Submitted photos – The Eel River players and coaches celebrate their championship on Sunday.

A group of young players have left quite a mark on the Eel River youth football program after winning the 2025 Six Rivers Conference AAA championship on Sunday.

The young Huskies capped a perfect run through their final season together at the youth level with a 22-8 win over McKinleyville in the decider played at Ferndale High School.

With the win, they closed out 9-0 and won a third league championship in their five years together, after the association had won just two championships combined in A, AA and AAA over the previous 30 years, according to coaches.

The Eel River Single-A team also won a championship on Sunday, capping a remarkable season for the young Huskies.

“This group of boys is very special,” Huskies AAA head coach Trevor Maniaci said. “And they’re going to do great things.”

These players also won championships together at the Single-A level in 2021 and in AA in 2023, going a perfect 27-0 in their three championship seasons combined and finishing up their five-year youth careers with a record of 43-5.

They also have a potent passing attack for such a young team, scoring more TDs through the air this season than on the ground, something you rarely ever see at the youth level.

The Huskies also showed plenty of resiliency, overcoming early deficits in both the semifinal and championship games.

“The most endearing thing about them is their willingness to learn, and their willingness to be coachable. This group of kids took it as a teaching moment every step of the way,” Maniaci said. “And their resiliency, their ability to not quit and give up and always fight through adversity. These kids are champions true and true.

“You can’t coach that, and they’ve had that since Single-A.”

Thanks to another big performance by the offensive line, the young Huskies grew into Sundays’ championship game after a slow start.

A blocked punt on their opening drive resulted in a McKinleyville safety, and a short while later they had a 70-yard TD pass called back on a penalty.

They also had a 30-yard TD pass called back on a penalty, leaving 100 yards of scoring TDs on the table in the first half alone.

But they would find a way to win, much as they have all season long.

They opened the scoring on a 40-yard TD run by Cameron Rogers to lead 8-2.

McKinleyville would tie the game on a half-back pass from Hudson Kapko to Colton Hawkes and the teams were all square at 8-8 going into the interval.

But the second half would belong to Eel River.

The Huskies took a lead they would not relinquish on a 25-yard TD by Bo Stacy in the third quarter, before closing out the scoring on a 15-yard Stacy TD run in the fourth on a play they have been running since they first started playing together.

“That was one of our go-to TD plays in Single-A,” Maniaci said. “And that was our last touchdown, so it was kind of a special one.”

Stacy finished the game with 91 yards rushing on 10 carries, while Bryson Maniaci added 45 yards on six carries, and Rogers had 50 yards on eight carries.

Raanan Bruckner led the team in receiving yards with 55 on two catches, while Bryson Maniaci had four catches for 46 yards, Rogers one for nine and Maysen Towne-Fausone one for five.

But all of that success began in the trenches, with linemen Evan Watkins, Andre Davi, Reza Kadivar, Mason Goff and John Lyman all setting the tone all year long.

“Those guys are second to none with what they do,” the head coach said.

Towne-Fausone also had a big impact with the team at receiver this year despite facing double coverage for much of Sunday’s game.

“Maysen is easily the best receiver in league,” Trevor Maniaci said. “We knew he was going to face double coverage, but that opened everything out for us to use our balance.”

The other players responded and took full advantage of their opportunities.

“We got to spread the ball around,” the head coach added.

Bruckner and Bryson Maniaci were also hugely influential on the other side of the ball and helped anchor a read-and-react defense.

The coaches allow the players to make the necessary reads and to react on defense.

“Our kids are really good at figuring things out,” the head coach said. “They’re really high-IQ kids.”

The roster also included Jaxon Sovereign, Branson Rumley, Dom Lanza, Jayce Conley, Tony Burris Jr., Joe Cooke, Tony Abeyta, Ryder Sweaney, Trey Munsell, Koby Gregory, Aaron Weatherford, Louis Evanson, Rocco Aubuchon, Connor Martinez, Nakaia Mendes, Caden Wilson, Levi Campbell, Carson Lucas, KC Burns, Gunner Johnson and Mason Solano.

The head coach also praised the contributions of defensive coaches Dave Kadivar and Connor Pratt.

“They did a really good job of game planning and kept teams on their toes,” he said.

Justin Sweaney, Kyle Lucas, Tobiah Bruckner, Levi Nyberg and Tim Abeyta rounded out the coaching staff.

Trevor Maniaci also praised McKinleyville coaches Ryan Baxter and Dusty McCullough.

“They’re great guys and amazing McKinleyville coaches that had a great game plan,” he said. “Also a special thank you to my wife Lilli and the (Eel River) board for always doing the right thing.”

Trevor Maniaci has been in charge of this group of player since they began playing Single-A ball together, but has stepped down after the season.

“That is what made it special,” he said of the championship.