Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – St. Bernard’s quarterback Will Omey

By Ray Hamill — A lot of quarterbacks on the North Coast have enjoyed impressive seasons this year, but statistically speaking no one has meant more to his team that St. Bernard’s Will Omey.

Omey closed out the regular season leading the entire North Coast Section in total offensive yards.

That’s pretty impressive territory when you consider there are 171 schools across seven divisions in the NCS, and the vast majority of them play football.

The St. Bernard’s quarterback passed for 1,915 yards and rushed for 1,141 more, making him the only player this season to surpass 3,000 yards (3,084).

Omey also had 28 yards receiving.

Lower Lake senior Elijah Hernandez was 99 yards back of Omey in second with 2,985, with Eureka QB Cruz Montana also impressing in 10th overall, with 2,319 yards (2,357 passing and -38 rushing).

Eureka quarterback Cruz Montana (16)

Even more impressively, Montana closes out fourth among all quarterbacks with a 138.8 passer rating.

The category was led by Cardinal Newman junior quarterback Jackson Pavitt, who had a rating of 146.8.

Pavitt and Montana’s teams are Nos. 1 and 2 seeds, respectively, for the NCS Division-III playoffs, and what a matchup that would be at quarterback if both teams can reach the championship game.

Omey also featured among the leaders in passer rating, with a ninth-best 121.7 rating.

Both Montana and Omey led their respective teams to the NCS playoffs, with the Crusaders opening at home to Albany in Division-IV on Saturday at noon, and the Loggers enjoying a first-round bye this week.

Carr among leading tacklers

They weren’t the only local players to feature among the top performers at their position within the NCS this year.

Lane Thrap

McKinleyville linebacker Kyler Carr is fourth overall in tackles with an impressive 126, and was the only junior to feature in the top seven.

The Panthers did not qualify for the playoffs, but the junior linebacker enjoyed a stellar campaign.

Eureka’s Tyce Mullins, who was this week’s Humboldt Sports Athlete of the Week, as well as Cal-Hi Sports NorCal defensive Player of the Week, closed out the regular season with 106 tackles, sixth best in NCS play.

Montgomery’s Matt Carr led the entire NCS by a total of 23 tackles, finishing with a remarkable tally of 154.

Omey’s St. Bernard’s teammate Lane Thrap also has impressed on both sides of the ball this season.

The junior gets more headlines for his play at receiver, but has been every bit as effective — and perhaps more so — at defensive back, where he closed out the regular season 10th overall in the NCS with five interceptions.