By Ray Hamill — Three league champions take center stage in our weekly awards, along with a senior golfer who held her nerve in the biggest round of the season.
On Tuesday night, the St. Bernard’s and Ferndale girls volleyball teams took care of business in their final regular-season games on the way to being crowned co-league champs in the Redwood League.
So too did the Eureka Loggers in their final Pacific League game, and although they needed some help along the way they also secured a league pennant.
And that makes the three of them our choice for Humboldt Sports Teams of the Week.
Also honored is our Athlete of the Week, McKinleyville senior Ingrid Monaghan, who answered the call in the final round of the H-DNL girls golf season at Baywood Golf and Country Club on Monday.
Monaghan dominated early in the season and posted the low score in the first three rounds of league play.
However, she began to see her stranglehold on the league lead slip away as the season progressed and found herself trailing in the standings for the first time heading into Monday’s final round.
But when she needed it the most, the clutch Monaghan answered in style, dominating the field on the final day and posting an impressive 11-stroke win at Baywood on the way to clinching her first league title.
“She’s a great golfer, and she’s got a great swing, but the mental part is the hardest part,” McKinleyville head coach Phoebe Sundberg said of the senior standout. “The biggest thing (on Monday), the best part of her game, was if she did put herself in trouble her recovery shots were great, and she didn’t let it affect her.”
For more on Monaghan’s big week, see Monaghan rises to the challenge, clinches HDN crown with clutch final round …
The Crusaders, Wildcats and Loggers also enjoyed big weeks on the volleyball courts.
It’s nothing new to see the SB girls win a league title in volleyball — this was their 11th straight, according to the MaxPreps records — but they too had to overcome some adversity on the way to the pennant.
Head coach Sejay Cyphers’ team trailed Ferndale in the standings after losing to the Cats for a second time in league play back on Oct. 6.
But they too would answer the call late, closing out the Redwood League with four straight wins and dropping just two sets along the way — including a decisive straight sets against Ferndale last week — in one of the toughest fights they’ve faced during their impressive run of consecutive league titles.
Senior Brittyn Ikeya, Kyna Tupua, Scarlett Zerlang, Samantha Sundberg, Gabby Qiao, Serafina Morgan and Logan Tallman all have played key roles for the team this fall.
The Wildcats were just as clutch down the stretch and did not allow that loss to St. Bernard’s derail their championship ambitions.
They won five of their final six league games, four of them in straight sets, and comfortably took care of business on the final night of action against Hoopa on the way to claiming a first league crown in 13 years.
Head coach SK Montiel Clark and her players — including seniors Dalia Cantu-Mendez, Fallon Bullan and Olivia Gossi — have done an outstanding job this fall and are worthy league champs.
For more on the St. Bernard’s and Ferndale girls, see Wildcats, Crusaders close out strong, crowned co-champs of the Redwood League …
The Eureka Loggers also impressed on their way to the Pacific League crown, which was the second straight for head coach Stephanie Napoleon and her players.
They needed McKinleyville to do them a favor on the final night of league play to clinch the title outright, as the Panthers beat Arcata on Tuesday to deny the Tigers a co-championship.
The Loggers have been the most impressive H-DNL team over the course of this season and were full value for their championship, and they’re not done yet as they look to make some noise in the upcoming NortH Coast Section playoffs.
While seniors Tiarah Maualuga and Alena Battle have led the way for much of the season, several other players have also made big contributions on a balanced roster, and that’s exactly what is needed in a championship run.
Fellow seniors Violla Kingsang, Makenzie Wolff, Eddy Hale and Savanhie Panhsavang each also played key roles on the march to the championship, which included six straight wins to close out league play.
And the Loggers dropped just one set in those six wins, including a straight sets victory over Arcata.
For more on their big week, see Loggers crowned Pacific League champs on wild, emotional night around the league …
