Submitted photo – The Ferndale winter sports teams captains received the H-DN Winter Sportsmanship pennant on Tuesday night.

By Ray Hamill — The Wildcats are winning on and off the fields of competition and earning the admiration of their peers.

This week, Ferndale High School received the Winter H-DN 2023 NCS League Sportsmanship pennant for the way the school’s student athletes, coaches and fans conducted themselves during the winter sports seasons.

The award is the brainchild of the H-DN Student Athlete Advisory Council and a pennant is handed out to one of the 11 H-DN schools at the end of each sports season during the school year, with a sportsmanship banner awarded to the top overall school at the end of the school year.

The Ferndale winter team captains received their pennant at the school’s winter season awards night on Tuesday.

“We’re very pleased with our coaches and our players, and our spectators as well,” Ferndale Athletic Director Clint McClurg said. “It was very positive for our whole school.”

Last year, the Student Athlete Advisory Council proposed recognizing the schools that display the best sportsmanship at H-DN events and the league voted unanimously to move forward with the program.

“It means everything to the community of Ferndale, Everybody is thrilled to be awarded the sportsmanship award as a program,” said boys basketball coach Tristan Waters, who added “Ferndale is a strong and supporting community.”

The award is based on the input of officials, coaches and school administrators throughout each season, with officials evaluations accounting for 40 percent of the overall score for each school, while coaches account for 30 percent and administrators account for 30 percent.

According to a press release from SAAC, the race for the winter sportsmanship award was a very close one.

Ferndale won in part because it was the only H-DN school not to have any ejections during the winter sports season, while the rest of the league ranged from one to nine ejections during that time.

That’s even more impressive when you consider that ejections at sporting events are up 30 percent in the section so far this year, according to NCS officials. 

(Ejections include athletes, fans and coaches.)

Ferndale fans look on during a recent basketball playoff game. The Wildcats were the only H-DN school not to have a single ejection during the winter sports season.

During the winter season, the Wildcats competed in wrestling and boys and girls basketball, with the school’s girls team advancing all the way to the final four in state play in Division 6.

SAAC representatives Colton Coring of Fortuna and Summer Contreras of South Fork presented the Wildcats with the pennant.

NorthCoast Prep received the honor for the fall season.