Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Del Norte’s RJ Loftin breaks free for a long touchdown run against St. Bernard’s in front of the Warriors sideline. The Del Norte Warriors feature heavily in our end-of-season awards.

By Ray Hamill — It was another football season to savor here on the North Coast in 2022, with two teams in particular stealing the show.

From the opening kickoff back in late August all the way to the North Coast Section semifinals, when the last of the H-DNL teams bowed out, it was a campaign that was packed with intrigue and no shortage of thrills.

Del Norte left no doubt which was the No. 1 team in the area.

The Warriors were the best H-DNL team on opening weekend and they never relented for three months, dominating every local opponent with the notable exception of one game at Eureka High (which, of course, they still won).

They went undefeated in league play on the way to a third straight Big 4 championship, and have not lost an official league game since October 2018, a 13-game unbeaten run.

But they weren’t the only big story of the season.

In the Little 4, the McKinleyville Panthers clinched their first league title in 32 years and ended a long championship drought.

The Panthers also won a first NCS game in eight years, before bowing out of the playoffs in the semifinals to end a memorable campaign for a program that has turned a corner over the past couple of seasons since head coach Fel Barlow took over.

With none of the H-DNL teams reaching an NCS championship game, let alone the state playoffs, 2022 won’t go down as the most successful season for the league, such are the lofty expectations we have now.

But it still was a fun season and one as unique as any.

Here then are some talking points from the 2022 campaign, as well as our player, coach and team of the year, along with some worthy honorable mentions.

Talking points

1 — Del Norte fans robbed of a home playoff game

The Warriors deserved better from the NCS, which robbed them of a home playoff game despite their outstanding season and league championship.

They were also the only NCS team moved up a division for the section playoffs this year despite not winning an NCS championship last year.

But they didn’t complain and instead came away from Hayward with a statement postseason victory over Tennyson.

2 — Panthers end long championship drought

It will go down as one of the stories of the year in local sports.

The Panthers won a first league title since 1990 and they did it by wearing down their opponents with their relentless run game, outstanding defense and a tougher-than-you mentality.

We can’t say enough about the job Barlow has done in his short time at Mack.

3 — A turnaround for the ages

Arguably the best coaching performance of the year took place at Albee Stadium on Oct. 22, when the Loggers pushed Del Norte all the way before eventually falling 21-14.

They did this just three weeks after being blown out 45-0 in Crescent City — in game that was probably even more lopsided than the final score would suggest — and even more remarkably, the Loggers trailed by two TDs early in the Albee game.

But somehow the coaches kept the players’ heads in the game, switched to a spread offense and actually outplayed the dominating Warriors over the final three quarters in a stunning display that no one saw coming.

Eureka head coach Mike Marcelli and his staff deserve a ton of credit for this performance.

4 — Never count the Huskies out

Not too many people would have given Fortuna much chance of making the playoffs after a 1-4 start, which included a loss to a Ferndale team that struggled for much of the year.

But head coach Mike Benbow and his staff always have their teams playing their best football at the business end of the season and that was the case once again this year.

Three victories in a four-game spell, including a stunning win over a heavily-favored Eureka team, was enough to get them in the playoffs and give their players an experience they will never forget.

5 — Never count the Crusaders out

The Playoffs began a week early for the Crusaders who had an up-and-down campaign and went into the final matchup against Eureka knowing a win would get them in the playoffs and a loss would end their season.

And they did not disappoint, with head coach Matt Tomlin and his staff equally adept at coaching up their team over the course of a season.

Like the Huskies, the Crusaders were playing their best football when it mattered most and they got a playoff victory because of that. 

6 — Milk Can memories

It was a difficult season for the Ferndale Wildcats, but they did win the Milk Can this year.

On a memorable day back in September, the Cats beat their biggest rivals 27-13 with their best performance of the season, and that’s always a bright spot for the town and program.

7 — Fantastic coaching

What can you say about the coaching in the H-DNL?

Three of the Big 4 coaches — Tomlin, Benbow and Nick White — are as good as just about any in the entire NCS and have proven it for years, while Marcelli did a good job at Eureka this year in difficult circumstances, most notably the aforementioned game against Del Norte.

Barlow also has done an outstanding job in a short time at McKinleyville, while Matt Magers gets a high grade for his debut season at Arcata, one that saw the Tigers rally late to make the playoffs.

At Hoopa, Floyd “Cowboy” Billings rallied his team late in the season for the second straight year to sneak into the playoffs after a difficult October, while South Fork’s Karl Terrell continues to overachieve in Miranda and keep that program relevant, and Ferndale’s Clint McClurg has a competitive small school program despite this year’s challenging campaign.

8 — Competitive Warriors rally again

It was somewhat of a disappointing fall for the Hoopa Warriors, who came into the season with high expectations of a league title and more.

Their championship ambitions were derailed after losing three of four games in October, but the Warriors were as competitive as any team in the H-DNL, with all four of their regular-season losses coming by five or fewer points and by an average of just three.

Billings and his players also never lost belief and the coaches deserve credit for that.

Similar to last year, they had to win late to make the postseason and they rose to the occasion when they most needed it.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Nick White, Del Norte

White and his staff have done an outstanding job building a winning culture and establishing the Warriors as one of the premier programs in the entire NCS.

Under White, Del Norte is now a perennial section contender and a team no one wants to face in the playoffs (especially in Crescent City).

This year, the Warriors finished 9-2, including a 3-0 run in league on the way to a third consecutive championship.

The fact that so many Del Norte players in recent years have had an immediate impact in the college game shows just how prepared they are for the next level, which is a testament to the coaching they get in high school and the culture of the program.

White’s outstanding staff also includes his twin brother Chris, Darren LaFazio, Josh Dane and Kendall Giddings.

Honorable Mention

Fel Barlow, McKinleyville

In less than two full years in charge, Barlow has achieved what no other Panthers coach could manage in the previous three decades.

The question now is whether the program can build on this.

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Del Norte Warriors

It really wasn’t close.

No local team this year could match the Warriors, who rolled over most of their opponents with relative ease and composure.

There were no weak links on this team, which could run the ball, pass the ball, stop the run, stop the pass, was great on special teams and had the best kicker in the H-DNL bar none.

The Warriors are now one of the premier programs in all of H-DNL sports and should continue to be a force for the foreseeable future.

Honorable Mention

The McKinleyville Panthers

The Panthers were arguably the story of the season and proved their detractors wrong with some stellar defense and a growing maturity that enabled them to win some key close games along the way.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Giancarlo Desolenni

Del Norte, Senior

Pound for pound there was no better football player in the H-DNL this season.

Desolenni follows in the footsteps of some outstanding recent Del Norte linebackers, and like many of them he is a student of the game who thrives in the heat of battle, plays bigger than you expect and never disappoints.

“What I love about him is his relentlessness,” White said. “He’s very, very competitive and it shows on every single play.”

He also was fun to watch this season and a well-rounded running back who could run and catch and was one of the best offensive threats in league as well as the most dangerous defensive player.

Honorable Mentions

RJ Loftin, Del Norte Senior

The two-time Big 4 Offensive MVP had another outstanding season running the ball for the Warriors and the four-year varsity player will go down as one of the all-time great running backs the team has ever seen.

Rogan Bode, Eureka Senior

Bode was a consistent bright spot at quarterback for the Loggers and a threat to make a big play every time he touched the ball.