JV FOOTBALL — League races likely to be decided on final night

By barstoolfanatics on October 25, 2023 • ( Leave a comment )

Photos by Denise Grinsell – The Hoopa Warriors have won six straight games.

By Ray Hamill — The Hoopa JVs continued to roll with another big win over the weekend, while both Fortuna and Del Norte posted shutouts to kick off the Big 4.

The Hoopa Warriors are the hottest team in the H-DNL right now and stretched their winning streak to six straight with a 60-8 win over Arcata in front of a home crowd on Friday night.

Also in action this past weekend, Del Norte beat Eureka 47-0 and Fortuna beat St. Bernard’s 40-0.

In the Little 4, Ferndale remained in the chase for a league championship by beating McKinleyville 32-20 to stay one game behind Hoopa in the standings with two games to go.

The win for Hoopa lifts the Warriors to 4-0 in the Little 4 and leaves them one win from claiming at least a share of the league title.

This group of players have been playing together under head coach Curtis Kane since they were 8-years-old but have never won a championship together.

That could be about to change.

“I’m really proud of how far this team has come,” said Kane, whose team is now 4-0 in league and 6-2 overall. “This is the first time they’ve had something like this in sight.”

Sophomore quarterback Allen Kane has impressed since coming back from injury after missing the opening five games of the season and completed 5 of 9 passes for 111 yards and two touchdowns in Friday’s win.

Donald Hostler also continued to impress and had 111 yards and a TD on eight carries, as well as pulling down four receptions for 55 yards and two TDs.

Daniel Peralta also had four receptions for 132 yards and a TD, while Uriah Cheng had two interceptions on defense, including a pick six, and Logan Halbutta had a kick return for a touchdown.

Carlos Anzora took over at quarterback when Allen Kane went down injured and he continues to see time at the position, completing 4 of 7 passes for 80 yards and a pair of TDs, including a 35-yard TD toss to Allen Kane.

The Hoopa coach also praised the play of the Tigers.

“They have some good athletes,” he said. “A lot of those kids are first-year players and they go out there and never give up. They never hung their heads. They never gave up. These are players that are going to give us problems over the next few years.”

Photo by Ray Hamill/HumbopldtSports.com – The Fortuna JVs

The Fortuna JVs, meanwhile, added another dimension to their offense in their big shutout win at Crusader Field on Saturday.

The Huskies, whose only two losses this season came at Foothill and by one point at home to University Prep, have been very effective running the ball this fall.

On Friday, however freshman quarterback Braylon Johnson completed 5 of 9 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns, with receiver Kye-lee Hawthorne pulling down four receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns and Kavi Bolden adding a 46-yard catch.

Bolden also had an early fumble recovery on offense to help set up a three-yard TD run by Johnson.

Bolden and Mako Limon did the heavy lifting behind the Huskies offensive line.

Photos by Denise Grinsell

Limon gained 118 yards on 10 carries, including a 58-yard touchdown run, and Bolden added 44 yards on three carries, including a 39-yard touchdown run.

The Del Norte defense, meanwhile, shut out an opponent for the third time in six games on Saturday and posted a second straight victory over Eureka.

The Warriors’ only loss of the season came at South Medford.

The Warriors and Huskies will face off at Fortuna in two weeks in a game that will likely decide the Big 5.

On the same night, Ferndale plays at Hoopa in a game that will likely decide the Little 4.

This weekend in the Little 4, Hoopa travels to McKinleyville and Ferndale hosts Arcata.

And Kane is expecting to be tested by a McKinleyville team that is fast improving.

“In the last two games they’ve shown to be a different team,” he said of the Panthers.

After being shut out four times in their opening six games and scoring just 14 points in that run, the young Panthers have put up 72 points in their last two games.

In the Big 5 this weekend, St. Bernard’s travels to Del Norte and Fortuna plays at Eureka.