Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Tyse Whigham (25) is one of six CR players who received All-Region recognition this week.

By Ray Hamill — Six College of the Redwoods football players have received All-Region recognition after a hugely successful season for the program.

Earlier this month, the Corsairs ended a three-decade wait for a postseason bowl victory with a dominating 63-0 win over Hartnell in the 2023 Grizzly Bowl.

The team closed out the season with a 9-2 record, posting a second straight winning campaign after having none in the two previous decades.

Several players played key roles for the team, including a pair of former H-DNL standouts — Del Norte’s Levi Cox-Cooley and Tanner Forkner — who followed their recent all-conference awards with all-region awards this week.

Punt returner Mason Priddy, receiver Anthony Aguirre, defensive lineman Tyse Whigham and kicker Ryan Thomas also were named to the all-region team for CR.

Forkner has been one of the CR defense’s most reliable and consistent players for the past two seasons and finished with 49 solo tackles this fall, which was 10th best in the state.

“I mean, he’s just been so good the whole time,” White said of the standout linebacker. “He’s the kind of guy you wish you had on both sides of the ball. He does everything right. He does the offseason stuff right, he works hard in practice, he’s a smart player and he loves to win.”

Cox-Cooley, meanwhile, ran for 805 yards on 103 carries and averaged an impressive 7.8 yards a carry, which was sixth best among all running backs in the state.

“He’s just got great vision and he can cut on a dime,” White said. “He’s physically stronger than he looks … He does a lot for us.”

Cox-Cooley also left his mark on the CR record books, rushing for 281 yards and three TDs in a 42-24 win over Los Medanos in early October, which is the second highest single-game rushing total in school history.

That day he scored on a 97-yard run, which also tied a school record for the longest TD run in school history.

Aguirre led a talented and deep receiving corps with 553 yards and seven TDs on 31 receptions and became an immediate big-play threat as a freshman with a 17.8 yard average.

Tanner Forkner

Thomas successfully converted seven of 13 field goal attempts, including a long of 40 yards, and gave the Corsairs a reliable foot after they struggled to kick effectively a year ago.

The Alaska native also nailed 42 of 44 PATs.

Priddy, meanwhile, received an All-Region nod for the second straight year after also earning all-conference honors in two different positions — returner and DB — in each of the past two seasons.

This season the Washington native had 12 kick returns for 319 yards (a 26.6 average), as well as 10 punt returns for 214 yards (a 21.4 average) and scored a TD.

Whigham was one of the leaders on a dominating defense that closed out the season with three straight shutouts and he was named Defensive MVP of the Grizzly Bowl.

He finished the season with 60 total tackles and team-highs in tackles for a loss (24) and sacks (11.5).

Levi Cox-Cooley