Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Del Norte’s Nathaniel Barker (76) and Kyle Dixon (12) will play at College of the Siskiyous next year.

By Ray Hamill — Del Norte graduates Kyle Dixon and Nathaniel Barker have been playing football side by side for almost as long as either of them can remember, and that’s not going to change any time soon.

The talented Warriors duo have committed to continue their playing careers together at College of the Siskiyous, where they will follow in the footsteps of another recent Del Norte graduate, OJ Calleja.

And both players are excited about the opportunity.

“I’ve been on Nathan’s team every year since I was eight,” Dixon said. “He’s my go-to guy when it comes to football. He was my center in youth football and we have a very tight bond, especially when it comes to football. It’ll be fun going there with him.”

Barker echoed the sentiment.

“That’s pretty cool, being able to go over there with my high school teammate and see how we progress together on that journey,” he said.

Dixon will play quarterback for Siskiyous, while Barker will play defensive tackle, and both are hoping to earn starting spots this fall, although they know nothing is guaranteed.

“After talking to the coach, he said he sees me playing a lot out there, hopefully starting,” Barker said. “But it’s just not given to anybody.”

Dixon, who has been on the Del Norte varsity team for the past three years, will have to beat out three returning sophomore quarterbacks if he wants to start, but he’s looking forward to the challenge.

“I’ll have to battle,” he said. “I would like to start right away. I feel like I’m self-confident and can start right away. But if I have to, I’ll red shirt. I’ll do anything to help the team.”

Both players have played pivotal roles in the Warriors’ recent success, which includes four straight Big 4 championships, and both feel their coaches at Del Norte helped prepare them for the jump to the next level.

“What really helped me was just having a dominant mind set,” Barker said. “Having coaches who told me I really could do a lot of things and go on to the next level and get a spot at a four-year program.”

Both players played for the White brothers — head coach Nick and assistant coach Chris — until they stepped down after the 2022 season, as well as playing for head coach Darren LaFazio last season.

And all three of those coaches have had a big impact on the players.

“They run their program like a college program,” Dixon said. “Nick and Chris, they don’t mess around. It was just like a college program, that’s what it felt like, and coach Foz, he’s like the same way. Everyone was very disciplined and stuff like that.”

The longtime teammates shared a lot of success during their time at Del Norte and both are hoping to continue that in their collegiate careers.

And for Barker, two games in particular stood out during his time at Del Norte.

“Honestly, the biggest memory for me was starting on the O-line [in a playoff game] against Marin Catholic in my junior year,” Barker said, referring to a 20-7 loss to the top seeds in their North Coast Section bracket that year, as the Warriors almost pulled off a huge road upset. “And senior night against St. Bernard’s, when we barely sneaked past them. That was probably the most competitive game I’ve ever played in.”

That 18-17 victory helped seal the program’s fourth straight conference championship.

Both players also will remember playing alongside their teammates for the past few years.

“I’ll remember playing with all the people I grew up with, and my friends and all the coaches, and how they all helped me,” Dixon said. 

Dixon, who wants to major in fire science, also played basketball as a senior and he closed out his high school career on the court with a bang.

He started on senior night and had a career game, scoring 15 points.

“That was one of the highlights of my whole sporting career,” he said.

Dixon also earned a White Star in track and field this spring as part of the Del Norte 4×100 meter relay team.

Barker also played basketball all four years in high school and came out for track and field as a senior.

He competed in the shot put and discus on the Warriors’ league winning track team, including placing third in league in the discus at the H-DNL championships.

“It was great, it was a really fun experience,” he said of competing in track and field.

Football, however, has always been the No. 1 sport for both players.

Both players are also looking forward to a new challenge in a new area as they get set to make the jump to college competition.

“I just wanted to try something new,” said Barker, who wants to major in administration of justice and be a counselor at a prison. “A lot of guys I know are going to play at CR or Shasta. I just figured I’d try something different. 

“In late March, me and Kyle went over there  and it was a really nice campus and the football field was really nice and the coach was super nice.”

Dixon also was immediately sold on taking his talents to the Weed school. 

“The family environment there was so cool,” he said. “I love the area there and feel like their offense will fit me well.

“(Weed) is even smaller than Crescent City. It’s very similar to Crescent City, which I like, and I like the tight community, especially at the school.”

Both players also would like to take their talents to a four-year program after their time at Siskiyous.

And who knows, in a perfect scenario the two longtime teammates could end up going to the same four-year school together.

And that would be a perfect ending to a friendship on the football field that has been going strong for 10 years and counting.