Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Freshman Luke Lemke has had an immediate impact with the Tigers this season.

By Ray Hamill — Not many changes in this week’s Power Rankings, with the Arcata Tigers retaining top spot after another dominating week on the basketball courts.

The No. 1 team in the area has now won 10 straight games and 15 straight league games dating back to last season.

They are the two-time defending Big 5 champions and it would have been three straight had the league awarded a championship in the COVID-shortened season of spring 2021 when they went 8-0 (4-0 against Big 5 teams).

Second-year head coach Kellen Maynard is a frontrunner for coach of the year and has led two very different rosters to back-to-back league titles.

The Panthers remain No. 2 in our rankings despite a surprise loss at Eureka in a game that had no effect on their league positioning or Dick Niclai Tournament seed.

However, with two losses in their last three games the Panthers will need to refocus as we head into the postseason.

And they will be challenged this coming week when they open the Niclai tournament at home to No. 3 Fortuna on Monday night.

The Huskies have won three straight games and will carry some momentum into the postseason.

Likewise with the South Fork Cubs, who won five straight league games on the way to a second straight Little 4 championship and are No. 4 in this week’s rankings, breaking a tie from last week with St. Bernard’s and Eureka.

Rounding out this week’s Power Rankings are Eureka and St. Bernard’s, who are tied at No. 5.

The Loggers’ season is over as they are not playoff eligible, which is unfortunate for a team that was finding its feet down the stretch of the season and playing some very competitive basketball.

After beating Eureka in overtime last week, the Crusaders fell to Ferndale on Thursday night, although they were playing without their best player, the influential Owen Shanahan.

POWER RANKINGS

1 — Arcata (16-6)

Tigers have won 15 straight league games dating back to last year

2 — McKinleyville (19-6)

Panthers suffered a disappointing loss at Eureka this week

3 — Fortuna (17-9)

Huskies will open the Niclai tournament at Mack on Monday

4 — South Fork (17-4)

The Cubs clinched a second straight league title this week

5T — Eureka (10-14)

Loggers played their best basketball down the stretch of the season

5T — St. Bernard’s (13-10)

The Crusaders lost to Ferndale this week, but were playing without their best player