Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

By Ray Hamill — The McKinleyville Panthers were crowned Dick Niclai Tournament champions for the third time in four years on Friday, with a big performance against a St. Bernard’s team that had been setting the standard in the H-DNL all winter long.

Head coach Chris Davis has done an outstanding job with the program since taking over as head coach three years ago, leading the Panthers to two Big 5 championships, including a first-ever outright title this winter.

He also now has led them to two Niclai titles, including a rare Niclai and Big 5 double championship this year.

On Friday night, they finally got the better of an SB team that had comfortably beaten them twice earlier in the season by a combined 29 points.

But clearly, the McKinleyville coaches and players had learned from those defeats and took the lessons to heart.

In Friday’s championship game, they played far better on the defensive end, both in design and performance, and ultimately that was the difference in a showdown between the best two teams on the North Coast this year.

After a play-in game between Del Norte and Eureka on Saturday, the tournament officially got under way with a pair of first-round games on Monday, before two semifinals at College of the Redwoods on Tuesday.

And there was no shortage of excitement and impressive performances throughout the week.

All of which leads us to the 2026 Humboldt Sports All-Tournament Team and tournament MVP.

Humboldt Sports Dick Niclai All-Tournament Boys Team

Carson Costa

St. Bernard’s, Senior

Costa has been one of the most consistent and dangerous players in the H-DNL all winter, and that continued to be the case this week.

Fueled by his competitive nature, Costa is one of the most well-rounded players in the area and is equally effective inside and outside.

He finished with 20 points, six rebounds and three assists in Tuesday’s thrilling semifinal win over Del Norte — “His will to win is what really set him apart tonight,” head coach Pat Shanahan said after that game — and he added 18 points in Friday’s loss.

Bode Douglass

McKinleyville, Senior

Douglass defied expectations this winter by coming back early from a serious knee injury in the offseason, and that steely determination was on full display once again in Friday’s championship game.

Th inspirational team leader was a force for the Panthers at both ends of the court, finishing with 18 points in the win, while giving his team a lift every time St. Bernard’s started to build some momentum, including three big baskets in the fourth quarter.

Douglass also had nine points in the semifinal win over Hoopa.

Liam Dyer

St. Bernard’s, Senior

Dyer has been one of the most deadly shooters in the H-DNL since breaking into the St. Bernard’s team as a freshman, but his contributions go way beyond that.

He led the Crusaders with a game-high 19 points and seven rebounds in Friday’s final, including a big 3-pointer at the end of the first half to give the Crusaders some much-needed momentum heading into the break, and he also hit some big free throws to keep them within touching distance of the Panthers in the second half.

Dyer, who has been one of the most fun players to watch on the local high school courts for the past few years, also had 21 points, five rebounds and five assists in Tuesday’s semifinal victory.

Sawyer Fry

Del Norte, Junior

Fry came up clutch for his team this week, leading the Warriors to a big comeback in Tuesday’s semifinal against St. Bernard’s, before the Crusaders secured a thrilling win on a Tyler Hinrichs buzzer-beater.

The in-form junior scored a game-high 23 points in the semifinal loss, and made two huge plays in the final minute, getting a steal on a St. Bernard’s in-bound pass and scoring a game-tying 3-pointer just a few moments later.

He hit seven 3-pointers in the loss, as well finishing with seven rebounds, five steals and three assists.

Neil Moon

McKinleyville, Senior

Moon seems to relish the big occasion.

The McKinleyville senior makes the Humboldt Sports Dick Niclai All-Tournament Team for the second straight year (he was tournament MVP last year) after another big week for the Big 5 champs.

He scored 11 points in Tuesday’s semifinal win over Hoopa and added 18 points in Friday’s tourney decider, including 16 in the opening half to help set the early tone.

Henry Turner IV

McKinleyville, Senior

Turner also enjoyed big week for the Niclai champs, matching Douglass and Moon with 18 points in the final, just three days after he scored a team-high 20 points in the semifinal win over Hoopa.

He also helped set the early tone in Friday’s big win, nailing three 3-pointers in the first half, as his team opened up a 20-point advantage.

Turner, who is a senior team captain along with Douglass and Moon, has been one of his team’s most consistent performers all winter and that continued to be the case this week.

TOURNAMENT MVP — Bode Douglass

Honorable Mention — Henry Turner IV