Team preview: RHS boys’ basketball
Hodags have big goals in GNC title defense
The Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team emerged from the pack last season to claim a share of the Great Northern Conference title for the first time in six years. With a large amount of the rotation back from that squad, the Hodags have even bigger aspirations this season.
Team preview: RHS boys’ swimming
Hodags poised for another strong season
The Rhinelander High School boys’ swim team has had plenty of success over the past several seasons. The squad has captured six straight Great Northern Conference and WIAA sectional titles to go along with top-three finishes at the WIAA D2 state meet each of the last three years.
Team preview: RHS boys’ hockey
Hodag hockey looks to improve during season
Coach M.J. Laggis knows, on paper, the Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team has its work cut out for itself during the 2024-25 season. After graduating the majority of its scoring production from last year and with a thin roster of only 15 players, progress may need to be found in areas other than the win-loss column.
Winter Practice Notebook
Experience helps Hodag Hoops start fast
With only eight days between the first practice of the season and the first game, the Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team started this past Monday knowing it had little time to waste as it begins its Great Northern Conference title defense.
Massey, Hokens named Hodag soccer MVPs
Seniors Karter Massey and Hart Hokens took home the Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer team’s top honors on Saturday, selected as the squad’s defensive and offensive most valuable players. The awards were presented during the team’s year-end banquet in the RHS commons.
Team review: RHS cross country
Hodag harriers overcome adversity in return trip to state
The Hodags’ returned to the WIAA state meet as a team for the first time since 2021. The three-year trek to get back to Wisconsin Rapids felt more like an odyssey at times — filled with highs and lows that eventually culminated with a 14th-place finish for the boys’ squad at the D2 state meet earlier this month.
Hodag swimmers take 3rd at state
Francis repeats as D2 champion in 200 IM
The Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team relinquished the WIAA Division 2 state crown Friday night, but the Hodags made sure they went down with a fight.
Team preview: RHS girls’ basketball
RHS looks to reload in top-heavy GNC
The Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team will look to keep pace against a strong top half of the Great Northern Conference this winter, but coach Ryan Clark concedes that it will be a challenge as up to half of his rotation will be seeing its first appreciable varsity minutes.
Paulson named WADA District 2 AD of the year
Rhinelander High School activities director Brian Paulson was recently named the district athletic director of the year by the Wisconsin Athletic Directors Association. The award was presented to Paulson during WADA’s annual conference Nov. 10-12 in Wisconsin Dells.
Team review: RHS volleyball
The Rhinelander High School volleyball team continued to make small, incremental gains in 2024 under first-year head coach Jayme Wyss that the team hopes will eventually lead it back to being a contender in the Great Northern Conference.
Hodags swimmers to face strong challengers in state title defense
The battle for the WIAA Division 2 girls’ swimming state championship appears to be a three-horse race going into tonight’s state meet in Waukesha — and the defending champion Rhinelander Hodags may need to go to the whip entering the final furlong.
Winter Practice Notebook
Lady Hodags hit the ground running in morning practice
The Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team was up before the sun Monday morning as it rang in the first day of practice for the new winter sports season.
Hodag volleyball hands out awards
The Rhinelander High School volleyball team presented its year-end awards Sunday during a banquet in the RHS commons. The awards were a mix of coach-selected and statistics-based honors.
Sectional six-peat
Hodags swimmers win sectionals again, send 18 entries to state
The Hodags won seven events Saturday and advanced 18 of their 21 entries through to the WIAA Division 2 state meet as they rolled to their sixth consecutive D2 sectional title in Menomonie.
Shoutouts & Callouts
Thank you, Dan Bauer
Be it a father, a son, a husband, a respected co-worker, a faithful volunteer or a coach, we’ve lost a truly special human being in the passing of Dan Bauer.
Gremban, Teter named Hodag XC’s fastest harriers
One day after its final race at the WIAA Division 2 state meet, the Rhinelander High School cross country team officially put a bow on its 2024 season with a banquet in the RHS commons.
The roar ends in Wisconsin Rapids
Hodag harriers close season with 14th-place run at state
As seniors Greyson Gremban and Brody Kowieski approached the finish line at the WIAA Division 2 state meet Saturday, realization sunk in that their careers on the Rhinelander High School cross country team were coming to an end. With each stride, there was time to reflect on the highs and lows throughout the last four years and time to grasp what hitting that finish line one final time would mean.
31 Hodags earn all-GNC honors
Massey, Francis tabbed co-players of the year in their sports
Rhinelander High School had a total of 31 athletes garner All-Great Northern Conference honors during the 2024 sports season, including two who earned co-player of the year honors in their respective sports.
One more roar in ’24
Hodag harriers look to end year on high note at state meet
In a way, the hard work is already done for the Rhinelander High School boys’ cross country team. The Hodags have already achieved their stated goal for the 2024 season — qualifying for the WIAA Division 2 state meet. Yet, when the gun goes off one final time on Saturday afternoon, the Hodags want to put their best effort out on the course in Wisconsin Rapids and end the season strong.
Hodag bowling club enters year with fourth team
District 9 schedule kicks off Sunday in Weston
There will be even more bowling for the coaches of the Rhinelander area club bowling team to keep track of this fall.
SWEET REDEMPTION
RHS boys’ runners bounce back, claim state berth with runner-up finish at sectionals
Rhinelander placed four runners in the top 25 and came home second to claim a spot in the WIAA state meet during a WIAA Division 2 sectional in Colby.
Hodag swimmers cruise to 6th straight GNC title
The Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team showed once again on Friday that it is head and shoulders above the rest of the Great Northern Conference.
Hodag soccer sees red again in regional loss to New London
RHS finishes with 9 men in foul-heavy affair
For the Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer team, the 2024 season ended much the same way it began. Once again the Hodags fell to New London and once again they had fewer than their full complement of 11 players on the field when the final whistle blew Thursday night.
Winter voted Hodag tennis MVP
Senior Kelsey Winter held down the No. 1 singles spot all season for the Rhinelander High School girls’ tennis team and was voted the squad’s most valuable player. That was one of several awards handed out Monday as the team concluded its season with a banquet in the RHS commons.
Hodag harriers eye bounce back run, state berth at sectionals
The Rhinelander High School boys’ cross country team got knocked down last Saturday when a chance to win the Great Northern Conference title slipped out of its grasp in the final mile. With even higher stakes on the line this afternoon, the Hodags are looking to get right back up.
Hodag swimmers take third at Small School State
Rhinelander got a look at two of its chief rivals on the state landscape Saturday, placing a close third behind Whitefish Bay and Madison Edgewood at the 17-team Small School State Invite hosted by Shorewood High School.
Cross country: Hodag boys take 2nd, girls 3rd at GNC meet
Rhinelander faded late to a runner-up finish behind Lakeland in the conference meet at Northland Pines. The Hodags girls had their own near miss, edged on a tiebreaker for second on Saturday. Both squads had two top-five finishers and four runners earn all-conference honors by placing inside the top 21.
Hodag volleyball closes regular season with win
RHS to face Merrill tonight to open playoffs
It was not necessarily easy, but the Rhinelander High School volleyball team got a needed win Thursday as it swept the Crandon Cardinals on the road 26-24, 25-22, 25-22 in non-conference play.
Hodag soccer falls to Pines, takes 4th in GNC
Playoffs start Thursday at New London
The Rhinelander High School boys’ soccer team couldn’t overcome the wind in the second half, which aided in goals by brothers Cody and Tyler Vojta just six minutes apart midway through the second half and proved to be the difference in a 2-0 win for Northland Pines in Eagle River.
RHS Sports recap: Thursday, Oct. 17
Girls’ swimming: Rhinelander 130, Colby/Abbotsford 40 | Boys’ soccer: Northland Pines 2, Rhinelander 0 | Volleyball: Rhinelander 3, Crandon 0
Hodags take down Raiders in PKs in penultimate regular season game
Rhinelander converted on all four of its chances in penalties as they won a shootout 4-1 over the Raiders after the sides played to a 1-1 draw in regulation at Mike Webster Stadium.
Slow starts hinder Hodag volleyball against Hatchets
The Rhinelander High School volleyball team had trouble getting going in each set Tuesday night at home against the Tomahawk Hatchets. While Rhinelander dug out of the first big deficit, playing from behind eventually became too much for the Hodags to overcome in a 3-1 loss to the Hatchets at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Playing for more than pride?
With playoff fate out of its hands, Hodag football looks for win in regular season finale
The Rhinelander High School football team looks to play the role of playoff spoiler tonight and — if all the stars align — perhaps still sneak in to the postseason itself.
PHOTOS: Packers pluck Cardinals, move to 4-2
The Green Bay Packers scored 24 unanswered points in the first half and cruised to a 34-13 victory over the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, Oct. 13 at Lambeau Field.
Hodag boys first, girls second at Hatchet Invite
RHS boys win third straight ahead of conference
The Hodags won their final tune-up Saturday, placing four runners in the top 10 as they took the Hatchet Invite at Tomahawk High School. It marked Rhinelander’s third-straight meet win on the boys’ side and second straight with Lakeland in the field.
Hodags swimmers rout Mosinee, move to 6-0 in GNC
Rhinelander went 1-2 in all 11 events as it defeated Mosinee 139-19 at the Heck Family Community Pool. Eight different Hodags scored at least one victory on Thursday and Rhinelander finished one point away from a perfect dual meet score of 140 points.
Hokens scores twice as Hodag soccer snaps skid
Hart Hokens scored twice, including what proved to be the game-winner with just over five minutes to play, as the Hodags defeated Mosinee 2-1 at Edgewood Park.
Sawyer and Patrick finish fourth at sectionals
The Rhinelander High School girls’ tennis season came to an end Wednesday as the team’s No. 2 doubles team of Evelyn Sawyer and Maya Patrick finished fourth in a WIAA Division 1 sectional tournament in Eau Claire.
Medford rolls over Hodags 43-13
Raiders clinch GNC share, all but end Hodags’ playoff hopes
The Hodags had no answer for Paxton Rothmeier and Medford’s run game. The Raiders racked up 448 yards of offense — all on the ground — and defeated the Hodags 43-13 at Raider Field.
RHS No. 2 doubles team advances to sectionals
The No. 2 doubles squad of Evelyn Sawyer and Maya Patrick dug in after dropping the second set to Medford’s Lily Holmes and Hayley Metz to prevail in a match tiebreaker 10-6 and advance to sectionals during Monday’s WIAA Division 1 subsectional tournament at the RHS tennis courts.
Cross country: Hodag boys take Pines Invite
Rhinelander placed five runners in the top 20 and edged Lakeland by eight points for the team title in the Northland Pines Invite in Eagle River. Tuesday’s field featured five of the seven GNC schools, with Lakeland and Rhinelander figuring to be the front runners when all of the GNC returns to the Northland Pines High School campus next Saturday for the conference meet.
RHS to face tall task Thursday vs. Raiders
Mathematically, the Rhinelander High School football team still has a chance to make the WIAA playoffs, but it will take a Herculean effort to get there.
Hodag boys claim Medford XC Invite
Depth ruled the afternoon Thursday for the Rhinelander High School boys’ cross country team as it captured its first meet victory of the season. The Hodags placed five runners in the top 12 as it won the five-team Medford Invite around the campus of Medford High School.
Hodag soccer stunned by Antigo 1-0
Johnny Wissbroecker scored in the fourth minute and that held up as the Red Robins defeated the Hodags 1-0 in Antigo. It marked Antigo’s first win over Rhinelander since prior to 2003, as far back as Wisconsin Valley Conference records are available.
Mosinee too much for Hodags on homecoming
Mosinee’s passing attack overwhelmed the Rhinelander High School football team Friday night, leaving the Hodags’ playoff chances on life support. Treve Stoffel threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns, and ran for another, as the Indians defeated the Hodags 26-6 on homecoming night at Mike Webster Stadium.
Hodag volleyball swept out of playoffs by Merrill
The seventh-seeded Bluejays swept the 10th-seeded Hodags out of the playoffs 25-20, 25-20, 25-16 in Merrill. Rhinelander (12-27) held leads in all three sets, but the Bluejays always had the answer at key moments and the Hodags ran out of time to respond.
RHS volleyball downs Pines again
Hodags complete GNC sweep of Eagles
The Rhinelander High School volleyball team hit another milestone Tuesday night as it tries to rebuild following several down seasons. For the first time since 2017, the Hodags have recorded multiple wins in Great Northern Conference play.
Hodag tennis drops regular season finale to Rapids
The Rhinelander High School girls’ tennis team lost Tuesday in its final match of the regular season, dropping a non-conference dual at Wisconsin Rapids 5-2.
Volleyball: Hodags 4th in Phillips Invite
For the most part, the Rhinelander High School volleyball team beat the teams it was supposed to and sparred with some stronger lower-division opponents Saturday in the Phillips Invite. The end result was a 2-3 record and a fourth-place finish on the day as Rhinelander fell to Prentice and Florence in the championship bracket after taking second place in its pool.
Swimming: Hodags cruise past Lakeland 119-50
The Rhinelander High School girls’ swim team may not have been feeling its best Thursday night, but it still had more than enough in the tank to get past Lakeland in Great Northern Conference dual meet play.