Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Action from Saturday’s championship game.

Cole Armstrong and Bode Douglass were named co-MVPs of the McKinleyville boys basketball tournament over the weekend, after leading the host Panthers to a championship game win over rival Arcata.

After both teams shared last year’s Big 5 championship, the Panthers secured early bragging rights for this season with a 61-45 win in Saturday’s decider.

Armstrong scored 16 points in the final, while Douglass added 13 points.

“I was really proud of our squad this whole tournament, with the ferocity of their play and unselfish ball movement,” McKinleyville head coach Chris Davis said. “I felt like we not only posed ourselves really well in Arcata’s relentless press, but also continuously looked to find the open man once we attacked the zone in the half court.”

Henry Turner IV led the Panthers in scoring in the championship game and finished with 19 points, including 13 in the opening quarter to help set the tone.

“So many guys had great moments tonight, but the way Henry was locked in from beyond the arc in the first quarter was so much fun to watch,” Davis added. 

The McKinleyville head coach also praised the performance of Turner’s cousin Ray Turner, who made “tough plays throughout the game.”

Armstrong and Douglass played well at both ends of the floor on their way to MVP honors.

“Cole and Bode had tough assignments tonight on (Arcata’s) Luke (Moxon) and Dawson (Vallerga) and stepped up to the occasion with enthusiasm,” Davis said. “To be able to guard at that level and then execute on the offensive end as well is exhausting, and they battled through it and made some pretty tough nose plays on the offensive end.”

Overall, it was an impressive showing for a young McKinleyville team going up against an Arcata team that is considered by many to be the favorite to win this year’s Big 5, even considering the Tigers are still missing some key players who are still playing football, including reigning conference MVP Luke Lemke.

“We made multiple adjustments throughout the weekend and for our young roster to be able to make those adjustments on the fly speaks highly of their abilities and their willingness to be students of the game,” Davis said.

Turner IV was also named to the all-tournament team, along with Moxon and Vallerga, Woodland Christian’s Romeo Bruhn and Eagle Point’s Easton Raber.

Woodland Christian placed third.

No Arcata stats from Saturday’s game were immediately available.

Next up, the Panthers play at Shasta on Tuesday before opening the Arcata tournament on Thursday against Montgomery.