Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

By Ray Hamill — Three seniors who helped lead their teams to big wins this week feature in our weekly awards.

Fortuna’s Raigan Brooks and Eureka’s Angelina Conant have each played key roles for their respective soccer teams all fall and both are looking to close their high school careers.

The two standout players will face off in Friday afternoon’s North Coast Section girls Division-1 championship game.

Both were in top form once again in semifinal victories on Wednesday, as Brooks led the Huskies past the Del Norte Warriors and Conant again was one of the best players on the field when the Loggers defeated Arcata.

And that makes each of them two of our athletes of the week.

Joining them is a standout Del Norte senior, who is enjoying a big season in football and has shown a ton of improvement this fall.

In the past few weeks, several players have stepped up for the Warriors, who have won seven straight games and were crowned outright Big 4 champions this past weekend, but none more so than quarterback Aidan Rice.

The standout senior has enjoyed a couple of outstanding games in conference play and continued to impress in his team’s conference-clinching 33-32 win at St. Bernard’s on Saturday.

And rounding out weekly awards, the Ferndale football team saved the best for last with a huge 27-21 win over a previously unbeaten Arcata team on Saturday.

The victory was well-deserved and a resounding response to a loss to the Tigers just weeks before.

It also secured a share of the Little 4 championship and will give the Wildcats plenty of momentum heading into this week’s NCS playoffs.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

Raigan Brooks

Fortuna Girls Soccer, Senior

Brooks had another big performance in the middle of the field in a 1-0 win over the Warriors, directing traffic and encouraging her teammates in what was one of their biggest games of the season.

“She’s been that team leader and captain for us,” Fortuna head coach Arnulfo Aguirre said. “And she was making sure we were organized and making sure everyone was on top of their game. She was just making plays.”

For more on Brooks big week, see Huskies edge the Warriors to set up the rematch they wanted …

Angelina Conant 

Eureka Girls Soccer, Senior

Conant has been force in the middle of the field for the Loggers all season long, leading them to a third straight league title and back to the NCS championship game.

Few players have had as big an impact as the dynamic and hard-working senior standout, who opposing teams have to continually account for.

Conant and her teammates will be looking to close out another big season on a high when they play in Friday afternoon’s NCS decider.

Aidan Rice

Del Norte Football, Senior

Rice is playing an MVP level for the warriors late in the season as his impact at the quarterback position continues to grow.

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.

He would cap a brilliant afternoon when he connected with a 23-yard TD pass.

For more on his big week, see Warriors continue their Big 4 dominance, secure title outright …

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Ferndale Football

The Wildcats had a point to prove on Saturday and they did not disappoint their fans.

After getting blown out in a road game against the Tigers just three weeks before, the Ferndale players came out fired up for the final game of the regular season and handed Arcata its first loss of the season in a game they needed to win to secure a share of the conference championship.

Head coach Clint McClurg and his staff have done an outstanding job reestablishing Ferndale football as one of the top programs in the H-DNL and the Cats will be one of the favorites to win this year’s NCS Division-7 championship.

For more on their big week, see Determined Cats end the Tigers’ unbeaten run to share L4 title …