File photo – The Hoopa Warriors will host the Ferndale Wildcats behind closed doors on Friday.
By Ray Hamill — A Friday night triple-header of basketball games at Hoopa between the Warriors and Ferndale will go ahead without any spectators after officials expressed their concern at working the games.
The Warriors traveled to Ferndale on Wednesday and emotions spilled over late in a tight game with a couple of adult fans asked to leave the premises after abusive behavior towards the officials, including an alleged threat of violence.
Head of local officials Rollin Trehearne met with administrators from both schools and league commissioner Jack Lakin on Thursday afternoon.
“We had concerns,” Trehearne said. “And they were addressed today.”
The games, which are the regular season finales for both schools, will go ahead but no fans will be allowed on what was supposed to be senior night for the Hoopa players.
“We’re pretty disappointed that they’re not going to be able to play in front of a home crowd,” Hoopa boys coach Roman Hutt said. “It’s their last home game and they’ve already had three years of COVID. I feel like they haven’t had the proper high school experience.”
The two schools were scheduled to meet twice in the final three days of the regular season because of a series of postponements earlier in the campaign.
Emotions at Wednesday’s game boiled over when Hoopa junior Brendan Baldy was apparently knocked hard to the ground in the final minutes and no call was made.
You can check out the play below …
Baldy, who suffered a concussion on the play, left the game and was taken to the emergency room.
It is hoped the team’s leading scorer can return in time for next week’s Dick Niclai tournament, but he will miss Friday’s game.
His mother Shelly Barella told Humboldt Sports that many Hoopa fans felt the officiating was one-sided late in the game as the home team came roaring back from a 15-point deficit to take a late lead, before eventually losing by two.
“I feel that they need to be protecting our children more,” said Barella, who also stressed that she believes many of the local officials do a good job and that there is never an excuse for threats of violence or abusive language toward them.
The police were called but only for precautionary reasons and fans exited the gymnasium after the game without any incidents.
Friday’s games will not affect the league standings.
Hoopa’s win on Wednesday guarantees the Warriors a berth in next week’s Dick Niclai tournament, while the loss ended Ferndale’s chances.
Likewise with the girls, Hoopa is already guaranteed a place a in the Dick Niclai tournament, while the Wildcats have already clinched the Little 4 championship outright.
The games will be streamed live on the Klamath Trinity School District YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/c/KTJUSDYoutubeChannel.
Ferndale school officials said if there is any problem with that feed, they will stream the game live on the school’s Facebook page.
The JV boys get the action started at 4:30 p.m., followed by the varsity girls at 6 p.m. and the varsity boys at 7:30 p.m.
Categories: Basketball, Ferndale, Hoopa Valley
This was clearly an unfortunate accident of two athletes going for a rebound and there momentum took them both to the ground. It appears the Ferndale player was in front of the Hoopa player who may have jumped above the Ferndale player to get the rebound and the accidental contact caused them both to fall to the ground. Total foul count of both teams 56. 28 fouls called on Ferndale, 28 fouls called on Hoopa.
So, no fans because refs claim some fear of a perceived threat from some adult fan (most likely a family member of a player or friend), and ironically that, “the school is a safe zone by liberals in education” can’t rectify… so much for event staff/monitors/campus security…
…For what it is worth, nothing egregious in the video…2 players go up for a rebound, 1 is off-balance falling already while other appears to grab ball on the way down to the floor they both go… enough fans prove they are only smart enough to be fans, make much ado ’bout trivial stuff, turn it into gossipy fodder for their follower fans…
Basketball is not picking pansies and daffodils… although some fans may not know the difference…
…maybe the players are finally figuring out that their misfortunes are solely caused by adults, and that they are wasting away promoting some school program to make adults look good at the expense of students…
Shameful American culture right now…
I’d say it’s more like no fans because some “glory days” parents acted like ass hats.
The kid clearly slams the other. You have to go for the ball not slam your opponent if he out jumps you.
He definitely fouled him.
Mr. Davis seems very knowledgeable in the rules of basketball? Watch the video is slow motion. There is NO intent of either player to hurt/injury the other. Neither slammed the other to the floor. They both lost their balance in an attempt to get the rebound!