Local talent stays in area

McBride and Coney to play in Eureka at CR

Nick McBride of Del Norte High, top, during a basketball game earlier this year. The Daily Triplicate/Bryant Anderson

Last week, College of the Redwoods in Eureka announced that it had received verbal commitments from Big 5 Conference MVP Nick McBride and first team selection Jalen Coney.

The seniors were crucial factors in the Warriors co-sharing the conference crown and finishing the year 21-6.

McBride, a shooting guard, averaged 22.5 points per game and eight rebounds.

Coney, a post player who was in his first year on the varsity team, averaged 11 points and 12 rebounds per contest.

“I’m really excited,” McBride said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun playing close to home so my friends and family can come and watch me play.”

Coney said that he is pleased to be heading to College of the Redwoods.

“I feel pretty excited about it,” he said. Coney added that it’s nice that McBride will also be on the team.

“It just makes it better knowing someone,” he said. “We know how each other plays”

“It’s really sweet,” McBride said about Coney also signing with the Corsairs. “It’s cool he’s coming with me.”

Scott Alexander, the Del Norte head coach for the past three years, said it’s wonderful to see two of his players have a chance to play college basketball.

“I’m excited for both of them,” he said. Alexander said it’s a positive development that the Corsairs are now recruiting local kids more heavily.

The College of the Redwoods men’s basketball team has not recruited local players much in recent years. Only one player from the roster this past season was from either Humboldt or Del Norte County.

This changed substationally when the team had 9 out of the 11 of its 2011 recruits come from either Del Norte or Humboldt County.

The push for more local players is being led by the school’s two new coaches, who are quite familiar to Warrior fans.

Head coach Justin Mora was head coach at Ferndale this past season and assistant coach Barry Mendenhall was head coach at Fortuna for several years.

“I have coached against both of them for a number of years, and they are excellent coaches,” Alexander said. “I’m glad they are going after local recruits. They feel there is a lot of local talent here to be competitive.”

McBride, who also looked at four-year schools, felt it was best to start off at the junior college level to get his grades in order and get bigger and stronger. He hopes to eventually play on the four-year college level.

“I really liked the coaches,” McBride said about College of the Redwoods. “They semeed really interested in me and came to my home to talk to me and Jalen. ... They are really great guys and coaches, and I’m ready to learn from them.”

In a story written for the College of the Redwoods athletic department, Mora talked about McBride.

“McBride, he’s going to bring us some scoring,” Mora said. “He’s a tough-nosed kid who knows how to play defense, coming from Del Norte, and he gives us a threat from anywhere on the court. He’s a strong player.”

He had this to say about Coney: “Coney is just a really athletic player with some size,” Mora said. “I think he’s going to be one of our best defenders and a big rebounder just because he’s so athletic.”

Coney,

 who never played high school football before this past season, flashed a lot of potential at wide receiver for Del Norte last fall. Coney said he has talked to the Corsairs’ gridiron coach but has not yet decided if he wants to play two sports.

Humboldt County players who gave verbal commitment to Redwood include Little 4 Conference MVP James Slade of Ferndale. Other players from Humboldt include Brandon Pomrehn of Arcata, Anthony Colegrove of Hoopa, Dylan Ingersoll and Wohall Bishop of McKinleyville and Chris Thomas and Andre Johnson of Eureka.