The Northwoods River News

Hodag swim claims all 11 events, GNC title

Rhinelander was once again the class of the Great Northern on Friday, winning all 11 events as it rolled to its sixth straight conference championship at the GNC meet in Medford. The Hodags took the meet by a whopping 160 points over runner-up Tomahawk.

Hodag Alpine competes at Ski Brule

The Rhinelander/Northland Pines Alpine ski and snowboard team hosted the fourth race of the Northern Conference season Saturday at Ski Brule in Iron River, Mich.

A celebration of human spirit

Lack of snow no obstacle as Rhinelander hosts 49th annual Ski for Light

Anyone who has been involved in the sport of cross country skiing for any length of time has likely heard the term “sisu.”

Lady Hodags down Wausau East, Three Lakes on consecutive nights

The Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team picked up back-to-back home wins Monday and Tuesday but is still looking for more consistency as it enters the home stretch of the regular season.

Lakeland downs Hodag hockey again to open GNC tournament

Lakeland jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period and cruised to a 5-1 victory over the Hodags in Minocqua to open Great Northern Conference tournament play. The two teams had played just five days earlier, with Lakeland winning that contest 5-2.

Hodag gymnasts pick up conference win at Lakeland

The Rhinelander High School gymnastics team picked up its first Great Northern Conference win in nearly two years on Tuesday, outscoring Lakeland in every event to take a 104.0-79.05 victory in Minocqua.

RHS/Pines skiers take 3rd at Ashwabay

A couple of mishaps in Super G caught up with the Rhinelander/Northland Pines boys’ Alpine ski team on Tuesday as it posted a third-place finish in the third Northern Conference meet of the season at Mt. Ashwabay in Bayfield.

Shoutouts & Callouts

An attitude of gratitude

One of the fundamental axioms of journalism is to tell the story, not be part of it. Last Thursday night, however, I found myself in a position where those lines blurred a little bit — and I could not be more thankful.

RHS goes wire-to-wire over Three Lakes

Gretzinger scores 28 as Hodags down Bluejays 64-51

The Hodags used a big run early to take control, but needed until midway through the second half to finally put away Three Lakes 64-51 in a battle of teams at the top of their respective conferences.

Hodag hockey can’t keep up with Lakeland, GNC tourney rematch ahead

The Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team was outgunned in its first matchup of the year against defending conference champion Lakeland. The Hodags will get another crack at the Thunderbirds tonight as the Great Northern Conference tournament begins.

Lady Hodags fend off Eagles 64-50

Lily Treder scored 23 points and Aubryn Clark had 22 as the Hodags defeated the Eagles 64-50 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.

Fast start propels Hodag Hoops past Pines, back into GNC lead

Will Gretzinger scored 15 points to lead three Hodags in double digits as Rhinelander defeated Northland Pines 60-43 on Friday night. The win, coupled with Medford’s 73-70 upset victory over Mosinee on Friday, vaulted Rhinelander back into a first-place tie in the GNC with Mosinee as the second half of the conference season begins.

Hodag swimmers close out dual meets with sweep

The Hodags won all 11 events and cruised to a 107-32 victory over Tomahawk in a non-conference dual meet at the Heck Family Community Pool.

Hodag hockey fades in third vs. Antigo

The Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey has kept it close in the third period in every game of its recent losing streak, but has not been able to find a way to get over the hump.

Lady Hodags can’t overcome Seubert, SPASH in road contest

An off night offensively and a talented Stevens Point freshman proved to be too much for the Rhinelander High School girls’ basketball team to overcome on Tuesday night.

RHS wrestlers go 1-2 in quadrangular

The Rhinelander High School wrestling team was able to fill only seven weight classes on Tuesday as it went 1-2 in a quadrangular meet hosted by the Laona/Wabeno/Three Lakes co-op.

Hodag girls take 2nd at WNSL Northern Conference meet

Hodag boys finish fifth

The Hodag Nordic skiing girls’ squad turned in a strong showing on Tuesday in its final tuneup prior to the Wisconsin Nordic Ski League state championship races.

Hodag Alpine finally starts 2024 season, boys 2nd at Christie Mt.

After a few false starts and meet cancellations, the Rhinelander/Northland Pines Alpine ski and snowboard team finally got on the hill to race on Monday.

Rapids’ hot shooting dooms Hodags

Rhinelander fell to 0-5 against the WVC on Tuesday night as Wisconsin Rapids hit 14 3-pointers and used a 23-4 run midway through the second half to pull away for a 74-66 victory at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.

Hodag Hoops edges away from Antigo

Devon Feck scored 18 points off the bench and Will Gretzinger added 16 as the Hodags defeated Antigo 60-45 in a Great Northern Conference contest at Sheldon Fieldhouse in Antigo.

Hodag swimmers pick up wins over Ashwaubenon, Tomahawk, Medford

The Hodags defeated Tomahawk 112-30 and Medford 111-41 in a Great Northern Conference double dual at Tomahawk on Thursday and returned home Friday to defeat Ashwaubenon 99-70 in non-conference competition at the Heck Family Community Pool.

Hodag hockey falls in OT to East/Merrill

Zach Pagel scored four times, including the game-winner on the power play 1:58 into overtime, as Wausau East/Merrill up ended the Hodags 6-5 in Merrill.

Hodag Nordic skiers compete in Iola

The Hodags had seven racers take to the trails of Iola Winter Sports Club for the freestyle portion of the Iola Invite on Saturday.

Rhinelander’s Kurtz reaches 100-win plateau

Hodags drop home duals, take 17th in Wausau

Owen Kurtz, wrestling in his final home meet, reached the 100-win milestone on Thursday as the Hodags dropped a pair of dual meets, first to Tomahawk 54-30 and then to Wausau East 48-24, at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.

Hodags gymnasts drop GNC Small dual to Antigo 117.4-106.2

The Rhinelander High School gymnastics team has closed the gap on perennial Great Northern Conference front runner Antigo, but it wasn’t quite enough to pull off a dual meet victory on Tuesday.

Hodag boys’ bowlers fall to Marshfield in rolloff

The Rhinelander/Tomahawk boys’ club bowling team lost a five-frame rolloff with Marshfield 134-94 after rallying to what it thought was a 4 1/2-4 1/2 tie during rounds 7 and 8 of the D9 dual meet season at Dale’s Weston Lanes.

100 for the record books

Hodags’ Belanger notches milestone goal in 3-2 loss to Kingsford

Rhinelander's Joey Belanger scored his 100th career goal, but it was not quite enough as the Hodags fell to the Kingsford Flivvers 3-2 on the road in a non-conference contest.

Hodag hockey fades late against Mosinee

Belanger scores 99th goal in defeat

Despite being heavily outshot, the Rhinelander High School boys’ hockey team nearly played even with Mosinee through two periods on Thursday night. Mosinee’s constant pressure, however, was too much for the Hodags to withstand.

Hodag swimmers mix things up in Antigo win

Rhinelander mixed up the lineup and swam some events unconventionally as they earned a 104-52 victory on the road at Antigo.

Race season finally begins for Hodag Nordic

The Hodag Nordic ski team had its first race of the season, competing in the Seeley Hills Classic held at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead in Cable.

RHS wrestlers back in GNC win column

After a winless dual meet season in 2022-23, the Rhinelander High School wrestling team got back on the good side of the win-loss column in GNC play on Thursday night, and was not far away from repeating the feat twice over.

Everest uses late first surge to down Hodag hockey 4-3

Four shaky minutes of hockey for Rhinelander late in the first period ultimately proved to be the difference in a home loss on Tuesday night. The Hodags surrendered three goals in the final 4:20 of the opening stanza and fell to D.C. Everest 4-3 at the Rhinelander Ice Arena.

Hodag Hoops falls to Mosinee 70-58 in first-place battle

Landen Thomer had 17 points and 12 rebounds, leading four Mosinee players who scored in double figures, as the Indians edged the Hodags 70-58 at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.

Lakeland rolls Lady Hodags in first-place battle

Kristina Ouimette led four T-Birds in double figures and Lakeland blitzed Rhinelander 77-34 in a battle of GNC girls’ basketball unbeatens in Minocqua.

Hodags swimmers take 2nd in Ashwaubenon

The Hodags won six events and took second place overall in the 12-team Jaguar Invite at Ashwaubenon High School. The performance came on the heels of Rhinelander sweeping a double dual from Medford and Shawano/Seymour at home on Thursday.

Hodag wrestlers take 18th in Merrill

After an unplanned and extended holiday layoff, the Rhinelander High School wrestling team finally got back on the mat Saturday, finishing 18th in the 26-team Bluejay Challenge in Merrill.

Hodag hockey cruises past Medford

Rhinelander’s top line could not be stopped on Thursday night. Gavin Denis, Joey Belanger and Dylan Shefveland combined for six goals and seven assists and the Hodag boys’ hockey team defeated the Medford Raiders 7-2 in Great Northern Conference play.

Hodags stuff T-Birds in 79-54 win

RHS tied for first in GNC entering Mosinee showdown at home tonight

Truman Lamers scored 22 points, Will Gretzinger added 21 and the Hodags pulled away in the second half to a 79-54 win at Lakeland in a battle of Great Northern Conference unbeatens.

Hodag gymnasts improve to start 2024

Time put in over the holiday break appeared to paid dividends for the Rhinelander High School gymnastics team in its first two meets of the new calendar year. Rhinelander came out of the gates with its two highest scores of the season in meets this past Thursday and Saturday, including a performance that was the team’s best since 2021.

Hodag Hoops relies on defense in 54-32 win at Ashland

The Rhinelander High School boys’ basketball team was in an offensive funk for most of the second half on the road Thursday night at Ashland. Luckily for the Hodags they had built enough of a cushion, and played strong enough defensively, to withstand the swoon.

Team Preview: RHS/NPHS Alpine Skiing

Hodag Alpine eager to hit the slopes

The Rhinelander/Northland Pines Alpine ski and snowboard team will have a tough act to follow after its 2023 season, but will look to continue its winning ways as the calendar hits 2024 and the racing season officially begins.

Wolter to step down as RHS volleyball coach

After three successive seasons that were better than the previous one, a rebuilding Rhinelander High School volleyball team is once again in search of a new head coach. Dan Wolter informed the team and RHS activities director Brian Paulson that he will step down from the head coaching position for the 2023-24 season.

Clark scores 41 on record night

Freshman sets single game 3s mark, RHS downs Ashland 75-39

Aubryn Clark finished with 41 points, including a school-record nine 3-pointers, as the Hodags defeated Ashland 75-39 Thursday night on the road.

2023: YEAR OF THE HODAGS

State championships for Rhinelander swim teams named top sports story of 2023

The success of the Hodag boys’ and girls’ swim teams was a runaway choice to lead our list of the top 10 local sports story of 2023. Though each team’s path to state glory was different, there was plenty of commonality between the two.

WIAA D2 boys’ swim state meet top local game of 2023

As seems to happen every year, whittling this year’s list of top games down to 10, and then putting them in order becomes the difficult part. That’s a good problem to have as it means that, once again, there were many memorable moments in Rhinelander sports this year.

RHS boys 11th, girls 15th at Hodag Scramble

Four make podium in home meet

The Rhinelander High School wrestling team welcomed 28 schools to the Hodag Dome on Thursday for the third annual Hodag Scramble. Rhinelander finished in the middle of the pack among those teams, taking 15th out of 26 in the boys’ division and 11th out of 15 in the girls’ division.