Submitted photos – Del Norte’s Colton Schaad, left and Curtis Bartley.

By Ray Hamill — The local wrestling season is building momentum and heating up as we get set to begin the H-DNL dual meet campaign next week.

The Del Norte boys and Arcata girls are the defending league team champs and both will be expected to contend for the titles once again in the coming months.

So too will several talented individuals.

That group includes a pair of Del Norte seniors who are living up to lofty expectations early in the season.

Last winter, as juniors, Colton Schaad and Curtis Bartley each enjoyed outstanding campaigns with a program that has enjoyed tremendous success in recent years.

The hard-working duo both won individual league titles and followed that by claiming North Coast Section championships and qualifying for the state tournament.

Both are expected to replicate that this winter and perhaps even challenge for a state title.

And judging by their early-season tournaments, Schaad and Bartley are well on course.

Last weekend, they both traveled to compete at the Lou Bronzan Tournament at Liberty High School and each took home an individual championship.

And that makes them our athletes of the week.

ATHLETES OF THE WEEK 

Colton Schaad, Del Norte Wrestling, Senior

Curtis Bartley, Del Norte Wrestling, Senior

As usual, the Del Norte boys have plenty of depth on their roster and will be expected to challenge for another league championship in boys wrestling in the coming months.

But no two Warriors are having a bigger impact early in the season than Schaad and Bartley.

Both have seamlessly adapted from the football field — where they led the Warriors to a fifth straight conference championship — to the mats, where each really excels.

These two teammates and friends are multi-sport standouts but feel most at home on the mats and appear poised for a big 2025.

For more on their big week, see Bartley, Schaad continue to impress on the mats for Del Norte …