River Monsters face long road in WBA regionals
Rhinelander draws Spring Valley, defending state champ Tilden in River Falls
The regional seeding meeting, conducted last week, did the Monsters no favors as they wound up the18th seed in the 24-team playoffs and have been shipped to River Falls for regional play tomorrow and, possibly Sunday.
Tempo key as Hodag football practice commences
From the typical first-day clerical items to an emphasis on sprinting in and out of drills, tempo and efficiency were the buzzwords Tuesday as the Rhinelander High School football team held its first official practice of the fall.
Legion season provided uptick for Rhinelander baseball
While the 2024 campaign did not live up to the last few seasons for the Rhinelander Post 7 American Legion baseball team, there were some bright spots along the way.
Hodag Hoops Camp sees record turnout
Bolstered by a strong local turnout, the annual camp posted record numbers this week. Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball coach Derek Lemmens estimated roughly 150 players turned out for the four-day event, which was split into sections for players in grades 7-9, grades 4-6 and grades 1-3.
Rebels’ season ends at regionals
The Rebels bowed out of the four-team double-elimination tournament in third place on Saturday following a 12-1 loss to Medford and an 8-1 defeat to Merrill at Athletic Park.
Monsters hold off Whittlesey, near WBA playoff berth
Josh Randolph collected four hits and five RBIs Saturday night as the River Monsters held off the Whittlesey Reds 9-6 at Stafford Field in Dairyland League play.
Hodag football enters dead period, readies for fall camp
For the next week, Rhinelander High School football coach Aaron Kraemer isn’t permitted to have any instructional contact with his players. The hope for the Hodags is that all of the work put in during the summer will help the team improve following a bounce-back 2023 season.
Camp key time for RHS volleyball
The four days of summer camp is always a key time for the Rhinelander High School volleyball team as it enters the dead period without coaching contact prior to the start practice for the season. For first-year head coach Jayme Wyss, the time spent this week was extra important.
Rebels to compete in ‘up for grabs’ regional
Tourney begins today in Merrill
By Sunday afternoon, one of four Northwoods area teams will have punched its ticket to the Wisconsin American Legion Class AA state tournament.
Monsters miss clutch hits in Marshfield loss
The Rhinelander River Monsters outhit the Marshfield Chaparrals on Saturday. They just didn’t get the timely hits they needed to pick up a key insurance win for the WBA tournament resume.
Tourney run ends for Hodag 10U All-Stars
The Hodags bowed out in fourth place in the District 5 tournament after falling to Appleton National 8-0 on Monday and Wausau National 8-3 on Tuesday at Doepke Park.
Babe Ruth Roundup
Rhinelander edged by Tomahawk in Prep League tilt
The Hodags ran out of time after rallying to score four runs in the fourth inning as they fell 9-8 to Tomahawk at Stafford Field in what was likely a de facto championship game in the Northwoods Babe Ruth Prep League.
Rebels begin busy final week with Marathon loss
Marathon jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, defeating the Rebels 9-1 Monday at Stafford Field.
Team review: RHS girls’ soccer
Hodag soccer optimistic following solid season
The Hodags had a solid 2024 season, going 12-3-4 overall, but an inability to win a number of close games cost the team a chance at many more accolades.
Rebels split with Tomahawk, snap 3-game skid
Everyone in the Rebels’ starting nine recorded a hit as they outslugged Tomahawk 15-4 in five innings in a nightcap of a doubleheader at Kahle Field in Tomahawk. It was a needed bounce back for Rhinelander (8-9) after dropping the first game to the Cubs, 10-2, coming off the heels of a 16-0 shellacking at home against D.C. Everest on Wednesday.
Crandon edges mistake-prone Rebels 6-5
The Rebels stranded the bases loaded in the seventh inning and fell to Crandon Post 94 6-5 Monday night at Stafford Field. The loss came three days after Rhinelander beat Minocqua 6-5 at home on a walk-off single by Tyler Chariton in the seventh.
Team review: RHS baseball
2024 a down year for Hodag hardball
The Hodags won only one game and finished last in the Great Northern Conference. The losses were a mix of lopsided defeats and games like the one in Ashland that appeared to be within reach, had the team come up with a clutch hit, a key defensive play, or simply had some good, old-fashioned luck.
Rebels rally to split with Minocqua
Tyler Chariton smacked a single to left with one out in the seventh to cap a four-run rally as the Rebels stunned the 89ers in dramatic fashion 6-5 at Stafford Field. The win allowed Rhinelander to salvage a split of their home-and-home series with the 89ers after losing the opener 3-2 on Wednesday in Minocqua.
Monsters silenced by Rapids’ pitching
The Rhinelander River Monsters were unable to figure out Wisconsin Rapids’ Blaine Wahlen on Sunday. The Rapids right-hander fanned 13 batters over eight innings and scattered three hits as the Red Hawks took down Rhinelander 7-1 in Dairyland League play in Wisconsin Rapids.
Rebels fend off Altoona in Merrill Invite
MERRILL — The Rhinelander Post 7 Rebels got off to a hot start Sunday and held on down the stretch to get back to .500 on the season.
Babe Ruth Roundup
Hodag Preppers take down undefeated Tomahawk
Rhinelander avenged its only loss of the season — and handed Tomahawk its first defeat of the year — using big innings in the fourth and the sixth to take down the Hatchets 15-5 in Northwoods Babe Ruth Prep League play Wednesday night in Tomahawk.
Team Review: RHS Track & Field
In size and results, Hodag track continues to grow
2024 will likely be remember as the year that the Hodag girls' track team took a step forward and rivaled the success of their boys’ counterparts.
Rebels split Saturday games in Merrill
Rhinelander salvaged a split of its first two games of the Art Perkins Memorial in Merrill, defeating Chippewa Falls’ 17U squad 10-3 after falling to Wittenberg-Birnamwood 6-3 earlier in the day.
Rebels drop back to back games
The Rhinelander Post 7 Rebels were unable to keep the momentum going early this week as they began a seven-game road trip that coincides with some of the toughest competition on its schedule.
Shoutouts & Callouts
In regard to high school sports, what are we doing here?!
Over the past several months a question has been percolating in the back of my mind. It pertains to the primary focus of my job — interscholastic sports. Some of the pondering has been based on personal observations, some of it has been based on news stories but the constant whisper has been this: “What are we doing here and are we losing the plot as to the purpose of high school sports?”
Saturday blowouts, Sunday rain give Rebels title in home invite
The Rhinelander Post 7 Rebels took advantage of a couple of teams managing their pitching staffs on Saturday as they rolled to a pair of blowout wins. That ended up being good enough to give Rhinelander the title in its home invite, as heavy rains Sunday morning washed away a potential championship game.
Team review: RHS boys’ tennis
Hodag netters continue to reign in Northwoods
Another year, another title for the Rhinelander High School boys’ tennis team. A decade of dominance for the Hodags was capped off by another solid individual effort at the WIAA state tournament.
Rhinelander fends off Minocqua 3-1
River Monsters back to .500 in Dairyland Large
A strong pitching debut and a couple of timely hits on Sunday proved to be just enough to get the Rhinelander River Monsters back to .500 in the Dairyland League Large Division at the halfway point of the season.
Miljevich, Chiamulera, Van Zile named RHS soccer MVPs
The Rhinelander High School girls’ soccer team honored its offense, defense and midfield on Thursday is it named its most valuable players for the 2024 season.
Babe Ruth Roundup
Rhinelander Prep stays unbeaten with lopsided wins
Rhinelander’s 13U squad in the Northwoods Babe Ruth Prep League remained unbeaten with a pair of blowout wins at home Wednesday and Thursday, avenging the only blemish on their record in the process.
Rhinelander rallies past Fond du Lac Springs in Rebel Invite opener
After rallying to tie the game with four runs in the sixth, Sam Schneider smashed an RBI double to right center to score Seth Nofftz in the seventh as the Rebels walked off 9-8 winners over Fond du Lac Springs in the opening game of the Rebel Invite at Stafford Field.
Wyss named to lead Hodag volleyball
Former Three Lakes coach seeks ‘cultural shift’ to rebuild program
Jayme Wyss has officially been named the head coach of the program, RHS activities director Brian Paulson confirmed to the River News late last week.
Rebels rocky in summer debut
Antigo scored multiple runs in every inning except the fifth and Tyler Chariton’s infield single with two outs in the bottom of the fifth broke up the Typhoon’s no-hit bid as Rhinelander fell 13-2 at Stafford Field.
Team review: RHS softball
Hodag fastpitch experienced growing pains in 2024
By the numbers, it was certainly a tough first year for the Rhinelander High School softball program under first-year co-head coaches Sadie Adamski and Ali Bender.
River Monsters earn key weekend split
2021 RHS graduate Isaac Bixby made his return over the weekend and scattered six hits in a complete-game 4-3 victory Sunday at Whittlesey. It felt like a must-win game for the Monsters after falling at league-leading Everest 10-3 a day earlier. It moved Rhinelander to 2-3 and still very much in the hunt for a WBA postseason berth near the halfway point of the regular season.
Legion: Rebels eye success while developing in 2024
By all accounts it was a rough spring on the varsity front for the Rhinelander baseball program. The good news, unlike most programs, the Rhinelander hard-ballers don’t have to wait until next spring to turn things around.
State qualifiers Belanger, Fritz earn Hodag tennis MVP
Following a strong senior campaign that ended at the WIAA state tournament in Madison, Joey Belanger and Dalton Fritz shared the Rhinelander High School boys’ tennis team’s most valuable player award. The two headlined the list of award winners during Tuesday’s banquet in the RHS commons.
Hodag softball team hands out awards
The Rhinelander High School softball team put a wrap on its 2024 season Sunday with its year-end banquet in the RHS commons. The team handed out five awards, led by the team’s two All-Great Northern Conference recipients. Freshman Chase Verbist earned the team’s Silver Slugger award while senior Lily Treder earned the Hustle award.
49 RHS athletes earn All-GNC honors
Hodags Chiamulera, Miljevich earn soccer player of the year honors
The All-Great Northern Conference teams for the spring 2024 season were officially announced by the conference last Friday, with Rhinelander High School being well-represented.
Hodags Fritz, Belanger win match at state tennis
Seniors Dalton Fritz and Joey Belanger ended their high school careers on a proud note Friday morning after bowing out of the WIAA Division 1 state boys’ tennis doubles tournament in Madison with a second-round loss to Neenah’s Andrew Werner and Brady Hildreth.
Shutout ends Hodag soccer’s season
Josie Wentland’s free kick goal in the 47th minute was enough as Lakeland knocked its rival out of the WIAA tournament, defeating the Hodags 1-0 in a WIAA Division 3 regional final in Minocqua.
1981 Alpine ski team inducted into Hodag Hall of Fame
Wrestling coaches Finlan, Kreitlow honored with Heart of the Hodag Award
The 1981 WIARA state-champion Rhinelander High School boys’ Alpine ski team was inducted in the Rhinelander Athletic Booster Club’s Hodag Hall of Fame during the ABC’s 42nd annual banquet at The Pines Event Center.
River Monsters drop exhibition to Tomahawk
Thought to be a strength going into the start of the season, the depth of the Rhinelander River Monsters’ pitching staff is going to be tested greatly going into a key stretch of the Dairyland League season.
Sam Schoppe wins Hodag golf MVP award again
For the second straight year, Sam Schoppe took home the Rhinelander High School golf team honor that bears his family’s name.
Buchmann back on podium at state
RHS sophomore takes 4th in discus; Bergman, girls’ 4x100 also compete
Rhinelander’s Libbey Buchmann almost did not get a chance to get back on the podium in the discus at the WIAA Division 2 state track meet on Saturday.
Hodag track honors four athletes of the year
The Rhinelander High School track team celebrated a successful season — and one that is not over quite yet — with a banquet Tuesday in the RHS commons.
Kowieski shoots 87 at sectionals
Brody Kowieski shot 87 and finished in a tie for 24th Tuesday in a WIAA Division 1 sectional tournament in Hudson. That ended up being 10 strokes off the state cutline, which went to the top three individuals from Tuesday’s meet who were not on a qualifying team.
Monsters let one slip away against Everest
It was all going to plan for the Rhinelander River Monsters Sunday against Dairyland League and WBA state runner-up Everest right up until the point when it wasn’t.
Track qualifiers gearing up for state
From both a team and individual perspective, 2024 has likely been a turning point for the Rhinelander High School girls’ track team. The Hodags recorded their best finish in an outdoor conference meet since 1995, the team has already broke two school records and, for the first time in more than two decades, is sending multiple entries to La Crosse for the WIAA state track meet.
Belanger, Fritz set to finish in Madison
Hodag pair readies for WIAA state tennis tourney
Rhinelander seniors Joey Belanger and Dalton Fritz are set to bid farewell to high school Friday night when commencement exercises are held at Mike Webster Stadium. Although one wouldn’t fault them if they have to rush to make it to graduation on time or wind up missing the event altogether.