Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Nashya Williams and the Eureka Loggers appear ready for a big week in the Dick Niclai tournament next week.

By Ray Hamill — As we get set for one of the most fun weeks of the year in North Coast sports, here’s a look ahead to what fans can expect in next week’s Dick Niclai Tournament.

The action gets under way on Monday night with four first-round games that will be played at various locations around Humboldt County.

In boys’ action, Arcata and Hoopa will host first-round games, while in girls’ action Eureka and Ferndale will host their openers.

The semifinals will be played at College of the Redwoods on Tuesday (boys) and Thursday (girls), with both championship games taking place at Lumberjack Arena on Friday night.

And as usual, it should be a fun tournament with lots of twists and turns along the way, and you can expect another packed house for the finals, as always. 

Click here for a complete tournament schedule and updated results …

Here then is look at what fans can expect, which players appear ready to shine, who should be considered the favorites, and who will win it all.

Teams Everyone Will Want to Avoid

Don’t be surprised to see either of these two teams lift the coveted trophy in front of a packed house at Lumberjack Arena on Friday night.

The Eureka girls and Arcata boys have been two of the hottest teams in the H-DNL over the past few weeks and both will carry plenty of momentum into tournament play.

With tough opening-round matchups for both schools, either could fall at the first hurdle, but both are Niclai specialists — the Arcata boys have won 10 of the last 16 tournaments, while the Eureka girls won four straight between 2020 and 2024 — so teams will want to avoid them, especially if they begin to build some momentum.

Most Successful Programs in Niclai History

When it comes to the Dick Niclai Tournament, no school comes close to matching the Arcata Tigers, who have claimed 21 of the 60 tournament trophies combined.

The Arcata girls are the most successful program in Niclai history with 11 titles, the most recent coming in 2018, while the Arcata boys have won 10, despite not winning any of the first 14.

Next best among the girls is McKinleyville’s eight championships, the most recent in back in 2012, while next best among the boys is Del Norte with five, the most recent in 2020.

Tournament Favorites (Girls)

In the girls tournament, conference champs Arcata (15-4) and St. Bernard’s (20-6) have been the best two teams in the H-DNL over the course of the season and both are still playing at a very high level.

Recent losses to Eureka for each should only benefit them heading into tourney play, and neither team will be looking past anybody, in large part because of those recent losses.

The Eureka girls (16-8) also should be considered one of the favorites after closing out the season strong, including the impressive wins over both St. Bernard’s and Arcata,.

After back-to-back losses to Arcata and McKinleyville, the Loggers won four straight to close out the regular season.

Tournament Favorites (Boys)

In boys action, Little 4 champs St. Bernard’s (22-2) should be considered the favorites, as the Crusaders look to win a first Niclai tournament since 2002 and just their second ever.

Pound for pound, the Crusaders have been the best team in the H-DNL all season and they’ll take some beating next week.

The McKinleyville boys (17-8) also should be considered a strong contender, having recently wrapped up a first-ever outright Big 5 title.

The Panthers lost two regular-season matchups to SB and will be eager to face the Little 4 champs again in Friday’s championship game in order to avenge those losses.

The Panthers have been a force in the Niclai tournament in recent years, having claimed two of the past three titles, including last year.

Having said that, any of the Big 5 teams in the field could win it all, if they get hot at the right time, and all of them appear capable of beating any other H-DNL team on their day.

Arcata is 11-15 and Del Norte is 18-9.

Players Ready to Shine (Girls)

Arcata’s Wolford sisters, twins Mae and Tae, should be considered frontrunners for players of the tournament honors after outstanding regular seasons for both.

The ever-consistent senior sisters have been playing at a very high level this winter, as expected, and they will be extra motivated after suffering a heartbreaking loss to St. Bernard’s in last year’s final.

Eureka also features a dynamic duo that has been performing at an MVP level all season, with senior Nashya Williams and junior Tiarah Maualuga leading the way in their team’s late-season surge.

St. Bernard’s Carli Baum and Samantha Sundberg also appear poised for a big tournament, while teammate CJ Figas has already cemented her place in Niclai history with her incredible game-winning basket a year ago, and she should relish the big occasion once again.

Players Ready to Shine (Boys)

Something tells me, McKinleyville’s Neil Moon will be a player to watch this coming week after his impressive tournament a year ago, as will his senior teammate Bode Douglass, who defied expectations by coming back early this winter from a serious offseason injury and continues to get better every week.

Likewise with several of their McKinleyville teammates, with many of them capable of stepping up on any given night on one of the most balanced rosters in the H-DNL.

Of course we can’t forget Arcata senior Luke Lemke, who has been the best player in the H-DNL this winter, as well as any number of standouts on a talented St. Bernard’s roster, including the outstanding trio of Liam Dyer, Carson Costa and Garrett Shanahan.

For Del Norte, junior Sawyer Fry is coming off impressive back-to-back performances against Fortuna and Eureka, and if continues to play at that level next week, the Warriors will be a tough out for any opponent.

Who Will Win

As always it should be a fun week for the local teams and fans and a great celebration of high school basketball here on the North Coast.

But when the dust has settled on Lumberjack Arena late Friday night, only two teams will be crowned champions and the rest will be left wondering what if.

And the big question as we get set for a busy week of action, is who will claim the coveted trophies?

The boys tournament appears to be pretty open, and any of the Big 5 schools could get hot and win it all.

Likewise with St. Bernard’s.

The Crusaders have been the most complete and most impressive team in the H-DNL over the course of the season, and their recent loss to Eureka will serve as a reminder to the players they are not invincible, which should have them focused on the task at hand.

And that could be bad news for the rest of the field.

McKinleyville’s loss this week to rival Arcata should also have the Panthers focused, and I’ll hazard a guess the Mack players can’t wait to get back on the court on Tuesday night.

Humboldt Sports predicts St. Bernard’s will face McKinleyville a third time this season in the championship game and will claim a third victory over the defending tournament champs to give the Crusaders a first Niclai title in 24 years.

In the girls tournament, there are three definite frontrunners in Arcata, St. Bernard’s and Eureka, although Del Norte could cause any of them a lot of problems.

Like I said earlier, Eureka is a team everyone else will want to avoid right now.

Except for maybe St. Bernard’s.

The Crusaders will relish a rematch with their crosstown rivals in Thursday’s semifinal, eager to avenge their overtime loss to the Loggers two weeks ago.

Humboldt Sports predicts a rematch of last year’s final between St. Bernard’s and Arcata in this year’s championship game.

And this time, the Tigers will prevail, avenging last year’s heartbreaking loss and ending an eight-year wait for a Niclai championship while adding to their record haul of trophies.