The 2024 Humboldt Sports Little 4 Boys Athlete of the Year finalists.

By Ray Hamill — Without doubt, narrowing down the list of finalists for the 2024 Humboldt Sports Little 4 Boys Athlete of the Year was the most difficult of all six of our end-of-year high school awards.

There were at least 20 worthy candidates, which is about as many as I can ever remember in a single year in all the years I’ve been doing this.

So narrowing the field down to seven finalists was not an easy task.

To be considered from such a worthy group of candidates, an athlete must have been a first-team all-league selection in at least two different sports.

Our finalists include four seniors, a junior and two sophomores. 

The Humboldt Sports Little 4 Boys Athlete of the Year is one of six end-of-year awards we’ll be handing out, along with Team of the Year, Coach of the Year, Big 5 Girls and Boys Athletes of the Year and Little 4 Girls Athlete of the Year.

And a huge thank you to the local businesses that have stepped up to help sponsor this year’s awards, a group that includes Mendes Supply, DelReka Distributing, Bode Construction, The Humboldt Fence Company, and Chris Prior of Coldwell Banker Cutten Realty, whose generosity ensures all six award winners will receive trophies to honor their accomplishments.

Here then is our list of finalists for the 2024 Humboldt Sports Little 4 Boys Athlete of the Year in alphabetical order.

Shevy Bero-Van Meter

South Fork, Senior

Football, Basketball, Baseball

Bero-Van Meter, who was voted South Fork’s athlete of the year, was a three-sport star for the Cubs and earned all-league selections in both football and basketball.

He will play basketball at College of the Redwoods next year after playing a key role as a senior in leading the Cubs to a North Coast Section championship in football and to an NCS final in basketball.

Justin Freitas

South Fork, Senior

Football, Basketball, Baseball

Freitas was just as impressive as his South Fork teammate in his senior year and also was a three-sport standout for the Cubs, playing football, basketball and baseball.

The senior was named the North Coast Section eight-person defensive player of the year in football and was an all-league selection in baseball, where he was one of the most effective pitchers in the entire H-DNL.

Submitted photo

Jack Kramer

St. Bernard’s, Senior 

Wrestling, Golf

Kramer enjoyed an outstanding senior year competing with the Crusaders and was named their athlete of the year.

The two-sport star placed second in H-DNL boys golf in a race that went down to the final day of the season, as well as winning a league title in wrestling at 157 pounds and placing a very impressive eighth in the NCS.

Prescott Langer

Ferndale, Sophomore

Football, Basketball, Baseball

The only athlete on our list to earn all-league first-team honors in three sports, starring for the Wildcats in football, basketball and baseball, and impressively he achieved that as a sophomore.

He was also one of the most successful of our finalists, helping the Cats to a state title in football and an NCS crown in baseball.

Photo by Tahlia Booth

Lyle McKinnon

Hoopa, Junior

Basketball, Baseball

McKinnon was a definite bright spot for the Warriors this past year despite his teams’ struggles in terms of wins and losses.

Hoopa’s only all-league first-team selection in two sports this year, McKinnon enjoyed big seasons in basketball and baseball and was one of the top pitchers in the entire H-DNL in the latter where he gave the Warriors a chance to win every time he took the mound.

Tanner Pidgeon

Ferndale, Sophomore

Football, Basketball, Baseball

One of the most dynamic young athletes in the H-DNL, Pidgeon played key roles in leading the Wildcats to a state championship in football and an NCS crown in baseball and also enjoyed a big year in basketball.

Few athletes look like they’re enjoying themselves more than the sensational sophomore, who scored five TDs in an NCS playoff game at St. Helena.

Kyler Smith

St. Bernard’s, Senior 

Football, Wrestling

Smith was a two-sport standout for the Crusaders and earned an all-league selection as one of the top linemen in the entire H-DNL in football after helping lead his team to a first-ever Big 4 championship.

He was arguably even more impressive on the wrestling mats, where he won a heavyweight league title and placed eighth in the NCS.