Hoopa Valley avenged an earlier loss at Eureka High, with a comfortable 86-64 win at home to the Loggers in boys basketball action on Saturday.

The high-scoring George Navarro finished with 35 points in the win, as the Warriors improved to  17-6.

“The energy from the start of the game was very good,” said Hoopa head coach Tyler Mitchell, whose team took control early and never trailed.

The Warriors led by nine after the first quarter and had stretched the advantage to 20 by halftime.

The visitors rallied somewhat in the third quarter, but the outcome never really appeared in doubt.

The win was the fourth straight for the Hoopa boys, and their seventh in eight games, with their only loss in that time coming at Eureka.

Navarro added five rebounds and a pair of steals, while teammate Wade Nixon finished with 20 points.

Dennis Young also continued to impress for Hoopa with 17 points, seven boards and five steals, while the tenacious John Smith had 10 rebounds, five steals and three assists.

For Eureka, which dropped to 4-13, Miles Meynell scored a team-high 18 points, while Jaeden Thayer had 14 points and Zach Reed 13.

Overall, it was a disappointing performance from the Loggers, who came out flat.

“We weren’t ready for the challenge,” Eureka head coach Robbie Thompson said. “It was one of those things.”

The Warriors host Ferndale on Friday, while the Loggers will play at Arcata on Wednesday.

For more on Hoopa’s win and how the Warriors are shaping up for the playoffs, see Excitement building again for Warriors basketball …

St. Bernard’s 84, Archbishop Hanna 78

After winning on the road at Archbishop Hanna on Saturday evening, the Crusaders will now try to do something that they haven’t managed all season — win a third straight game.

Through their opening 18 games, a steady St. Bernard’s team has yet to lose more than two straight or win more than two straight.

On Saturday, they made it two straight wins, and three in four, improving to 10-8.

The Crusaders led by 30 points late in the game, before the home team rallied in the final few minutes as the visitors went deep to their bench to give some players some valuable minutes.

“The boys worked really hard and I was very proud of them,” St. Bernard’s head coach Steve Thrap said.

Lane Thrap led the Crusaders offensively with 27 points, while teammate Logan Petrusha finished with 15.

The Crusaders resume Little 4 action at South Fork on Friday, seeking not just a third straight win but also a measure of revenge after the Cubs knocked them off at home earlier in the month.

Archbishop Hanna dropped to 8-10 with Saturday’s loss.

###

Ray Hamill writes at humboldtsports.com, where you can read lots more about sports in Humboldt County.