The Hoopa Warriors saw their playoff hopes dashed in their regular season finale on Saturday afternoon.
With a postseason berth on the line, the Warriors were unable to contain a potent Eagles offense led by senior running back Calel Aramboles, losing 60-26.
A ton of injuries this season have not helped the Warriors, who were down to their third-string quarterback with seniors John Smith and Tristen Campbell both sidelined for the game.
Senior Aidan Mendes got his first start at the position and threw for three TDs, one each to AJ Perez, Carlos Aguilar and Jasper Hostler, while also running in for a score.
“We battled super hard,” head coach Sonny Ryles said. “We had a lot of freshmen and sophomores in positions they’ve never played before.
“Our seniors did good as always and fought hard.”
Seniors Tommy Kelley, David Ruiz, Ben Colegrove and Joe Lewis all closed out their high schools careers with a strong performance.
“I can’t say enough about them,” Ryles said. “They all fought hard.”
The Warriors finish the season 3-7.
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Ray Hamill writes at humboldtsports.com, where you can read lots more about sports in Humboldt County.