Basketball teams take on Mack; wrestling travels to Anderson tourney

Basketball and wrestling are back in session for Del Norte High, even if school won’t be until Monday.

The Warriors square off against Humboldt-Del Norte Big 5 League opponent McKinleyville, with the girls’ games today in McKinleyville and the boys’ games Friday at Del Norte High School. Freshman games will begin at 4:30 p.m. both days, followed by the junior varsity teams at 6 p.m. and the varsity teams at 7:30 p.m.

The Del Norte boys face the Panthers with a 5-6 overall record to date and lingering questions as to the consistency of their play.

“We’ve got to get to where we build and get a little bit better each day,” Warriors coach Blaine Lopez said. 

Del Norte traveled to Medford on Saturday as a fill-in opponent at the Abby’s Holiday Classic tournament, hosted by South Medford High School. The Warriors lost to Redmond (Ore.), 57-26.

“We just needed a game in there just so we didn’t have two and a half weeks without a game,” Lopez said. “We played so poorly that we didn’t really show up to play. The scary thing for me as a coach is that team is not any better than the teams we’re going to play in league. Our league is very good. There just aren’t any nights off.”

The Del Norte High girls have engineered a quick turnaround under first-year head coach Mike Ernest, going 8-5 in nonleague play after winning two games in the 2011-12 season. Against the Panthers, they hope to translate that success into HDN wins.

“I’m excited with the potential that we have,” Ernest said. “Just how they’ve grown from the beginning of the year — I’m excited how we’re gonna compete. I know we’re no secret anymore. I know teams have talked about us and (talked about) how we’re not a doormat anymore.

“I expect us to come out to McKinleyville and win this game. Whether they do it or not, I expect them to compete.”

The Del Norte High wrestling team also returns to action Friday, traveling to Anderson for the Northern California Wrestling Championships. Upwards of 30 schools are expected to attend the two-day tournament.

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Fred Endert Municipal Pool will play host to a new community group Saturday, as the Crescent City Masters Swim Club formally welcomes swimmers 18 years of age or older.

The Masters Swim Club, affiliated with U.S. Masters Swimming, intends to meet every Saturday, practicing from noon to 12:55 p.m. Emphasis will be on technical development and conditioning.

“The aim is to have everyone feel comfortable in the new setting,” club organizer Dan Gray said in an e-mail. “The lanes will be divided into groups of similar abilities so you will not be overrun by faster swimmers. At least, in this practice hour you will not be forced to dodge your way around other swimmers that are not on the same wavelength as you.”

For more information, contact Dan Gray at 541-890-5483 or the staff at Endert Pool at 707-464-9503.

Del Norte High graduate Cody Hoffman needs three touchdown receptions to become BYU’s all-time leader. Courtesy of Mark Philbrick / BYU Photo

Del Norte grad caught 100 passes for 1,248 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2012 

Brigham Young wide receiver and Del Norte High graduate Cody Hoffman will return to Provo for his senior season, Hoffman confirmed to the Triplicate on Friday.

The Salt Lake City television station KSL, a subsidiary of Deseret Media, reported Friday that Hoffman, a redshirt junior, had opted to exercise his final year of eligibility with the Cougars for the 2013 season.

“The atmosphere, just having the support everywhere we go, it doesn’t get better than this,” Hoffman told KSL. “I don’t see why I wouldn’t come back for my senior year.”

Hoffman affirmed his decision with the Triplicate Friday and did not comment further.

BYU finished its 2012 season with an 8-5 overall record, defeating San Diego State 23-6 in the San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl on Dec. 20. Hoffman caught 10 passes for 114 yards in the game and was named Offensive MVP.

Hoffman finished the season with 100 receptions for 1,248 yards and 11 touchdowns, all career highs. As of Friday, he ranked 11th nationally in receiving yards and seventh in receptions.

Hoffman set a school record with five touchdown receptions in a 50-14 BYU rout over New Mexico State on Nov. 24. He will enter 2013 needing 19 receptions to break Dennis Pitta’s BYU career record for catches (221), 541 yards to eclipse Austin Collie’s career yardage record (3,258 yards) and three touchdown passes to best Collie’s record for career touchdown receptions (30).

The Cougars are expected to open their 2013 football schedule on Aug. 31, 2013, at the University of Virginia. BYU plays an independent schedule in football.

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I have always been very thankful to have been given the ability to become a high school football coach and have the opportunity to work with so many great young people.

Even though I am now retired I continue to be impressed by the character of Del Norte High School students. Max Keyes, a 1987 Warrior graduate, is one of those special young men who made coaching great.

Max joined the Warrior football team as a freshman member of the JV program. He was a talented athlete who could play a skill position on either side of the ball, offense and defense.

Watching Max again as a sophomore on the JV squad I
really looked forward to having him move up to the varsity squad as a junior. When I became one of Max’s coaches, I found out what a real talent he was: He could run, catch and throw on the offensive side of the ball and was a sure tackler on the defensive side.

During his senior season he was special. Blaine Lopez was in his third year as starting quarterback, and early in the season I decided to let Blaine call his own plays. This was something I had only done once before, and this was with a quarterback in Yucca Valley.

Max was installed as our starting tailback. From this position he was able to use his running and his pass catching skills. Max became our leading rusher and broke the existing record for pass receptions. Max, along with senior Kevin Holben, were Blaine’s leading receivers as Blaine set a new league record for passing yards in a single season, throwing for over 2,200  yards.

It was the final game of the season when Max got to show off his throwing ability. We were playing Fortuna at its field, and it had already secured a place in the section playoffs and needed to beat us to secure a first-round home game.

Registration for Del Norte Little League will take place on Jan. 12, Jan. 19, and Jan. 26 at the Mary Peacock School Library from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Boys ages 4–12 and girls ages 4–16 are welcome to participate in baseball and softball. 

Parents must bring their child’s birth certificate and three documents dictating proof of residency dating from February 2012.

Registration forms may be obtained at the DNLL website, www.delnortell.com.

— Triplicate staff

Barrett Gray of Redding holds one of the wild steelhead he caught and released Friday while fishing the Chetco River with guide Andy Martin. Courtesy of Andy Martin / Wild Rivers Fishing

From the banks and off the boats, fishermen have hit the Smith River in droves over the past few days, finding that all of the recent storms brought in a good number of steelhead.

Although the lower Chetco River has been blown out for drift boats, the upper river has been good for drift boats. Plunkers were doing well on the lower river.

The Trinity River has a few fishable pockets for plunkers, but most of the river remains too high.

While the commercial guys wait for crab season to open, sport crabbing continues to be great when the ocean allows.

Smith River

Dozens of anglers hit the Smith this week after the river dropped into fishable levels, and many were able to hook into some steelheads, either plunking or fishing from drift boats. 

On Friday the river was dropping most of the day, and it was right in the sweet spot around 11 feet on the Jed Smith gauge.

The river forecast showed the Smith dropping slowly through the weekend, although melting snow from the headwaters should keep the river at a perfect level.

Chetco River

With the lower river too high for drift boats, fishing guide Andy Martin headed to the upper Chetco on Friday and his clients landed four steelhead, two on bait and two on plugs.

The Del Norte High boys basketball team now boasts a winning record to go along with its Bandon Dunes Holiday Classic spoils.

The Warriors defeated tournament host Bandon (Ore.) High, 45-30, on Saturday. Junior Aaron Fitch paced Del Norte (6-5 overall) with 19 points — his “best game of the season,” according to Warriors assistant coach Dave Brouse.

Del Norte locked down on the Tigers early, leading 25-12 at halftime. Bandon held the Warriors to five fourth-quarter points but was unable to cut deeper into its deficit.

Del Norte travels to the Abby’s Holiday Classic tournament in Medford on Saturday to play an opponent to be determined. The tournament begins today but the Warriors are only scheduled to play one game.

“We’re filling in for another team that has to leave town,” Brous said. “We’re glad to get the (extra) game.”

The Del Norte girls basketball team did not fare as well, losing 49-28 to Jefferson (Ore.) High on Saturday afternoon. The Warriors’ record stands at 7-6 overall with the defeat.

Del Norte travels to McKinleyville on Jan. 3 for its first Humboldt-Del Norte Big 5 League game of the season.

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BYU players lift up the Poinsettia Bowl trophy. Associated Press

 Cody Hoffman named offensive MVP in a defensive struggle Thursday 

SAN DIEGO — The Poinsettia Bowl was ponderous, even boring, until Brigham Young linebacker Kyle Van Noy took over.

Van Noy scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone and then on an interception return to lead Brigham Young to a 23-6 victory over San Diego State on Thursday night.

“Turnovers were huge for us,” said Van Noy, who had two of BYU’s five takeaways. “I think that when we got that first turnover, I think that changed the momentum of the game.”

DN girls, led by Emma Card’s 12 points, fall against Crusaders Friday

St. Mary’s High of Medford, Ore. proved resilient against the Del Norte boys basketball team, coming back from a 13-point deficit to within four points.

The Warriors, however, closed out the Crusaders by making free throws down the stretch, hitting 15 of 16 attempts in a 22-point fourth quarter to win 59-47 at the Bandon Dunes Holiday Classic Friday afternoon in Bandon, Ore.

“It’s funny; they’re hard to figure out,” Del Norte head coach Blaine Lopez said of his team. “If we could put a whole game together, it’s nice to see.”

 Youth was served Tuesday night at Brookings-Harbor High School as the Del Norte High wrestling team lost a pair of matches to Sutherlin (Ore.) High and Brookings-Harbor High.

The Warriors faced the Bulldogs first and dropped a close match, 42-39. Del Norte fared worse against the Bruins, losing 55-21 to cap its first dual meet of the season.

“Sutherlin was a close dual,” Warriors assistant coach Clinton Schaad said. “We had some matches that could’ve gone either way. Then against Brookings, the kids came out a little flat. One thing after another (happened) ... nothing went our way.”

Warriors wrestler Cristian Puente competes in his first dual meet of the season, a three-team meet with Brookings-Harbor and Sutherlin (Ore.). WesCom News Service / Jef Hatch

Del Norte fielded wrestlers in 13 of the 14 contested weight classes, altering its lineup with numerous players absent due to illness and injury.

Hawk Mattz, wrestling above his usual weight class at 170 pounds, won both of his matches on the day, while Cristian Puente, moved up to heavyweight (285 pounds) for the meet, pinned both of his opponents from Sutherlin and Brookings-Harbor.  

Warriors wrestler Robin Pearce competes in his first dual meet of the season, a three-team meet with Brookings-Harbor and Sutherlin (Ore.). WesCom News Service / Jef Hatch

The Warriors travel to Anderson on Jan. 4–5 for their next tournament. 

“We have a couple weeks off to practice, get over the nagging injuries, get the sickness out of our systems,” Schaad said.

Warriors wrestler Skiler Haddad competes in his first dual meet of the season, a three-team meet with Brookings-Harbor and Sutherlin (Ore.). WesCom News Service / Jef Hatch