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.
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.
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.
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.
Lady Hodags pull away from Tomahawk, win 67-31
The Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team took control late in the first half last Friday night to cruise past Tomahawk 67-31 in a battle of surprising undefeated teams in the GNC in Tomahawk.
Hodag wrestlers finish in middle of pack at home invite
With closer to a full lineup on Friday, the Rhinelander High School wrestling team finished in the middle of the pack in the Hodag Scramble held in the Hodag Dome.
2024 year in review: Top 10 local games
Looking back on the top games of 2024
When looking back at 2024, it was a case of quality versus quality in Rhinelander sports.
First half surge pushes Hodag Hoops past Ashland
It took the Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team a few minutes to find its groove Tuesday night. Once that happened, there was no stopping the Hodags.
Hodags use early run to ground Eagles
Devon Feck scored 16 and led four Hodags in double figures as Rhinelander took care of Northland Pines 65-48 in a Great Northern Conference contest in Eagle River. The Hodags opened the game on a 21-2 run, building a margin they played with the rest of the game.
Hodag gymnasts place fourth at Snowflake Invite
The Hodags posted a score of 116.025 and finished fourth in the Snowflake Invitational, held at the YMCA of the Northwoods. That was less than a point off the total the Hodags had in their debut five days prior at Ashland, and still greater than any overall score the team posted last season.
Hodag swimmers pushed in home relays
RHS 3-0 in GNC after Tomahawk win
Bay Port won nine of 10 events and cruised to the team championship in the Hodag Relays at the Heck Family Community Pool. The Hodags came home second, fending off two other Division 1 programs — Superior and Marshfield — for the runner-up spot.
Hodag wrestlers take 15th in Crandon
The Rhinelander High School wrestling team was short-handed Saturday as it traveled to Crandon for the Rebel Invite, hosted by the Laona/Wabeno/Three Lakes co-op. The Hodags had only nine wrestlers compete and took 15th overall in the 16-team meet.
Memorable milestone
Nofftz scores go-ahead layup vs. Chargers as Lemmens nabs 200th career win
Seth Nofftz scored the go-ahead layup with 7 seconds remaining as the Hodags rallied to defeat the Wittenberg-Birnamwood Chargers 63-59 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium. It marked the 200th career victory for Lemmens, who is in his 15th season coaching at his alma mater.
Hodag gymnasts improve in opening loss to Ashland
The Rhinelander High School gymnastics team dropped its 2024-25 season opener to defending GNC Small champion Ashland on Tuesday night but, in doing so, posted its highest score in coach Kristina Aschenbrenner’s three seasons at the helm.
Hodag Nordic eager for ‘normal’ season
The Hodag Nordic club ski team was on the trails last Saturday gearing up for the 2024-25 racing season.
Hodag Hoops races past Antigo
The Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team picked up the pace Friday night and ran past a young Antigo squad in the Great Northern Conference opener. Truman Lamers scored 20 points, Devon Feck added 16 and the Hodags rolled to a 69-40 victory over the Red Robins at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Lady Hodags roll to fourth straight win
The Rhinelander High School girls basketball team pulled away from Antigo Friday night as it continued a successful home stand. Aubryn Clark scored 24 points and Vivian Lamers added a career-high 17 as the Hodags raced past the Red Robins 75-35 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Hodag hockey drops pair of close contests
A young Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team struggled to close out a pair of close games to end last week.
Team preview: RHS Gymnastics
Hodags eager to take step forward in GNC
Following a few lean years, the 2024-25 season promises to be a step forward for the Rhinelander High School Gymnastics team. That progression can already be seen in the team’s roster, which has nearly tripled in size from a year ago.
Hodag wrestlers place 10th in opening tournament
The Rhinelander High School wrestling team got its first taste of competition for the year — and the first time ever in some individual cases — on Saturday in Antigo.
Comeback for the ages
Clark scores school-record 43 as Lady Hodags down Medford in OT 63-58
Aubryn Clark knocked down a top-of-the-key 3 with 6 seconds remaining to force overtime and finished with a school-record 43 points as the Hodags rallied from down as many as 21 to defeat the Medford Raiders 63-58 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Hodag hockey strikes early, downs SEaLs 6-2
Drake Nelson scored twice and had a pair of assists, while Dylan Shefveland had a goal and two helpers, as the Hodags raced past Chequamegon/Phillips 6-2 in non-conference play at the Rhinelander Ice Arena.
Hodag swimmers sweep Medford in GNC opener
The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team cruised in its first Great Northern Conference dual meet of the season. Rhinelander won all 11 events, finishing 1-2 in 10 of those races, to defeat Medford 134-31 in the Hodags’ home opener at the Heck Family Community Pool.
Team Preview: RHS Wrestling
Hodag grapplers looking to get back to top half of GNC
The Rhinelander High School wrestling team is trying to get back to the form it displayed in its heyday, the mid-to-late 2010s, when it was vying for Great Northern Conference titles on a yearly basis.
Lady Hodags win both games of home tourney
The Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team never trailed last weekend as it knocked off a pair of Wisconsin Valley Conference foes at home in the Tom Kislow Memorial Tournament.
RHS girls’ swim team hands out year-end awards
All 14 members of the Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team walked away with one of the seven awards presented by the squad during the team’s season-ending banquet Monday at the Cedric A. Vig Outdoor Classroom.
Hodag Hoops blasts Crandon in opener
Devon Feck scored 14 points, leading four Hodags in double figures, in a 74-22 non-conference rout of the Crandon Cardinals.
Hodag swimmers place 5 in top 8 at Everest Pent
The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team flashed its speed and versatility last Tuesday in its season opening meet. The Hodags placed five swimmers in the top eight, and seven in the top 13 overall, of the seven-team D.C. Everest Pentathlon.
Hodag hockey drops opener to Shawano
The Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team faded late in the third period last Tuesday and lost to Shawano/Bonduel 5-1 in the season opener in Shawano.
Team review: RHS girls’ swimming
Trophy or not, Hodag swimmers still among state’s best
While the 2024 Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team was not quite the tour de force that the 2023 version was, the Hodags were still dominant in the northern half of the state and of Wisconsin’s best D2 programs overall this season.
Team review: RHS boys’ soccer
Inexperienced Hodags went through growing pains in 2024
With only a couple of seniors back from that squad, the Hodags went through a transitional year in 2024, experiencing growing pains along the way. The end result was a 4-10-2 record, a fourth-place finish in the Great Northern Conference and a first-round exit in the WIAA tournament.
Lady Hodags rally past Crandon 57-40 in opener
Sophomore Aubryn Clark scored 25 points and the Hodags outscored Crandon 25-7 over the final 12 1/2 minutes to defeat the Cardinals 57-40 on the road.