretch of the regular season.
Lakeland downs Hodag hockey again to open GNC tournament
Lakeland jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and cruised to a 5-1 victory over the Hodags in Minocqua to open Great Northern Conference tournament play. The two teams had played just five days earlier, with Lakeland winning that contest 5-2.
Hodag gymnasts pick up conference win at Lakeland
The Rhinelander High School gymnastics team picked up its first Great Northern Conference win in nearly two years on Tuesday, outscoring Lakeland in every event to take a 104.0-79.05 victory in Minocqua.
RHS/Pines skiers take 3rd at Ashwabay
A couple of mishaps in Super G caught up with the Rhinelander/Northland Pines boys’ Alpine ski team on Tuesday as it posted a third-place finish in the third Northern Conference meet of the season at Mt. Ashwabay in Bayfield.
Shoutouts & Callouts
An attitude of gratitude
One of the fundamental axioms of journalism is to tell the story, not be part of it. Last Thursday night, however, I found myself in a position where those lines blurred a little bit — and I could not be more thankful.
RHS goes wire-to-wire over Three Lakes
Gretzinger scores 28 as Hodags down Bluejays 64-51
The Hodags used a big run early to take control, but needed until midway through the second half to finally put away Three Lakes 64-51 in a battle of teams at the top of their respective conferences.
Hodag hockey can’t keep up with Lakeland, GNC tourney rematch ahead
The Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team was outgunned in its first matchup of the year against defending conference champion Lakeland. The Hodags will get another crack at the Thunderbirds tonight as the Great Northern Conference tournament begins.
Lady Hodags fend off Eagles 64-50
Lily Treder scored 23 points and Aubryn Clark had 22 as the Hodags defeated the Eagles 64-50 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Fast start propels Hodag Hoops past Pines, back into GNC lead
Will Gretzinger scored 15 points to lead three Hodags in double digits as Rhinelander defeated Northland Pines 60-43 on Friday night. The win, coupled with Medford’s 73-70 upset victory over Mosinee on Friday, vaulted Rhinelander back into a first-place tie in the GNC with Mosinee as the second half of the conference season begins.
Hodag swimmers close out dual meets with sweep
The Hodags won all 11 events and cruised to a 107-32 victory over Tomahawk in a non-conference dual meet at the Heck Family Community Pool.
Hodag hockey fades in third vs. Antigo
The Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey has kept it close in the third period in every game of its recent losing streak, but has not been able to find a way to get over the hump.
Lady Hodags can’t overcome Seubert, SPASH in road contest
An off night offensively and a talented Stevens Point freshman proved to be too much for the Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team to overcome on Tuesday night.
RHS wrestlers go 1-2 in quadrangular
The Rhinelander High School wrestling team was able to fill only seven weight classes on Tuesday as it went 1-2 in a quadrangular meet hosted by the Laona/Wabeno/Three Lakes co-op.
Hodag girls take 2nd at WNSL Northern Conference meet
Hodag boys finish fifth
The Hodag Nordic skiing girls’ squad turned in a strong showing on Tuesday in its final tuneup prior to the Wisconsin Nordic Ski League state championship races.
Hodag Alpine finally starts 2024 season, boys 2nd at Christie Mt.
After a few false starts and meet cancellations, the Rhinelander/Northland Pines Alpine ski and snowboard team finally got on the hill to race on Monday.
Rapids’ hot shooting dooms Hodags
Rhinelander fell to 0-5 against the WVC on Tuesday night as Wisconsin Rapids hit 14 3-pointers and used a 23-4 run midway through the second half to pull away for a 74-66 victory at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Hodag Hoops edges away from Antigo
Devon Feck scored 18 points off the bench and Will Gretzinger added 16 as the Hodags defeated Antigo 60-45 in a Great Northern Conference contest at Sheldon Fieldhouse in Antigo.
Hodag swimmers pick up wins over Ashwaubenon, Tomahawk, Medford
The Hodags defeated Tomahawk 112-30 and Medford 111-41 in a Great Northern Conference double dual at Tomahawk on Thursday and returned home Friday to defeat Ashwaubenon 99-70 in non-conference competition at the Heck Family Community Pool.
Hodag hockey falls in OT to East/Merrill
Zach Pagel scored four times, including the game-winner on the power play 1:58 into overtime, as Wausau East/Merrill up ended the Hodags 6-5 in Merrill.
Hodag Nordic skiers compete in Iola
The Hodags had seven racers take to the trails of Iola Winter Sports Club for the freestyle portion of the Iola Invite on Saturday.
Rhinelander’s Kurtz reaches 100-win plateau
Hodags drop home duals, take 17th in Wausau
Owen Kurtz, wrestling in his final home meet, reached the 100-win milestone on Thursday as the Hodags dropped a pair of dual meets, first to Tomahawk 54-30 and then to Wausau East 48-24, at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Hodags gymnasts drop GNC Small dual to Antigo 117.4-106.2
The Rhinelander High School gymnastics team has closed the gap on perennial Great Northern Conference front runner Antigo, but it wasn’t quite enough to pull off a dual meet victory on Tuesday.
Hodag boys’ bowlers fall to Marshfield in rolloff
The Rhinelander/Tomahawk boys’ club bowling team lost a five-frame rolloff with Marshfield 134-94 after rallying to what it thought was a 4 1/2-4 1/2 tie during rounds 7 and 8 of the D9 dual meet season at Dale’s Weston Lanes.
100 for the record books
Hodags’ Belanger notches milestone goal in 3-2 loss to Kingsford
Rhinelander's Joey Belanger scored his 100th career goal, but it was not quite enough as the Hodags fell to the Kingsford Flivvers 3-2 on the road in a non-conference contest.
Hodag hockey fades late against Mosinee
Belanger scores 99th goal in defeat
Despite being heavily outshot, the Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team nearly played even with Mosinee through two periods on Thursday night. Mosinee’s constant pressure, however, was too much for the Hodags to withstand.
Hodag swimmers mix things up in Antigo win
Rhinelander mixed up the lineup and swam some events unconventionally as they earned a 104-52 victory on the road at Antigo.
Race season finally begins for Hodag Nordic
The Hodag Nordic ski team had its first race of the season, competing in the Seeley Hills Classic held at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead in Cable.
RHS wrestlers back in GNC win column
After a winless dual meet season in 2022-23, the Rhinelander High School wrestling team got back on the good side of the win-loss column in GNC play on Thursday night, and was not far away from repeating the feat twice over.
Everest uses late first surge to down Hodag hockey 4-3
Four shaky minutes of hockey for Rhinelander late in the first period ultimately proved to be the difference in a home loss on Tuesday night. The Hodags surrendered three goals in the final 4:20 of the opening stanza and fell to D.C. Everest 4-3 at the Rhinelander Ice Arena.