Athletes of the week

(Published during the high school sports season)

(For the week of Jan. 12 through Jan. 18)

Boys

Noah Hakala (So.) Lower Lake High School basketball

Keep your eye on this guy. Noah Hakala might be flying below the radar for a lot of people, but the Lower Lake High School sophomore could rewrite some school scoring records before he’s done. Hakala had a big week for the Trojans, including a 31-point, eight-rebound game Friday night in a 73-67 league win over Clear Lake. Earlier in the week, Hakala scored 21 points in a losing effort against Lower Lake. Hakala also played varsity ball as a freshman. He could 1,000 career points as early as next season, and there’s no telling how high he could go on Lake County’s career leader list.

Girls

Izzi Hoogendoorn (So.) Middletown High School basketball

It might be a transition year for Middletown sophomore Izzi Hoogendoorn and her Mustangs teammates, but the transition has been a big success. Middletown, the North Central League I co-champion last year, took several big hits to graduation, but the Mustangs remain atop the league again this season. In fact, the Mustangs scored two big home wins this week to run their league record to 6-0, a full two games ahead of their nearest pursuers. Hoogendoorn opened the week with 11 points, including a momentum-shifting 3-pointer, in a 39-31 win over St. Helena, one of the Mustangs’ pursuers in the league standings. Later in the week against Upper Lake, Hoogendoorn scored 19 points to go along with 12 rebounds, four assists, three steals and three blocks in a 63-44 victory.