Submitted photo – The Eureka Student Athlete Advisory Council

By Ray Hamill — In what was a wonderful gesture this past week, the Eureka High Student Athlete Advisory Council reached out to a rival school with a random act of kindness, and that gets them the well-deserved honor of this week’s Humboldt Sports Team of the Week.

On Friday morning, the Loggers surprised approximately 200 McKinleyville student athletes with free hot chocolate and donuts, in recognition of Random Act of Kindness Day, which was Sunday.

They challenged the Panthers, who thought they were going to a mandatory athletics meeting when they were surprised, to pay it forward to another school in the H-DNL.

Individually, a pair of juniors also had big weeks, which earns them our Athlete of the Week honors.

Eureka’s Aracely Rendon won her second NCS championship in wrestling, while Hoopa Valley’s John Smith provided the late heroics in Monday’s big NCS win in boys basketball.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

Aracely Rendon

Eureka Wrestling, Junior

Rendon won her second NCS championship in just her second trip to the prestigious tournament over the weekend.

The Eureka junior, who also won as a freshman, helped her team to a best-ever fifth-place finish at the sections, continuing what has been an outstanding season for both her and her team.

Rendon will now compete at this week’s California state championships, where she is seeded eighth in her bracket.

For more on Rendon’s big weekend, see Several H-DNL wrestlers place at Sections …

John Smith

Hoopa Valley Basketball, Junior

Smith came to the rescue of the Warriors late in Monday night’s NCS quarterfinal at Head-Royce in Oakland, nailing a two-point basket to give his team a one-point lead in the dying seconds.

There is no doubt George Navarro (a former Humboldt Sports Athlete of the Week) is the face of this team and the biggest threat for opponents, but the Warriors have seen several players step up this season on the way to winning nine of their past 10 games.

Including Smith, who has developed into a clutch performer and a leading threat on the boards.

For more on the junior’s big moment, see Smith’s late basket secures NorCal spot for Hoopa …

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Submitted photo

The Eureka Student Athlete Advisory Council

The Loggers continue to set standards in the H-DNL — on and off the field.

The school’s Student Athlete Advisory Committee, which meets once a week, came up with a novel plan to surprise a local rival with the free hot chocolate and donuts, and drew McKinleyville’s name out of a hat.

The idea was to promote good sportsmanship and good relations within the H-DNL.

For more on the Loggers wonderful gesture, see Loggers surprise Mack student athletes away from the field of competition …