Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The CR football team ended a long wait over the weekend.

By Ray Hamill — It was business as usual for the Crusaders in the opening weekend of the new basketball season, and for two players in particular.

The St. Bernard’s boys and girls teams both won their season-opening tournaments and a pair of standout players were named tournament MVPs.

And that make them our athletes of the week.

Junior Laila Florvilus led the SB girls to a tournament championship in Cloverdale, picking up just where she left off a year ago and showcasing just why she is one of the top players in the H-DNL.

Florvilus scored team-highs in all three tournament games and finished with 49 points in tournament play.

Senior Seth Dyer, meanwhile, was equally impressive for the St. Bernard’s boys, leading them to a tournament championship at Upper Lake.

The standout senior also got the new season off to a flying start and finished with 77 points in three wins over Maxwell, Round Valley and Upper Lake.

Our team of the week, meanwhile, goes to the College of the Redwoods football.

The Corsairs not only ended a 30-year bowl championship drought, but they did so with a thoroughly dominating 63-0 win over Hartnell in the 2023 Grizzly Bowl at the Redwood Bowl.

The Corsairs overwhelmed a good Hartnell team in all three facets of the game and scored touchdowns on offense, on defense and on special teams.

This is a team that has left its mark on CR sports history.

File photo – Laila Florvilus

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Laila Florvilus

St. Bernard’s Basketball, Junior

Florvilus was a force for the SB girls a year ago and looks set to be so once again this winter.

The junior multi-sport standout scored 18 points in back-to-back wins over Lower Lake and Cloverdale in the tournament semifinal and final.

You get the feeling this might not be the last MVP award for Florvilus this season.

For more on her big week, see Florvilus named MVP as Crusaders win Cloverdale tourney …

Seth Dyer

St. Bernard’s Basketball, Senior

Dyer was named tournament MVP and looks set for a big season with the Crusaders.

He certainly got the new campaign off to an impressive start with 28 points in the opening game against Maxwell.

He followed that with 27 points against Round Valley and 22 in the tournament championship game against Upper Lake.

For more on his big week, see Dyer brothers shine as Crusaders win Upper Lake tournament …

TEAM OF THE WEEK

College of the Redwoods Football

The Corsairs had not tasted success in a bowl game since 1993, but anyone in attendance at the Redwood Bowl on Saturday knew that streak was coming to an end before halftime after they had opened up a 42-0 lead.

Head coach Jason White and his players deserve a ton of credit for what they have achieved over the past two seasons and in particular this year after making CR football relevant again with impressive back-to-back seasons.

And they have done it with a large group of local players and a team that has quickly captured the attention of the local sports community.

Running back Emmanuel Igbonogwam was named MVP of the game, while Tyse Whigham was named Defensive MVP and Levi Cox-Cooley was named Offensive MVP.

And they were far from the only stars on a day that celebrated CR football like none we have seen in some time.

For more on their big week, see Incredible Corsairs end long wait with Grizzly Bowl rout …