Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Arcata Tigers are now 4-0.

By Ray Hamill — A short prep basketball season is in full swing and plenty of local players have been stepping up their game and making the most of the situation.

It didn’t take Del Norte senior Jadence Clifton long to have an impact.

The Warriors standout set a new all-time career scoring record at the school in her team’s opening game of the season last week.

And that makes her one of this week’s Humboldt Sports Athletes of the Week, sponsored by College of the Redwoods Athletics.

Joining her is Arcata standout sophomore Brandon Bento-Jackson, another young local basketball player that has been setting high standards on the high school courts this year.

And rounding out this week’s honors, our Team of the Week is the Arcata boys basketball team, which is off to a flying start and appears to be the team to beat on the North Coast this season.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Jadence Clifton

Del Norte Basketball, Senior

Clifton is now officially the Warriors’ all-time scoring leader and is enjoying an outstanding final campaign.

In addition to her record-setting exploits last week, on Monday she came within one assist of recording a quadruple-double in a win over South Fork, with 28 points, 12 rebounds, 10 steals and nine assists.

Clifton will play at Oregon Tech next year.

For more on the Del Norte senior’s record-breaking night, see Milestone night for one senior as high school basketball returns …

Brandon Bento-Jackson

Arcata Basketball, Sophomore

Stats don’t always tell the story, but the eye test rarely fails.

Bento-Jackson has been sensational since breaking into the Tigers team as a freshman last year, and has carried that momentum into his sophomore season.

He has played a pivotal role in helping an experienced Arcata boys team to a 4-0 start, including a tremendous defensive performance in a key win at Del Norte on Saturday.

For more on his big week, see Big second half lifts Tigers past the Warriors …

Arcata’s Kai Purcell (11)

Arcata’s Marcus Bensen

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Arcata Boys Basketball

Bento-Jackson isn’t the only Arcata player to start the new season in impressive fashion.

The Tigers appear to be the team to beat in the H-DNL this year, although upcoming games against St. Bernard’s on Saturday and against McKinleyville and Fortuna next week will put this team to the test.

Still, through the opening week of the season, the 4-0 Tigers have been the most impressive, rallying with a big second half to beat the Warriors on Saturday.

Players like Kai Purcell, Mason Railsback, Marcus Bensen, Alex Jioras and Aidan Atkins, among others, have all impressed early in the new season.

Head coach Dusty Scofield clearly has this program headed in the right direction.

For more on the team’s big week, see Big second half lifts Tigers past the Warriors …