Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Wyatt Simoni

By Ray Hamill — Ferndale’s successful run toward a state championship this past season spoke highly of the tremendous tradition the Wildcats have in football.

It also speaks highly of how competitive the H-DNL is year in and year out.

The state title is the fourth in eight seasons for the league, meaning the H-DNL is now averaging a state championship every two seasons.

That’s impressive.

St. Bernard’s got the party started with a first-ever state title for the league in 2015, and Fortuna kept the newly established tradition going with a championship two years later.

Two seasons after that, both Del Norte and St. Bernard’s reached state bowl games, with the Crusaders taking home a second championship.

There was no season in 2020 because of the pandemic, and no local team would reach a state decider in either 2021 or 2022.

But the league tasted success again in 2023, with the Wildcats giving the H-DNL a fourth state championship in just eight seasons.

It was the biggest story of the season here on the North Coast, but not the only big one.

Del Norte, Fortuna and St. Bernard’s were all crowned co-Big 4 champions.

It was a fourth straight championship for the Warriors and a first-ever for the Crusaders.

The Arcata Tigers also enjoyed a very successful season and were undefeated on their way to winning the Little 4 title, which included two thrilling come-from-behind wins over the Wildcats.

In eight-person football, the South Fork Cubs enjoyed an historic season, as they closed out their season with six straight wins on their way to winning a first-ever official NCS championship.

Among the top individual performances of the season, SB’s Wyatt Simoni was named Big 4 Offensive MVP, while Fortuna’s Jake Houseworth and Del Norte’s Kai Russell were named co-Defensive MVPs.

In the Little 4, Arcata’s Luke Lemke was named Offensive MVP and his teammate Dayquan Dunn was named Defensive MVP.

All five league MVPs enjoyed outstanding seasons.

Here then are the Humboldt Sports 2023 season award winners …

COACH OF THE YEAR 

Mike Benbow

Fortuna

Benbow’s teams are among the most consistent year in and year out here on the North Coast and that continued to be the case once again in 2023.

Appropriately, he tied his former coach Dick Cahill for most career wins at Fortuna with his 121st victory in the opening round of the playoffs, and that’s a record he will no doubt take sole possession of in the opening week or two of next season.

The Huskies lost just four times in 12 games this season, with two of loses coming against eventual state champions St. Vincent de Paul and one against NCS finalist St. Bernard’s.

After the Huskies lost their opening game in conference play at SB, Benbow and his staff rallied their players and battled back to win two straight games to clinch a share of the title.

Benbow has been one of the top high school coaches in any sport here on the North Coast for well over a decade and he continues to set that standard.

Perhaps more telling is the manner in which the coach and his players handle themselves.

Few programs display more class — in wins and losses — than the Huskies, and that all starts with the coaches.

Submitted photo

TEAM OF THE YEAR 

Ferndale Wildcats

The Wildcats are the 2023 Humboldt Sports Team of the Year not just because they won a first-ever state championship to keep an impressive recent tradition going for the H-DNL, but also for the manner in which they achieved that historic championship.

They were seeded No. 5 for the NCS playoffs and had to win three road games against higher seeds on their way to their 14th section championship, which is second only to nationally recognized De La Salle.

They also had to travel for the state bowl game, where they rallied from an early three-touchdown deficit to beat Fairfax 29-21 for the Division 7-AA state title.

Throughout their remarkable five-game playoff run, they epitomized small-town football at its best, wearing down opponents with a relentless and physical running game and playing phenomenal defense while shutting down several high-octane offenses.

They did it all with an outstanding senior class that head coach Clint McClurg said “kept this program alive when it was on life support” during the COVID years when Ferndale had no real JV program.

They also won with some outstanding talented sophomore playmakers, which augurs well for the future of the program.

Several local teams impressed this season, but none as much as the Cats.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR 

Wyatt Simoni 

Simoni is the 2023 Humboldt Sports Player of the Year after a season arguably as good as any we’ve seen in a long time here on the North Coast.

He dominated on both sides of the ball and was a player every opposing team had to account for on every single down.

More than anyone on his team he helped the Crusaders secure a first-ever Big 4 championship, finishing with 1,962 yards rushing, which was the the third most in the North Coast Section, as well as scoring 37 touchdowns, which was second most in the section.

“He was definitely our most valuable player,” St. Bernard’s head coach Matt Tomlin said. “I just think he was the most complete player in the H-DN this year with what he did on both sides of the ball.

“And as far as St. Bernard’s football, he ranks up there with the best players we’ve ever had.”

Among his many outstanding games this year, Simoni ran for 307 yards and scored six touchdowns in a playoff win over Analy.

At defensive end, his 15 sacks were the second most by any player in the entire NCS and he also led his team with 104 tackles, while offensively he averaged 194.6 yards a game, including 150.9 yards rushing and 43.7 yards receiving.

And when you consider all of that, as well as the inspirational influence he had on a largely youthful SB roster, no player in the H-DNL had a bigger impact this year.