By Ray Hamill — The Arcata Tigers dominate this week’s Humboldt Sports Athletes and Teams of the week, sponsored by College of the Redwoods Athletics.

The Tigers clinched four league titles this week and can win another one on Saturday and two more in the coming weeks, not to mention a host of individual titles.

And that gets all of their teams the nod for this week’s team of the week honors.

Individually, Del Norte’s RJ Loftin and Eureka’s Hans Chalmers are coming off big weeks for their respective football teams and are enjoying MVP caliber seasons.

And that earns them boys co-athlete of the week honors.

Our girls athlete of the week is another Arcata Tiger, Seri Welsh, who has been instrumental in helping bring home a soccer championship to the school for the first time in five years.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK 

Hans Chalmers

Eureka Football, Junior

Chalmers has been one of the top players in H-DNL football this season, on both sides of the ball.

He has played exceptionally well at quarterback and has also developed into a takeaway machine on defense and arguably the most dangerous cornerback on the North Coast.

It hasn’t been a successful season for the Loggers in terms of wins and losses, but Chalmers has been a bright spot and should only continue to get better and better.

He’s also a lot of fun to watch play the game.

RJ Loftin, 

Del Norte Football, Junior

Like Chalmers, Loftin has been a force on both sides of the ball for his team.

Arguably the most dangerous running back in the H-DNL this season, the Del Norte junior has made a habit of finding the end zone.

He gets a lot of help from a dominating Del Norte line, but he also grinds out far more yards with his relentless running style and is as difficult a back to tackle as any in the Big 5.

Defensively he has played a major role at linebacker for a Del Norte unit that has completely shut down opposing running games the past two weeks.

For more on Loftin’s big week, see Big second half sees Warriors pull away at Eureka …

Seri Welsh

Arcata Soccer, Senior

Welsh was sensational between the posts once again on Wednesday night, saving the Tigers time and again against a dangerous Eureka attack, on the way to securing the league title.

The senior goalie has been as consistently good as any of her teammates and shows no fear when diving at the feet of opposing forwards to constantly deny them.

Midway through the second half of Wednesday’s showdown, with the game still in the balance, Welsh made a spectacular stop on Eureka’s Lila Ekholdt, and her saves have continually lifted her teammates and given them confidence.

For more on Welsh’s big week, see Arcata girls crowned league champs after another epic battle … 

Submitted photo – The Arcata girls celebrate their Big 5 crown in volleyball on Tuesday.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

The Arcata Tigers

Soccer, Volleyball, Cross Country, Football, Tennis, Golf 

Wow!

What a week it has been for Arcata High sports.

In the past six days alone, the Tigers claimed league titles in girls tennis, girls golf, volleyball and girls soccer, and they are poised to win a remarkable seven of the eight team championships they are competing for this fall.

And they can add a Little 4 pennant in football on Saturday.

They are also frontrunners to win in boys and girls cross country, and are expected to compete for individual league titles in singles and doubles tennis and boys and girls cross country.

We rarely see this sort of dominance from any one school in the H-DNL.

For more on the Tigers’ incredible fall, see What a week for one local school …