Submitted photo – The 14 H-DN boys who placed at last weekend’s NCS wrestling championships.

By Ray Hamill — Three different sports are represented in this week’s honors, which as always are sponsored by College of the Redwoods athletics.

Fresh off a big senior season on the basketball courts, Ferndale’s Kannon Christiansen is one of our athletes of the week.

Christiansen has been one of the most consistent players on the North Coast all winter and closed out an impressive high school career with another strong showing against Cornerstone Christian this past week.

The Cats fell 71-45, but Christiansen had another big performance, scoring 19 points to cap off an “amazing season,” according to his coach Tristan Waters.

Joining the Ferndale standout in this week’s honorees are a group of 21 H-DN wrestlers, who are our Team of the Week after a stellar performance for the league at the North Coast Section championships.

In total, 14 H-DN boys placed at the big section tournament, giving the league its best postseason showing in more than two decades.

Seven H-DN girls also placed at the section championships, as girls wrestling continues to build momentum here on the North Coast.

Rounding out our weekly winners is College of the Redwoods sophomore Sadie Hampton, who is enjoying another standout season on the softball diamond.

The former Eureka Logger has provided a reliable glove at shortstop since breaking into the Corsairs lineup as a freshman and is coming off a big week that saw her hit her first-ever collegiate home run in a doubleheader sweep at Mendocino College on Tuesday.

Hampton is fifth in the state in hits this season.

Kannon Christiansen

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK 

Kannon Christiansen

Ferndale Basketball, Senior

Christiansen went out battling.

The senior standout scored 20 points in a playoff win against Calistoga in the first round of the NCS playoffs and followed that with 19 points in the season-ending los at Cornerstone Christian.

“I thought Kannon was a monster tonight,” Waters said after the Calistoga win.

He was a monster on both sides of the ball for much of the season, giving the Wildcats a reliable and consistent presence in the paint.

For more on Christiansen and the Cats, see Wildcats bid farewell to talented senior duo after playoff loss …

Submitted photo

Sadie Hampton 

Redwoods Softball, Sophomore

Hampton has begun her final season at CR in style and has already racked up 23 hits.

The 2021 Eureka High graduate quickly adapted to the collegiate game where she won the starting job at shortstop as a freshman and has carried that impressive form into this season where she is expected to play a key leadership role for the CR women in her final JC campaign.

Hampton leads the Corsairs with a .500 batting average and has already hit 10 extra-base hits, including six doubles and three triples.

For more on Hampton’s big week, see Hampton homers as Redwoods women sweep doubleheader at Mendo …

Submitted photo – The seven H-DN girls who placed at last weekend’s NCS championships.

TEAM OF THE WEEK 

H-DN Wrestlers

It was a week on the mats that the H-DN won’t easily forget.

Leading the way were Hoopa’s Gerard Marshall and Arcata’s Joshua Hannan, each of whom successfully defended their Section championships at James Logan High School last weekend.

And they weren’t the only locals grapplers to impress at the prestigious tournament, which is bigger than some state championships.

Fortuna’s Mason Evanow and Arcata’s Dakota Sanders each also placed second and qualified for the CIF state championships, along with three H-DN girls, Fortuna’s Chloe Cox and Lindsay Bibby and St. Bernard’s Rory Bickmore.

Chulhs Bates, Eric Stansbury, Curtis Bartley, William Baumgarten, Colton Schaad, Kaewett Nelson, RJ Loftin, Reynaldo Martinez, Jase Mintonye, Jason Marshall, Channey Schaad, Adenne Schaad, Vivian Olivares and Lonna Torrez each also placed at the section tournaments.

For more on their big week, see Hannan, Marshall retain NCS crowns on huge day for H-DN wrestlers …

As well as Seven H-DN girls place at NCS wrestling championships …