The Rhinelander High School football team opened its home schedule Friday with a back-and-forth battle against Hayward, using a dominant second half to pull away from the Hurricanes 49-12.
Hayward received the opening kickoff but was stopped on its first drive and forced to punt. The Hodag offense responded by marching down the field, picking up a first down on every play of the drive before Chase Curby capped it off with a rushing touchdown to give Rhinelander a 7-0 lead.
Hayward answered with two touchdowns of its own, but the Hurricanes failed to convert either extra point. Combined with several Hodag miscues, that was enough for Hayward to take a 12-7 lead after the first quarter.
Matthew Haselton put the Hodags back in front midway through the second quarter, scoring on a 5-yard run. Then, on the final play of the half, Ryley Hull intercepted a Hayward pass at the 7-yard line and returned it 93 yards for a touchdown as time expired, sending the Hodags into halftime with a 21-12 lead.
The second half belonged to Rhinelander. Rowan Wiczek scored twice, first on a pick-six and later on a 48-yard touchdown reception. Tommy Eades added a 31-yard touchdown catch and finished the game with five receptions for 134 yards. Quarterback Abe Gretzinger was perfect through the air, completing all seven of his pass attempts for 203 yards and two touchdowns. Chase Curby and Drezdyn Pitts also found the end zone on the ground.
The Hodags return to action Friday when they host Medford.
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