Two athletes are being recognized for their outstanding achievements on the court.
This week, both a Weed and a West Valley athlete are being highlighted. It’s time to meet the two Shasta Family YMCA Athletes of the Week for their accomplishments over the week of Dec. 1-7.
Jaxon King, Weed
Sport: Basketball
School: Weed
Class: Senior
Team Contributions: It’s no secret that Weed forward Jaxon King can shoot the basketball. King won the Northern Section MVP as a junior in 2024-25, and when the senior stepped on the court for the first time this season, he reminded opponents just what he is capable of. In the Cougars home opener against Bonanza on Wednesday, Dec. 3, King set a school record with 53 points in Weed’s 93-62 win over the Antlers. He also added 10 rebounds, three assists and five steals to cap off a record-breaking performance. King followed that up with a 31-point game against Foothill to kick off the Harlan Carter Invitational on Dec. 4 and was named to the all-tournament team after three strong games.
Rainessa Matthews, West Valley
Sport: Basketball
School: West Valley
Class: Senior
Team Contributions: West Valley two-sport athlete Rainessa Matthews had just a couple of weeks to transition from the volleyball season into the basketball season. Despite the quick turnaround, Matthews seems to have already found a rhythm. The senior kicked off the week with an 18-point performance in the Eagles’ 57-37 win over Colusa on Monday, Dec. 1. She continued that hot performance into a strong showing at the girls Anderson Holiday Tournament, in which Matthews earned tournament MVP honors. West Valley took down Enterprise on Sunday, Dec. 6, in the Anderson Tournament championship game, and Matthews led the effort with a team-high 16 points.
To nominate an athlete, please follow this link or submit nominations to sports reporter Brett Abrams at Brett.Abrams@redding.com.
Brett Abrams is a sports reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. He covers high school and local sports in the Redding area. Reach out to Brett with any sports tips or news on X (formerly Twitter) @brabrams_ or by email at Brett.Abrams@Redding.com. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.
This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Meet the 2 Shasta Family YMCA Athletes of the Week for Dec. 1-7
Reporting by Brett Abrams, Redding Record Searchlight / Redding Record Searchlight
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