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By Ray Hamill — A talented trio of South Fork Cubs recently announced they will be taking their talents to College of the Redwoods.

Tommy Rotbergs and Shevy Bero-Van Meter will each play basketball for head coach Ryan Bisio, while Cloe McConnell becomes one of the first recruits for new softball head coach Micaela Harris.

And the new coach is more than happy to welcome the multi-sport standout to her roster.

“I’m really stoked to add her to our lineup,” Harris said. “I see her playing a crucial role on our pitching rotation. And even beyond the skills that she brings on the mound, she brings a positive attitude and a strong work ethic.”

McConnell, who is one of the finalists for the 2024 Humboldt Sports Little 4 Girls Athlete of the Year, was a three-sport star for the Cubs.

In addition to all-league selections in soccer and softball this past year, McConnell also received an all-league honorable mention in basketball.

McConnell, who joins St. Bernard’s Kiara McGinnis in committing her future to CR, reached out to Harris and sent her some game film, and the new coach was immediately interested.

“Basically, after seeing her film I just decided that she would be a great addition to our team,” said Harris, who added “I’m real excited to see how it plays out on the field this year.”

Bisio is equally excited to bring Rotbergs and Bero-Van Meter on board to a program that has become one of the most consistently competitive in the state since the 2023 State Coach of the Year took over the program in the spring of 2019.

“We’re thrilled to add Tommy and Shevy to our program,” Bisio said. “Having these two individuals in the building every day adds even more to a group of high character individuals we’ve assembled.

Rotbergs has been one of the top Little 4 basketball players during his time at South Fork and played a big role in the school’s back-to-back conference titles in 2022 ad 2023.

And Bisio expects the sure-shooting standout to be a dangerous 3-point threat at the next level.

“Tommy has all the trimmings in terms of skill,” Bisio said. “His game is very clean and aesthetically pleasing. We hope he turns into a lights out 3-point shooter so his athleticism and IQ can really pop.”

Rotbergs was an all-league selection for the Cubs in each of the past two seasons.

Bero-Van Mater, who also played a key role on the 2023 South Fork North Coast Section football championship team, joined Rotbergs as an all-league selection this past winter.

And Bisio likes a lot of what he brings to the table, but one thing in particular stands out.

“Shevy’s toughness and resourcefulness will fit in well with the other point guards we have,” he said. “He’s a student of the game and I have no doubts he’ll push our guys and thrive in our working environment.”