Submitted photo – Kyla Albee in action for the Wildcats over the weekend.

By Ray Hamill — This week we honor a senior, a freshman and some record breakers, as the local basketball and wrestling seasons begin to heat up.

On the basketball court, the Ferndale girls are off to an impressive start with several players stepping up this past week to lead the Cats to a second tournament title in eight days.

No one has had a bigger impact than senior guard Kayla Albee, who has been contributing all over the court.

Albee was named MVP at the 50th annual Stokes Tournament at Kelseyville after leading the Ferndale girls to the tournament championship, and that earns her the nod for one of our Athletes of the Week, sponsored by College of the Redwoods Athletics.

Our second Athlete of the Week goes to Del Norte freshman Chulh-ts’a Bates, who has been lighting it up on the wrestling mats early in the season.

Over the weekend, the outstanding young grappler took first place in his weight class at the challenging Grants Pass tournament, adding to the tournament title he clinched in Crescent City earlier in the month.

Our team of the week, meanwhile, goes to the record-breaking Hoopa girls basketball team.

The Warriors kickstarted their season with a couple of big performances on their way to a Gene Cotter Memorial Tournament championship in Miranda, scoring 186 points in two games.

The Warriors appear to be benefitting from a challenging early-season schedule.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Kyla Albee

Ferndale Basketball, Senior

Albee has been influential in leading the Ferndale girls to eight straight wins on the basketball court and played a key role once again at the Kelseyville tournament.

The senior standout posted a pair of double-doubles on back-to-back nights in tournament play, as the Cats defeated Lower Lake 46-10 in the championship game.

For more on Albee and the Cats, see Ferndale girls continue to roll, win 50th annual Stokes Tournament …

Chulh-ts’a Bates 

Del Norte Wrestling, Freshman

The Warriors freshman looks like he could dominate in the H-DNL for the next few years after an impressive start to the new season.

Bates won the 106-pound bracket at Grants Pass on Saturday, defeating a two-time Oregon state champion in the final.

He also placed first at the season-opening Battle at the Border tournament in Crescent City.

Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

TEAM OF THE WEEK 

Hoopa Girls Basketball

After a challenging early-season schedule, the Hoopa girls appear ready to take on the rest of the Little 4.

The Warriors, according to head coach Floyd “Cowboy” Billings, broke the century mark for the first ever in a 101-19 win over Round Valley in tournament play and followed that with an 85-16 win over South Fork.

Tashee Tracy was named tournament MVP, while Harmony Nelson and Tatianna Colegrove were both named all-tournament.

For more on their historic week, see Hoopa girls enjoy record-breaking week in tournament play …