BOYS POWER RANKINGS — Is the gap at the top widening?

By barstoolfanatics on January 28, 2023 • ( Leave a comment )

Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Arcata Tigers

By Ray Hamill — The Arcata Tigers remain No. 1 in our Power Rankings this week after another big win at McKinleyville on Thursday.

The questions now are can they win the Big 5 outright for a second straight season and how far can they go in the Dick Niclai and North Coast Section postseason tournaments?

After a lot of uncertainty as to which was the best team in the area over the first half of the season, the Tigers have left no doubt in recent weeks with eight straight wins, including Thursday’s 71-57 victory, which secured at least a share of this year’s Big 5 title.

In just his second year in charge of the team, head coach Kellen Maynard has quickly established himself as one of the best young coaches in the area and deserves a ton of credit for how quickly this young Tigers team has matured and jelled.

The Panthers gave them all they could handle for much of Thursday’s game and will be eager for a rematch in the upcoming Niclai tournament.

They remain a solid No. 2 in our rankings.

At No. 3, the Fortuna Huskies have battled some adversity this season after a very strong start to the campaign.

But credit the Fortuna players, who have battled through that adversity to remain relevant, and with a large core group of younger players on this roster, this team will only continue to grow together.

At No. 4, meanwhile, we have a three-way tie between the Crusaders, Cubs and Loggers.

Eureka recently beat South Fork, but lost to St. Bernard’s, while the Crusaders and Cubs have split a pair of league games and are tied atop the L4 standing heading into the final week of action.

Not much to separate these three.