Submitted photo – The St. Bernard’s eighth-grade girls close out a perfect 21-0 season by winning the Crescent City Jaycees tournament.

By Ray Hamill — While one basketball season is just beginning to warm up, another closed out this week, and both feature in our weekly awards.

The high school season is under way and building momentum ahead of league play in the new year, and one local team has impressed more than any other through the early going.

Over the weekend, the St. Bernard’s varsity boys posted a statement win over a good McKinleyville team in the championship game of the Mt. Shasta tournament 63-46, suggesting the Crusaders are the best team in the H-DNL right now.

And while there’s still a long ways to go this season, and the team is still a work in progress, the SB boys feature a lot of depth and experience and appear poised for a big winter on the courts.

And that’s not all for St. Bernard’s.

The school’s eighth-grade girls team just completed its season, and what a season it was.

The young Knights capped a big couple of months on the court by claiming the AAA championship at the Crescent City Jaycees tournament over the weekend.

It was the fifth tournament win of the season for the SB girls, who closed out a memorable campaign with a perfect 21-0 record.

It’s also been good start to the new season for the Ferndale girls varsity team and for one senior in particular.

Tinnley Pidgeon is playing a key role for the Cats once again this year and was named tournament MVP at last weekend’s Trinity tournament after helping to lead the team to the championship.

And that gets her the nod for this week’s Humboldt Sports Athlete of the Week.

Submitted photo – From left to right, Ferndale’s all-tournament selections from the Mt. Shasta tournament, Madison Gossi, Michaela Ellsmore and MVP Tinnley Pidgeon.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK 

Tinnley Pidgeon

Ferndale Girls Basketball, Senior

A vocal and inspirational team leader, Pidgeon has hit the ground running in her final high school season of basketball and has been one of the most consistent players in the H-DNL through the early going.

In five games over the past week, all of which the Wildcats won, the senior team captain scored in double-digits in all five, averaging 14.4 a game in wins over Willows, Modoc, Trinity, Del Norte and McKinleyville.

For more on her big week, see Ferndale girls clinch Trinity tournament with a big second half …

Submitted photo – The St. Bernard’s Crusaders.

TEAMS OF THE WEEK 

St. Bernard’s Boys Basketball 

The Crusaders are 6-1 heading into a Friday night showdown with Middletown at the Kelseyville tournament, including a very impressive early-season win over H-DNL rival McKinleyville in the final of the Mt. Shasta tournament.

Head coach Pat Shanahan has a deep and experienced lineup with several players stepping up early in the season.

More importantly, this is a group of players that embrace their individual roles and remain grounded, understanding it’s a long season and there’s still plenty of work to do.

For more on their big week, see SB boys make early statement with big win over McKinleyville …

Submitted photo

St. Bernard’s Eighth-Grade Girls Basketball

The young SB girls all appear to have a bright future on the courts after enjoying a memorable season that included five tournament championships.

The Knights won all three of their games at last weekend’s Crescent City Jaycees tournament, including a 39-14 championship-game victory over Parsons Junior High out of Redding.

All 10 players on the team made big contributions in the team success, playing unselfish basketball all season long.

“They were very coachable. They were very much willing to learn,” Shanahan said. “And they were great teammates. They had fun together, and everybody just kind of accepted their roles. They were just well rounded.”

For more on their big week, see Young Knights complete perfect campaign at Jaycees tournament …