The annual Del Norte High Warriors football awards ceremony has been moved to next week.

The event was supposed to take place tonight but was moved to Wednesday, Dec. 14, due to scheduling conflicts, Del Norte varsity head football coach Ray Rook said.

The ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m. at Thunen Gym at the high school.

Perform well at annual tradition

Del Norte Warrior sophomore Vincent Dutton holds down his opponent during his first match ever on Saturday at Del Norte High School. Dutton finished the day with a 2-2 record at the Battle at the Border Tournament, which began the season for the Warriors. Del Norte Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

“This was the first time I had wrestled in a match before, so I was really nervous,” the Del Norte High sophomore said.

Dutton, who grapples in the 220-pound division, recently decided to take up the sport for the first time.

Oregon schools place in the top 5

Members of the North Medford High wrestling team look over the brackets in the hallway at Del Norte High School on Saturday. More than 200 grapplers took part in the event. Del Norte Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

A highlight for the Warriors was senior heavyweight Isaac Terry taking first place, as he won all his matches by pin.

“He’s a smart wrestler and didn’t make too many mistakes,” assistant coach Aaron Schaad said.

Cody Hoffman and the Brigham  Young Cougars ended the regular season in grand fashion on Saturday.

Facing the University of Hawaii on the road, Hoffman, a redshirt sophomore from Crescent City, had seven catches for 123 yards and a score in the 41-20 win, which was broadcast live nationwide on ESPN2.

Hoffman turned a lot of heads with his one-handed 38-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter. Quarterback Riley Nelson was being pursed by a defender and just got the ball out at the last second for a highlight-making play.

Two former Del Norte Warriors are making contributions to the basketball teams at College of the Redwoods in Eureka.

On Sunday, freshman Jalen Coney scored 20 points off the bench for the men’s squad in an  86-78 loss to Southwestern Community College at the seventh annual Coach Tregs Corsair Classic.  He went 6-for-6 from the free throw line.

“That’s the best I’ve ever seen him play,” CR head coach Justin Mora said in a Eureka Times-Standard story. “He’s one of the best athletes on the team and he showed it today.”

Only three returners back from last season

The Del Norte Warriors boys varsity  basketball team is pretty much starting over from scratch this season.

The Warriors have only three returners back from last year. The rest are newcomers or junior varsity veterans.

Del Norte dominated last season, finishing 21-6 and earning a co-share of the Big 5 Conference title. Del Norte graduated seven seniors, including all five starters.

“We’re very young,” head coach Blaine Lopez said. “We’ve got a lot of kids new to the varsity program.”

The Del Norte High girls varsity basketball team held on for a 40-36 overtime victory over Mount Shasta in the season opener Thursday afternoon.

“We played together as a team,” head coach Buzz McCulloch said. “I think that’s critical for us.”

Although the Warriors, who are competing in a three-day tournament in Yreka, played well in spots, they still had a bit of rust to deal with, especially with regard to missing easy shots, McCulloch said.

Lose one by a point, another by 33 points

The Del Norte High Warriors boys varsity basketball team started the year by dropping a one-point contest to Klamath Union of Oregon 38-37 Thursday night at a tournament in Yreka.

On Friday, Del Norte faced Anderson and lost in a blowout, 60-27.

In the Klamath Union game, the Pelicans let loose a barrage of three-pointers and quickly took a 12-2 lead by the middle of the first quarter.

Del Norte battled back and reduced the lead to 19-14 by the end of the half.

Opens year on Thursday versus Mount Shasta

Editor’s note. This is the first of three stories on the winter sports teams at Del Norte High School, which begin play this week. The Triplicate profiles the Warrior girls basketball team today, the wrestling team Thursday and the boys basketball team Saturday.

With five returners from last season, including the leading scorer, the Del Norte High girls varsity basketball team is hoping for a solid year of hoops.

The Warriors open the season Thursday against Mount Shasta at 1 p.m. at a tournament in Yreka. The three-day event concludes Saturday.