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.
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.