Submitted photo – The Eureka Loggers

By Ray Hamill — A pair of young boys basketball players take center stage this week, along with two impressive girls teams.

It’s been a good start to the new season for several local players and teams, but few players have impressed more than Eureka sophomore Ryder Mitchell and St. Bernard’s junior Liam Dyer.

Both young standouts were named tournament MVPs for their teams over the weekend after leading them to tournament championships.

Mitchell has quickly established himself as one of the top young centers in the H-DNL in just his first few weeks playing at the varsity level.

He was tourney MVP at the Logger Classic after helping to lead the Eureka boys to the tournament championship on Saturday.

Dyer, meanwhile, has been equally impressive for the Crusaders and is taking on more of a leadership role for his team after hitting the ground running this year.

He led his team to a championship at the Kelseyville tournament and was also named tournament MVP.

Our teams of the week honors, meanwhile, go to a pair of H-DNL teams that have impressed more than any of their peers through the first month of the new campaign.

The Eureka and St. Bernard’s girls teams each won a third straight tournament championship on Saturday.

The Loggers, who have won nine straight games and are now 11-1, defeated the host team in the final of the Maria Carrillo tournament by a score of 49-37.

The Crusaders have been every bit as impressive on their way to a 9-0 record.

The St. Bernard’s girls defeated Kelseyville 75-39 in the final of the Kelseyville tournament.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK 

Ryder Mitchell

Eureka Basketball, Sophomore

Liam Dyer

St. Bernard’s Basketball, Junior

Both young players are playing big roles for their respective teams this winter and were each named tournament MVPs at their tournaments over the weekend.

Mitchell finished with a double-double in a 72-67 championship-game win over Shasta at the Logger Classic, scoring 23 points and adding 10 rebounds.

According to Eureka assistant coach Andrew DeHart, Mitchell is “growing up in front of our eyes”

After the tournament championship game, the coach added of the standout center, “he’s a leader. He garners a lot of respect from the guys in the locker room … And tonight was a dominant performance from him on the boards and in the paint.”

Dyer also has impressed early in the new season and helped lead the Crusaders to a championship at the Kelseyville tournament.

The junior guard scored a team-high 22 points in the final, to go with seven rebounds and seven assists, on his way to being named tournament MVP.

“Liam continued to lead our team in reading and reacting to the defense,” St. Bernard’s assistant coach Pat Shanahan said. “He played such a great tournament and this game was another example.”

For more on Mitchell’s big week, see Mitchell named MVP as Loggers weather late storm …

For more on Dyer’s big week, see Dyer and the Crusaders win Kelseyville tournament in front of packed home crowd …

Submitted photo – Liam Dyer (32) and this teammates at the Kelseyville tournament.

Submitted photo – The St. Bernard’s girls.

TEAMS OF THE WEEK 

Eureka Girls Basketball

St. Bernard’s Girls Basketball

The best two teams in the H-DNL have hit the ground running this season and will begin conference play in the new year as favorites.

Under the guidance of head coach Cliff Napoleon, the Eureka girls have now won nine straight games and three straight tournaments.

Just as impressive, they are now the No. 8 ranked team in the entire North Coast Section, according to Maxpreps, and the No. 2 team in Division 3.

They are also the fifth-ranked D-3 school in all of California.

St. Bernard’s head coach Matt Tomlin and the Crusaders are right on their heels.

The defending Division-4 state champions are ranked No. 10 overall in the NCS and No. 1 in NCS Division 5.

They are also the No. 3 Division-5 team in all of California.

For more on both teams’ big week, see GIRLS ROUNDUP — Four H-DNL teams win tournament championships …