RHS still without win in conference play

STAR JOURNAL REPORT

The turnover bug bit the Rhinelander High School varsity football team Friday night when the Hodags lost their Great Northern Conference matchup at Lakeland Union High School, 20-14.

The Thunderbirds scored one of their three touchdowns on a fumble recovery and also intercepted RHS quarterback Logan Freund four times.

LUHS scored first with 8:52 left in the second quarter on a 4-yard touchdown run by Dale Kuckkahn. Jake McClintock added the extra point for a 7-0 lead.

The Hodags got on the scoreboard with 12 seconds left before halftime when Freund threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Logan Wild. Gunnar Millot’s extra point tied the game at 7-7 at intermission.

The Hodags’ Tyler Olson (20) jumps up to disrupt a pass to the Thunderbirds’ Jake Rexroade (23) while the Hodags’ Owen White (85) looks on.

The Thunderbirds regained the lead with 7:33 left in the third quarter when Kuckkahn recovered a fumble for a touchdown. McClintock extended LUHS’s lead to 14-7 with the extra point.

RHS once again tied the game with 4:02 to play in the third quarter with a 2-yard run by Freund and Millot’s extra point.

LUHS scored the game-winning touchdown with 5:27 left in the fourth quarter on a 12-yard run by Tyler Carroll. The Thunderbirds’ lead remained at 20-14 after the extra point failed.

The Hodags outgained LUHS in total offense, 289-176. RHS got most of its yardage in the air with Freund completing 15 of 34 passes for 172 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions. Carroll completed six of 10 passes for 65 yards with an interception.

The quarterbacks also accounted for most of teams’ net rushing yardage, for which RHS had a 117-111 advantage. Freund had 27 carries for 87 yards. Carroll rushed 15 times for 71 yards.

The loss dropped the Hodags to 0-3 in the GNC and 2-3 overall. RHS returns to action next Friday to host a non-conference game against Amherst.

LUHS 20, RHS 14

RHS        0              7              7              0 – 14

LUHS      0              7              7              6 – 20