Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Del Norte Wrestling was the 2025 Humboldt Sports High School Team of the Year.

By Ray Hamill — The third category in our end-of-year high school awards is our Team of the Year, and once again there are several worthy candidates after an exciting year in the H-DNL.

Eight different schools and 10 different sports are represented in our list of finalists.

We will announce the award winners in all six categories next week, including our Little 4 Boys and Girls Athletes o the Year, our Big 5 Boys and Girls Athletes of the Year, our Team of the Year and our Coach of the Year.

And once again, a big thank you to our award sponsors, Bode Construction and Mendes Supply Company, longtime sponsors of the awards.

So here then are our finalists for the 2026 Humboldt Sports High School Team of the Year.

Arcata Boys Soccer 

The Tigers had a great fall season, edging Fortuna for the H-DNL championship and reaching the North Coast Section championship game.

Arcata Girls Basketball

It was a memorable season for the Arcata girls, who edged Eureka in an exciting Dick Niclai final after securing a second straight Big 5 title. 

Del Norte Girls Golf

A breakthrough season for the Warriors saw them clinch a first-ever league title, led by individual league champ Bria Larson.

Del Norte Wrestling

Last year’s Humboldt Sports Team of the Year, the Warriors continued to dominate on the mats with an eighth straight league title this past winter.

Eureka Volleyball

Led by Big 5 MVP Tiarah Maualuga, the Loggers held their nerve late, clinching the Big 5 title with a hard-fought five-sets win at Del Norte on the final night of the regular season.

Eureka Track and Field

It was a very successful spring for the Eureka boys and girls rosters, who each clinched a league title and took home a combined 11 individual titles.

Ferndale Football

The Wildcats captured the imagination of the North Coast community with their spectacular fall season, which included Little 4 and North Coast Section crowns.

Ferndale Girls Soccer

Under the guidance of coaches Bailey Davy and Brenden McDonald, the Wildcats were the best girls soccer team in the H-DNL, cruising to a Little 4 title and a first-ever NCS Division-1 championship.

Fortuna Football

The Huskies epitomized the old adage that it’s not how you start but rather how you finish, coming on strong to clinch a share of the Big 4 on the way to reaching an NCS championship game.

Fortuna Girls Cross Country

Head coach Vince Zinselmeir and his girls ended Arcata’s long reign as H-DNL champs with a great showing at the league championships, where they had four runners place in the top seven, led by junior Madison Ruiz, who finished second.

McKinleyville Baseball

The Panthers were the best high school baseball team on the North Coast this past spring, securing a conference and Charles Lakin Tournament double championship.

McKinleyville Boys Basketball

It was an historic season for head coach Chris Davis and his players, who won their first-ever outright Big 5 title and followed that with a Niclai tournament championship.

McKinleyville Softball

The Panthers edged their conference rivals for the championship in what was one of the most competitive and entertaining Big 5s in recent memory.

South Fork Softball

Head coach Lisa Todd and her players edged Hoopa for a second straight Little 4 championship in what a competitive race, with several outstanding individual performances.

St. Bernard’s Baseball

Under the guidance of head coach Matt Tomlin, a very young Crusaders team came together quicker than anticipated, going 21-3 in the regular season and 12-0 in the Little 4.

St. Bernard’s Boys Basketball

The Crusaders dominated all winter and were the hottest team in the H-DNL, going 22-2 in the regular season, including a perfect 6-0 on the way to securing the Little 4 championship.

St. Bernard’s Football

Who says the Crusaders don’t belong in the Little 4? Tomlin and St. Bernard’s won a second shared conference title in three years, and as always grew stronger as the season went on.

St. Bernard’s Girls Basketball

A third Tomlin-coached team in our list of finalists, the SB girls finished 23-9 and went deep into the playoffs, making it all the way to the NorCal tournament once again.