Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Eureka junior Angelina Conant

By Ray Hamill — There was plenty to celebrate about the 2023 high school girls soccer season, which gave us a lot of worthy candidates for our end-of-season awards.

There were arguably four teams that stood out above all others and a plethora of options for coach and player of the year, including four or five Eureka Loggers alone

The Eureka girls capped another incredible season under the guidance of head coach Tommy Learmouth and continued to dominate here on the North Coast on their way to a second consecutive Big 4 and North Coast Section double championship.

They lost just once all year — falling to Arcata in the regular-season finale — but had secured the league title long before that, and if anything it served as a wake up call for the playoffs.

The Fortuna Huskies pushed them all the way in a thrilling NCS Division-1 final at Albee Stadium and also were among the finalists for Humboldt Sports Team of the Year.

Likewise with both St. Bernard’s and Ferndale.

The Crusaders won an exciting Little 4, but had to battle all the way to the final whistle of the final game to seal the deal.

The team they edged for the pennant was Ferndale, and the Wildcats would respond to that disappointment by going on to win a first-ever NCS crown in Division 3, and yes it was the Crusaders they edged in the section final, denying their league rivals a fourth straight NCS title.

The choice for player of the year was just as difficult, with serious consideration given to several Eureka players in particular.

The senior trio of Lili Ekholdt, Ella Tollefson and Maia Hales all enjoyed outstanding seasons in their final high school campaign and they leave behind them a legacy that few players in the history of the local game can match.

Ekholdt was named Big 4 Outfield MVP, with Ferndale’s Regan Russ getting the nod in the Little 4, with McKinleyville’s Caitlyn Canepa and Ferndale’s Tinnley Pidgeon earning the MVP Goalkeeper awards.

All four were worthy winners who each took their games to new levels this fall.

But they weren’t the only stars to impress in what was a thrilling season for local fans.

Here then are the Humboldt Sports end-of-season awards …

COACH OF THE YEAR

Patrick Stranahan

Arcata

After a long and storied career on the sidelines, Stranahan stepped down after this season.

The longtime coach, who also coached at Eureka, leaves a lasting legacy in his wake and has been a huge influence on so many young players here in Humboldt County over the years.

Despite the relative lack of success this year — his team placed third in the Big 4 — Stranahan arguably had one of his most impressive campaigns, as a young Arcata team improved in leaps and bounds over the course of the season.

His inexperienced team came together very effectively and frustrated better teams time and again.

Stranahan will be missed.

Submitted photo

TEAM OF THE YEAR

Eureka Loggers

Admittedly, the Ferndale Wildcats received serious consideration for the award after such an historic season that saw them claim a first-ever NCS crown and the way they responded to a disappointing end to league.

But when all was said and done, no team dominated the way the Loggers did and they lived up to lofty expectations with another double-championship campaign.

They were deeper than any other team and featured four or five players that were as good as anyone on the North Coast.

But more than that, Learmouth had them playing as a cohesive unit for most of the season and they were more than a collection of good players. They were a good team.

There are at least half a dozen Eureka players who could easily their talents to the college fields, and no doubt many of them will succeed there.

Say what you want about the diluted pool of teams in fall NCS soccer, but the way the Loggers have dominated in the H-DNL over the past two seasons is special and few H-DNL teams in any sport have impressed as much against their league opponents as this group has.

And that makes them the 2023 Humboldt Sports Team of the Year.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Angelina Conant

Eureka Junior

As I mentioned, there were several worthy candidates for this award, and few would argue if any of the aforementioned stars got the nod.

But for my money no one worked harder for her team than junior midfielder Angelina Conant, who was arguably the most consistent player in the H-DNL this year.

The industrious Conant did the dirty work that doesn’t always get the headlines and she continually set the tone in the middle of the field all season long.

She is one of the most complete players in the H-DNL — boys or girls — and was tenacious from the opening kickoff to the final whistle every time she took the field.

And that makes her the Humboldt Sports Girls Soccer Player of the Year.