Several Del Norte players have received all-league recognition in football after the Warriors recently concluded another memorable season.Most notably, senior running back RJ Loftin has been named the Big 4 Offensive MVP for a second straight year, while senior linebacker Giancarlo Desolenni has been named Big 4 Defensive MVP.Both players played a pivotal role in their final year with the team, as the Warriors rolled to a 9-2 record — including a 3-0 mark in league play — and reached the North Coast Section semifinals despite being moved up to Division 4 this season. Ethan Thomas breaks up a pass against McKinleyville. Photo courtesy of Ray Hamill Joining them on the Big 4 All-League team are Del Norte teammates Bryson Price, Bridger Ratnour, Cooper Maxwell, Ethan Thomas, Jacob Dane and Brody Mattz, with seven other Warriors receiving an all-league honorable mention.Loftin led a dominating ground attack with an average of 115.2 yards rushing a game in nine starts, finishing with 1,037 yards rushing on a team-high 123 carries.The four-year varsity player also scored a team-high 19 touchdowns, and, according to his coach, Loftin’s success began in the offseason. Brody Mattz (3) pressures McKinleyville QB Jack Clancy Photo courtesy of Ray Hamill “I think his dedication to the program has been huge,” Del Norte head coach Nick White said. “He has made the most weight rooms out of anybody as far as the offseason goes ever since he was a freshman.“His dedication to the program has been amazing, and all that hard work pays off in the end. You just don’t get that, you’ve got to work at it, and he does a great job of putting in the work.”Desolenni, meanwhile, was a force on both sides of the ball, and earned Defensive MVP honors after leading the most dominating defense in the league with 83 tackles, including a remarkable 30 tackles for a loss.“Overall, he was the best player in league, as far as everything he brings to the table,” the head coach said. “Offensively, defensively, and how smart he is.”Desolenni, a third-year varsity player, also had an impact in the offensive backfield, rushing for a team-high 1,072 yards in 11 starts and scoring 18 total touchdowns, 15 on the ground and three through the air.“What impressed me is his toughness and his willingness to hit and wanting to be one of the hardest hitters on the field,” googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });