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 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.
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.
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.
Hodag hockey ends drought, gets back in win column
Over the course of about 17 hours Friday and Saturday, the Rhinelander High School boys hockey team snapped a couple of skids that had plagued it over the better part of a month.
Wrestling: Hodag girls take fifth in Bluejay Challenge
With only three wrestlers, the Hodag girls’ team still managed to finish in the top five Saturday in the 23-team Bluejay Challenge in Merrill.
Lady Hodags can’t keep up with Lakeland in GNC showdown
Once again, the Lakeland Thunderbirds showed the Rhinelander High School girls basketball team it has a long ways to go to be able to truly contend for a Great Northern Conference title.
Lady Hodags bounce back with win over Three Lakes
Aubryn Clark had 26 points to lead all scorers, Vivian Lamers added 20 points and the Hodags raced past the Bluejays 68-37 on the road.
Hodags swimmers down Medford, Shawano in double dual
The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team returned from the winter break in good form on Tuesday, claiming all 11 events as it defeated Shawano/Seymour 130-35 and Medford 128-37 in a Great Northern Conference double dual in Medford.
Everest blanks Hodag hockey 4-0
The offensive woes for the Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team continued on Tuesday night. The Hodags were outshot 54-13 and fell to the D.C. Everest Evergreens 4-0 at Greenheck Fieldhouse in Schofield.
Hodag Alpine takes second in season debut
The Rhinelander/Northland Pines Alpine Ski team turned in a solid debut Tuesday, finishing second in both the boys’ and girls’ divisions in the Northern Conference opener at Christie Mountain in Bruce.
RHS wrestlers take home triangular
Hodags edge Phillips, Merrill reserves
The Rhinelander High School wrestling team was successful in a couple of non-conference pick-up matches Friday night, defeating Phillips 48-34 and Merrill’s varsity reserve 36-33 in a triangular at the James Williams Middle School gymnasium.
Hodag Hoops fades late at Wausau East
The Hodags didn’t have the fight to keep up with Wausau East Friday night, allowing four Lumberjacks to score in double figures in an 83-58 loss in Wausau.
Lady Hodags struggle offensively in loss to Wis. Rapids
The Lady Hodags shot only 29% from the field while the Raiders shot 49%. That ultimately proved to be the difference as Rhinelander’s late rally fell short in a 47-38 loss to Wisconsin Rapids at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Hodag hockey shut out again in loss to Marshfield
It took Marshfield all of seven seconds Thursday night to take away the notion that the RHS boys’ hockey team would find some momentum after a pair of difficult games over the holidays. That’s how long it took for Joey Cashmer to score the first goal in the non-conference tilt and the Tigers never looked back, routing the Hodags 8-0 at the Rhinelander Ice Arena.
Hodag gymnasts take seventh in Wisconsin Rapids
The Rhinelander High School gymnastics team was a few points off of its season best Saturday, scoring a 113.325 in a seventh-place finish at the eight-team Charlie Martin Invite in Wisconsin Rapids.
Hodag Hoops falters in showdown with Wisconsin Dells
RHS outscored 51-18 in second half, commits 36 turnovers in 70-42 defeat
Rhinelander came up short in its first true test of the season, committing 36 turnovers in a 70-42 loss to Wisconsin Dells on the road. It was the Hodags’ first loss of the season, and it came in stunning fashion as the Chiefs used their combination of height and speed to outscore the Hodags 51-18 in the second half.
Lady Hodags split games in Wis. Dells
Rhinelander had to hold on down the stretch to defeat Ripon 55-47 on Friday and hung around Saturday despite offensive woes in a 47-34 loss to Wisconsin Dells.
Four Hodag grapplers place at Northern Badger
The Rhinelander High School wrestling team brought a limited squad to River Falls last weekend and fared relatively well. Four of the seven Hodag wrestlers finished on the podium at the two-day Northern Badger Holiday Classic.
Hodag hockey shut out in holiday tourney
The Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey faced some very strong competition in the Milwaukee suburbs last weekend, suffering identical 9-0 defeats at the hands of West Bend and Homestead on back-to-back days in Ozaukee.
Returning to the top
Hodag Hoops’ run to GNC title named top local story of 2024
Rhinelander’s run to the GNC championship has been named as the top local sports story covered by the River News in 2024. Hodag Hoops gets the nod over a couple of other very strong stories not only because of the title drought the team ended, but how it ended up doing it.
Team preview: RHS/NPHS Alpine Ski/Snowboard
Hodags crossing fingers for ‘normal’ season
Though this past weekend’s warm spell conjured up memories of the 2023-24 winter season, the Rhinelander/Northland Pines Alpine Ski team hopes that the 2025 season will be much closer to a normal year on the weather front.
Hodag Hoops cruises past Tomahawk
Even with its leading scorer on the bench, the Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team had more than enough firepower to take care of Tomahawk in Great Northern Conference play last Friday night.