File photo – The Hoopa Warriors have now won five straight games.

By Ray Hamill — It was a good weekend on the JV football fields for two local teams in particular.

The Hoopa Warriors won a pivotal showdown in the Little 4 at Ferndale on Saturday by a score of 22-6 to take a huge step toward a league title.

The win was the fifth straight for the red-hot Warriors, who have been perfect since dropping their first two games of the season and are now 5-2.

Even more important, the win keeps them perfect in league play at 3-0 and moves them one win ahead of Ferndale (2-1 and 5-2) at the top of the standings.

But the Warriors weren’t the only local team to get a big win over the weekend.

The McKinleyville Panthers got the better of the Arcata Tigers 52-12 at the Redwood Bowl for their first victory of the season.

Also in action on Saturday, St. Bernard’s defeated St. Vincent de Paul 46-12 for their third win in four games.

The Crusaders, who are now 4-2-1 on the season, will carry some momentum into this weekend’s Big 4 opener against the Fortuna Huskies, who are 5-2 and had a bye this past week.

The weekend win was particularly gratifying for the Warriors, who had lost a non-league matchup to Ferndale earlier in the season.

“The JVs are looking good,” Hoopa varsity head coach Floyd “Cowboy” Billings said of the young players. “They hung in there and played all the way to the end.”

Sophomore quarterback Allen Kane had nine carries for 85 yards and scored a touchdown in the win, while sophomore running back Donald Hostler added 86 yards on 11 carries and also found the end zone.

Photos by Taunya Caldwell Brunton – Action from St. Bernard’s win over St. Vincent de Paul.

“He’s a smart quarterback,” Billings said of Kane. “I see him doing good things the next few years.”

Defensively, Logan Halbutta and Chergeesh Mace led the way against the Wildcats and combined for 18 solo tackles, while teammate Quincy McDonald finished with five solo tackles and a blocked punt.

Sophomore linebacker Carlos Anzora also had a big game and added a pick six to seal the win.

“These kids are really good,” Billings added. “They get it, they’re listening. Our program is promising.”

File photo – The McKinleyville Panthers got their first win of the season over the weekend.

The Warriors play Arcata and McKinleyville over the next two weeks, two teams which are a combined 1-12 on the season, and victories in both games will clinch at least a share of this year’s league championship.

They will host Ferndale on the final weekend of the season in a game that most likely will decide this year’s championship.

Ferndale will try to bounce back at McKinleyville this weekend.

Also in action this weekend, the Del Norte Warriors (4-1) and Eureka Loggers (3-4) open the Big 4 in Crescent City.