File photo – Lele Tanuvasa

By Ray Hamill — A familiar face returns to coach the St. Bernard’s girls basketball team this year, in what will be a quick three-week season.

Head coach Matt Tomlin is back to oversee the program he led to tremendous success in his first stint in charge from 2013-2017, when he led the team to a record of 89-39 and won four league crowns, three NCS titles and two NorCal championships

The St. Bernard’s girls were supposed to tip off the new season at McKinleyville on Monday night, but a reported positive COVID test by a Panthers play led to the game’s cancelation.

A young Crusaders team will now begin the season at home to Fortuna on Wednesday night.

“We’re really, really young,” Tomlin said. “We have one senior and three juniors, but we’re loaded with sophomores and freshmen.”

The future appears bright for the Crusaders, but they will likely have to endure some growing pains this spring.

Leading the way is talented sophomore Lele Tanuvasa, the defending Little 4 MVP and arguably the top basketball player on the North Coast right now.

“I’ve coached a lot of very good girls basketball players and really she’s on a whole other level in Humboldt County,” Tomlin said. “She’s the type of player who can score 40 points on any given night.”

Emma Wilson

Freshman Madelyn Shanahan is also expected to have an immediate impact this season at center, and has a lot of talent, according to her head coach.

Returning junior Emma Wilson has plenty of varsity experience and will be relied on to lead the way on what is otherwise an inexperienced varsity roster.

“We’re going to count on those three,” Tomlin said. “But there is some young talent.”

The head coach expects his team to be far more competitive down the road and is glad the players have the opportunity to play at least a few games this year in order to gain some valuable experience.

“Practices have been going good,” he said. “We’re super young and we’re going to get a wake-up call with the speed of the varsity game, but once they get used to it, this program will be really good next year.”

The Crusaders have 13 girls on the roster and will not field a JV team.

They play Fortuna at home on Wednesday night with tip off set for 7:30 p.m.