Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

By Ray Hamill — The H-DNL announced the 2021/22 all-league selections and honorable mentions for basketball on Saturday, with six players named MVPs.

In the Big 5, Arcata teammates Kai Purcell and Brandon Bento-Jackson were named co-MVPs for the boys, while Eureka’s McKenna Beach was named MVP for the girls.

In the Little 4, South Fork’s Oliver Tatton was named co-MVP for the boys along with St. Bernard’s Drew Vizenor, while St. Bernard’s Lele Tanuvasa was named MVP for the girls.

Tanuvasa, a junior, is coming off another exceptional season and is considered one of the best prospects the North Coast has seen in some time.

“In my 22 years of coaching, I have never seen a player with such an upside as Lele,” St. Bernard’s head coach Augie Valdez said. “She’s always the main focus of teams we play against, drawing double and sometimes triple team. 

“She has great court vision, deep range, rebounds well, and can create scoring opportunities for herself and teammates.”

She also has won the admiration of every opposing coach she has come up against and should only continue to improve.

“She’s a rare type of player and the sky is the limit for the player she can become,” Valdez said of Tanuvasa, who was also voted Humboldt Sports Female Athlete of the Year by our readers in 2021. “St Bernard’s is fortunate to have a kid that not only carries herself well on the court but also embodies the ‘One Family’ culture that’s woven into the fabric of our school.

Lele Tanuvasa

“I’m looking forward to big things from her next year.”

Beach, meanwhile, led the way on a Loggers team that won a Big 5 and Dick Niclai tournament double, the program’s first outright league crown in 18 years.

And like Tanuvasa, Beach was more than just the best player in league play this season and also a well-respected teammate.

“McKenna Beach embodies everything a successful team needs in an elite basketball player and leader,” Eureka head coach Mike Harvey said of the senior standout. “She has a competitive fire for success and a dedicated work ethic, and she is a compassionate teammate.

“Congrats McKenna on a job well done and MVP recognition.”

McKenna Beach

Tatton, meanwhile, led the way on a history-making South Fork boys team that won a first Little 4 championship in 29 years.

And they did so in spectacular fashion, rallying to win the final game of the regular season against St. Bernard’s in overtime to claim the championship outright.

Tatton played a pivotal role all season long.

“Oliver is super talented,” South Fork head coach Taylor Morrow said of the senior. “It’s a coach’s dream to have a player that is tall, athletic and highly skilled. He is the guy every team had to prepare for, or else he would roast them.”

Tatton, who intends on continuing his playing career at the collegiate level, should only continue to get better.

Submitted photo – Oliver Tatton (24) and his teammates celebrate their league title.

“He was the cornerstone of our success this season,” Morrow added. “I’m excited to follow his journey at the next level.”

Vizenor, meanwhile, was instrumental for the Crusaders and played a key role in leading them to a North Coast Section and NorCal state title, the first time an H-DNL boys team has ever claimed that prestigious double.

“Drew is a complete basketball player,” St. Bernard’s head coach Issac Gildea said. “There are no holes in his game. He is a great defender and a superior offensive player.”

The senior’s stats this postseason would back that, and in six playoff games he averaged 16.7 points, 3.5 assists, 5 rebounds, 3.2 steals, 4.5 deflections, 2.2 blocks and just one turnover.

Most notable, his 3.5:1 assists:turnover ratio is an impressive statistic that college coaches look for in a point guard.

Drew Vizenor

And like the other H-DNL MVPs, Vizenor has earned the respect of his teammates and coaches on and off the court.

“He’s such a great human,” Gildea said. “Any college would be lucky to have him.”

Purcell and Bento-Jackson, meanwhile, both were key in leading the Tigers to a league and Niclai double with outstanding seasons for the duo.

“They were obviously our leaders,” Arcata head coach Kellen Maynard said. “As they went, we went.”

Both players brought something different to the table.

“Kai was such a great senior leader and super positive and always pushing the guys,” Maynard said. “He just wanted to win so bad.

“Brandon was the catalyst for our offense. He was so good in the open floor and just made all of the guys better with his decisions.

“He made the guys work harder because they knew if they got open he would find them.

Brandon Bento-Jackson

“They are just two special kids that deserve it and we wouldn’t have won without either of them.”

Bento-Jackson is a junior and like Tanuvasa should come back better than ever next year.

The six MVPs weren’t the only players honored by the H-DNL coaches, who voted on the all-league selections.

In addition to Purcell and Bento-Jackson, Arcata’s Carson Tucker was also named to the all-league team to cap an outstanding senior year for the talented all-around standout.

Del Norte and McKinleyville pushed the Tigers all the way to the final night of league play and were each rewarded with a pair of all-league selections.

Edwin Zepeda and Adriel Horton got the honor for Del Norte and Owen Hamm and Jack Clancy got the nod for McKinleyville.

Eureka’s Hans Chalmers and Fortuna’s Alfonso Medina each also were named all-league.

Kai Purcell

In the Little 4, meanwhile, the South Fork Cubs had three all-league selections after their thrilling league championship win.

In addition to Tatton, the talented duo of Tanner Curran and John Harding received the honor, as did St. Bernard’s Owen Shanahan, who capped a dominating season with a huge performance in Thursday’s NorCal championship.

Hoopa’s Brendan Baldy and Ben Hunsucker each also were named all-league, along with Ferndale’s Jack Westfall.

Joining Beach on the Big 5 girls all-league team are teammates Aniah Gaither and Kira Morris, while dominating Arcata sisters Grace and Nora Talty each also got the nod.

Rounding out the Big 5 girls all-league team are McKinleyville’s Kathryn Tinney and Morgan Stubbs; Fortuna’s Isobel Crosswhite and Teal Mostovoy; and Del Norte’s Lili Nunez.

In the Little 4, Ferndale’s Kyla Albee, Haidyn Fulton and Emily Chavez were each named all-league, along with Hoopa’s Savannah Colegrove and Tatianna Colegrove; St. Bernard’s Madelyn Shanahan and South Fork’s Kaylee Cotter.

Kai Purcell and Brandon Bento-Jackson in action for the Tigers

H-DNL HONORABLE MENTIONS

BOYS

Big 5

Arcata — Alex Jioras

Del Norte — Konner Price and Nani Scott

Eureka — Caden Vance and Evan Hodges

Fortuna — Jordin Bourne

McKinleyville — Cody Whitmer and Connor Alto

Little 4

Ferndale — Kannon Christiansen

Hoopa — Daryl Frank, Lane Campbell and Johnny Martinez

South Fork — Ryder York, Shevy Bero-Vanmeter and Tommy Rotbergs

St. Bernard’s — Seth Dyer, Aidan Dorsch and Peyton Smith

GIRLS

Big 5

Arcata — Alia Prentiss and Caroline Dieker

Del Norte — Anyessa Bettega, Brooklyn Carter and Gianna Taylor

Eureka — Mariah Napoleon and Amaya Gee

Fortuna — Ronnee Norwood and Kylee Fennell

McKinleyville — Camryn Pinard

Little 4

Ferndale — Reaghan Langer

Hoopa — Bethany Masten, Harmony Nelson and Taylor Cole

South Fork — Summer Contreras

St. Bernard’s — Emma Wilson and Laila Florvilus