Submitted photos –

The Del Norte Warriors will kick off the new high school football season this Friday night when they host Hoopa in Crescent City.

And the first game of the season will include honoring three former Del Norte standout student-athletes who will be inducted into the school’s hall of fame.

The talented trio include Roger McCovey (class of 2009), Kelsy Hintz (2008) and Rob Wakefield (1975).

All three left an indelible mark on Warriors sports history.

McCovey starred in both football and wrestling, setting a particularly high standard on the mats that may never be equalled at the school.

Considered the greatest wrestler in Warriors history, McCovey won H-DNL, North Coast Section and California state titles in both his junior and senior years.

Wrestling in the heavyweight division, McCovey finished his junior season with an incredible record of 55-0, and he followed that with a 53-0 record in his senior campaign.  

In addition to being a four-year White Star on the mats, he also played on three Big 5 championship football teams.

Hintz also enjoyed a stellar career for the Warriors.

A multi-sport standout, she won a pair of White Stars in volleyball and was a member of the undefeated 2007 Del Norte tennis team. 

But it was in track and field where Hintz made her biggest impact. 

She placed fifth in state in the pole vault as a sophomore and was runner-up at the state meet in both her junior and senior seasons. 

Kelsy Hintz

Rob Wakefield

Hintz also won two White Stars in the 100 meters, and was a member of Warriors 4×100 meter relay teams that won four consecutive league titles.

Wakefield also was a multi-sport standout and one of the best triple jumpers in H-DNL history.

The 1975 Del Norte graduate set a school record for receiving yards in football as a junior and also made a big impact for the school in track and field.

As a senior, Wakefield set a school record in the triple jump with a jump of 44’ 10”, a mark that incredibly still stands today, half a century later.