Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

By Ray Hamill — With league play set to begin in H-DNL basketball this week, The Beat 95.1 FM is getting ready to broadcast several matchups in the coming weeks.

The local radio station released a tentative schedule of games they will be covering, including three big matchups this week.

All of the Del Norte games will also be broadcast live on KPOD 97.9 FM, as well as through DelNorteSports.com.

The Beat — formerly MIX 95.1 FM — will broadcast Tuesday’s big boys showdown between the Huskies and Arcata Tigers at Fortuna.

As always, Tag Wotherspoon will call the action from court side in what should be a pivotal opening night in the Big 5.

This year’s league is expected to be wide open with all five schools expected to contend.

Tuesday’s game is set for approximately 7:30 p.m., shortly after the JV game, with the pregame show getting under way 15 minutes before tip off.

Wotherspoon will also broadcast Thursday’s pivotal Little 4 showdown between conference favorites St. Bernard’s and South Fork in Miranda.

The Beat will also broadcast Friday’s girls game between the Huskies and McKinleyville Panthers at Fortuna.

A total of 16 regular season games will be carried live on the local station, including matchups involving Fortuna, St. Bernard’s, Arcata, Del Norte, Eureka, McKinleyville, South Fork, Ferndale and Hoopa Valley.

Wotherspoon will also be on had at the Dick Niclai Tournament games and some North Coast Section playoff games.

John Pritchett and John “Mad Dog” Horner, meanwhile, will call the action at all of the Del Norte games this winter, including four matchups this week.

The Del Norte boys will host McKinleyville on Tuesday night and Eureka on Thursday, while the Del Norte girls are scheduled to play at McKinleyville on Wednesday and at Eureka on Friday.

The pregame show for those matchups also gets under way 15 minutes before tip off.