Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

By Ray Hamill — The Eureka Loggers won their second tournament in three weeks over the weekend, and that’s something that has been gaining them attention beyond Humboldt County.

After Saturday’s tournament championship at the Lincoln tournament in San Francisco, the Loggers (8-2) are now ranked No. 3 in the Division-III NCS girls basketball rankings, tied with No. 2 St. Joseph Notre Dame (5-1) with a rating of 20.4, and trailing only on strength of schedule.

Salesian is No. 1.

The Eureka girls have certainly impressed in the early going, defeating Lick Wilmerding 52-43 in the championship game at Lincoln High.

Senior Makaila Napoleon, who scored 32 points in Friday’s semifinal win over Urban, was named tourney MVP, while teammate Dorshaela Wesson was named to the all-tournament team.

And that impressive form has not gone unnoticed by the rest of the NCS, with the Eureka girls solidifying their high rankings three weeks into the season.

Submitted photo – The Eureka girls celeb

The Loggers are also ranked 59th overall in the state, five spots behind Big 5 rivals Del Norte (9-1), as well as ninth among Division-III teams in California.

The Loggers are also now 10th overall in the NCS, two spots behind Del Norte, giving the Big 5 a big presence among the section’s top teams.

Eureka and Del Norte are expected to be the frontrunners in what is shaping up to be a competitive Big 5 this year.

The Loggers play the Warriors on Jan. 16 at Del Norte, and the two teams close out the regular season in what could be the league decider at Eureka High on Jan. 31.

The Loggers host South Fork on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.

Del Norte plays at Brookings-Harbor on the same night.