A dominating Del Norte Warriors program has now won five straight Big 4 championships in football, but they might enjoy this one a little bit more considering how hard they had to battle.

After securing at least a share of the title with a victory over Eureka last week, the Warriors went into Saturday’s showdown at St. Bernard’s needing a win to secure the championship outright.

And they did just that with a 33-32 victory in an entertaining and closely-fought showdown that went right down to the final seconds.

Facing a St. Bernard’s team that came ready to play, the Warriors trailed for much of the afternoon before taking a one-point lead on a successful Ben Borges two-point conversion reception from quarterback Aidan Rice with just four minutes remaining in the game.

But it was far from over and St. Bernard’s drove deep into Del Norte territory in the final minute of the game, setting up at least a potential game-winning field goal opportunity for Tyler Hinrichs, one of the best kickers in the North Coast Section.

Unfortunately for the home team, however, an interception in the end zone by Del Norte sophomore Sawyer Fry before a potential field goal attempt ended the threat and the Warriors held on for the victory.

“It was a tough one,” Del Norte head coach Darren LaFazio said. “I knew it was going to be a challenge. (St. Bernard’s head coach Matt) Tomlin is a great coach and he did a great job today.

“I’ve got a bunch of respect for Tomlin. He’s always going to give you a game.”

Check out Fry’s big game-sealing play above …

The win was the seventh straight for the Warriors, whose remarkable dominance in the Big 4 dates back to the 2019 season when former head coach Nick White was in charge.

During their remarkable run they have won 17 of 18 conference games, including all three this year.

And few if any of those wins have been as difficult to achieve as Saturday’s.

“Our kids overcame a lot of adversity,” LaFazio said.

Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Del Norte players and coaches celebrate their championship after Saturday’s game.

They did so with several outstanding performances, none more so than senior quarterback Aidan Rice, who has established himself as one of the best at his position in the H-DNL this fall.

Rice accounted for four of Del Norte’s five touchdowns on the day, running in for two on QB sneaks and also scoring on a 70-yard reception from Borges on a wildcat play late in the first half.

Rice would cap a brilliant afternoon when he connected with receiver Tobias Meyers on a 23-yard TD pass to pull his team within one point of the Crusaders late in the game.

He then connected with Borges on a successful two-point conversion pass that ultimately proved to be the difference in a very tight game.

Borges also had a big day and added a five-yard TD run late in the third quarter that would leave the two teams deadlocked going into the fourth.

“It was just a battle,” LaFazio said. 

This year’s championship follows successful pennant winning seasons in 2019, 2021, 2022 and last year, when the Warriors shared the title with both St. Bernard’s and Fortuna.

(There was no official Big 4 in 2020 because of the pandemic.)

“I think it’s great for the kids,” said LaFazio, who was a defensive coordinator with White in 2019, 2021 and 2022. “I’m just trying to keep the ball rolling after my buddy Nick. We got another one and the kids are very excited.”

The Del Norte players have worked hard for their success and the team is not just one of the most successful in H-DNL sports in recent years but is a model program for the rest of the league.

“They’re hard-nosed kids and they listen,” the head coach added. “These kids live in the weight room and I’m very proud of them.”

There were several standouts for the Crusaders as well, including Hinrichs, who continues to be hugely influential for his team.

The junior finished with around 150 yards receiving and scored two touchdowns and a two-point conversion, as well as making three PATs.

He also nailed a 50-yard field goal that would have been good from 58 or 59 yards, which is NFL distance.

“Hinrichs had the game of the year,” Tomlin said. “His 50-yard field goal was halfway up the net. It was unbelievable.”

Receiver Michael Manzi also had an outstanding game for the home team and had two TD receptions.

Quarterback Trenten Hagler threw three touchdown passes.

“We played, we competed and I’m really proud of them,” Tomlin said of his players. “We played our best game today, we just came up short at the end.”

Afterwards, a gracious Tomlin paid tribute to the Big 4 champs.

“I do want to tip my hat to coach LaFazio and his team,” he said. “What an amazing season they’ve had.”

The conference championship secures the conference’s guaranteed North Coast Section berth and a probable home game next week, although as we’ve seen in the past that’s not always a sure thing.

The NCS playoff brackets and seeds will be announced on Sunday.

The Warriors closed out the regular season with an overall record of 8-2, while St. Bernard’s dropped to 6-4.

The St. Bernard’s JVs fared better with a 40-0 victory over the Warriors, a win that secured the Big 4 championship.

The young Crusaders closed out conference play with a 2-0-1 record, edging both Fortuna and Eureka for the title.