Inside Redwoods Athletics

College of the Redwoods will honor its first head football coach, Jim McAuley, by naming its football field “McAuley Field at the Community Stadium” and launching a fundraising campaign to support future generations of CR student-athletes. The Board of Trustees approved the naming at its October 6th meeting, with a naming ceremony planned for spring the 2027 semester.

The campaign begins with a $100,000 leadership gift from Dan and Cindy Phillips in McAuley’s honor. Dan, a former CR football player and wrestler, credits McAuley with teaching lessons that shaped his life and career.

“Like so many other athletes, Coach McAuley had a profound impact on me, offering lessons that I have relied on throughout my career,” Phillips said. “Most importantly, he taught us to focus on the fundamentals, maintain a disciplined work ethic, stay cool and calm under adversity, and never compromise our values.”

McAuley built CR’s football program from the ground up in 1967, when the college had no dedicated playing field or facilities. The team initially practiced at Redwood Acres Fairgrounds and played home games at Eureka High School. Community members and business leaders later came together to help fund a stadium on CR’s Eureka campus.

A HUGE congratulations to College of the Redwoods freshman cross country standout Dylan Rodriguez, who raced to a first-place finish at the Shasta Invitational! Rodriguez conquered the four-mile course in an impressive 21 minutes and 8 seconds and is currently ranked 7th in Northern California! Great work, Dylan!

More than 400 young runners and their families recently gathered at College of the Redwoods for the annual Youth Cross Country Meet, bringing energy and excitement to the CR campus.

The event is hosted by the College of the Redwoods Cross Country/Track & Field program in partnership with HRRAY (Humboldt Redwoods Running Association for Youth). The partnership began more than 10 years ago with the goal of strengthening youth distance running in the local community. Since then, the meet has grown to more than three times its original size, welcoming teams from Hoopa, Burnt Ranch, Orleans, and communities throughout the region.

The event gives young athletes an opportunity to compete, have fun, and experience the College of the Redwoods campus while building connections with CR student-athletes and the greater college community.

"The success of the meet is made possible through the efforts of CR employees, Grounds Department staff, Business Office staff, and Cross Country/Track & Field student-athletes who help ensure the event is welcoming and successful for young runners and their families," says Reed Elmore, CR's Head Track and Field Coach.

The Youth Cross Country Meet is a strong example of College of the Redwoods’ commitment to community engagement and creating opportunities for local youth

While Ryan Bisio is known as the Director of Athletics at College of the Redwoods, he can now add published author to the many hats he wears, which already include musician, speaker, and friend of Bill (his cat, on loan from the neighbor).

Ryan will release his first book, Musicality of the Game, on October 20.

The book is officially making its way into the world, and we couldn’t be more excited for him.

At this rate, we’re starting to wonder what hat Ryan will wear next, although we’re pretty sure Bill will still be wearing his own.

Congratulations, Ryan! We’re incredibly proud of you!

Andrew Aiello was new to Humboldt County in the summer of 2016, arriving with a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies with an emphasis on juvenile delinquency from Cal State San Marcos.

He lived on the floor of a childhood buddy’s apartment; his suitcase served as his closet.

He earned just $3,000 that year as an assistant coach for College of the Redwoods.

Originally from Oceanside, California, and the youngest of five children, Andrew learned early how much a person’s environment can shape the direction of their life.

Growing up, playing sports wasn’t just an option. It was a way of life.

“When I was growing up, it was kind of two choices. You either kind of went and gang banged or you went the sports route. I’m incredibly thankful to my parents and siblings, who have been the best role models I could ask for. I get my work ethic and drive from my parents.”

After high school, he spent about a year and a half playing rookie league baseball before returning home and enrolling at Palomar College, where he planned to play football.

Given our rural location in Northern California, administering athletics at College of the Redwoods presents unique challenges and demands on our student athletes that differ significantly from those experienced at most California Community Colleges.

In fact, we use this as a recruiting pitch: playing at College of the Redwoods better prepares you for the travel rigors associated with university-level athletics.

For instance, nearly 70% of California Community Colleges don’t stay the night at a hotel throughout an entire season. For us at Redwoods, this is simply not the case. When I was the head men’s basketball coach in the 2022-2023 season, we stayed 24 nights in hotels to complete our schedule.

As I’ve mentioned in previous editions, our teams must travel more than any other teams in the state. This introduces a variety of challenges, including:

1. The importance of bringing into our programs student athletes who possess a tolerance for traveling long distances.
2. Making sure our students are not only keeping up with their academic commitments but excelling in their classes – while also missing an abundance of class time representing the college around the state.

We are so thankful to the district for continuing to fund our athletic department to meet the needs of the modern student athlete. We understand that, with the high price of gas, lodging, food, etc., our administration is investing in our programs because it understands the importance of athletics. Here is example of our leader, Dr. Keith Flamer, saying as much.

We’re equally grateful for the extraordinary support we receive from our community. This year’s annual sports auction and dinner raised nearly $300,000, nearly matching the total raised the year before. The support we receive from the committed members of our community is not taken for granted, and we realize how special that is.

It’s with this appreciation that our coaches and student athletes engage in year-around fundraising efforts. Our athletes are actively engaged in the direct mechanics of fundraising, more so than most department, and hit the pavement as much as any athletes across the state.

This year, we teamed up with eTeam Sponsor to try and maximize our students’ motivation to raise money. Check out these numbers:

So far this fall semester of 2026, baseball, volleyball, softball, football, men’s wrestling, men’s basketball, and women’s soccer, have raised $109,665.

In my view, the hard work of our student athletes and coaches to raise money is a direct “thank you” to all of our supporters. Being active participants in creating more opportunities for ourselves proves not only that we aren’t reliant upon one funding source – but also that the process of collaborating with others to raise money continues our tradition of ensuring student success in athletics.

Best,

Ryan

Garth Iorg (No. 13), who grew up in Blue Lake, California, and attended Arcata High School, played basketball for College of the Redwoods. Although it’s unclear exactly when Iorg played for the CR, his athletic career would eventually take him to Major League Baseball.

Iorg was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1973. Three years later, he was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays from the Yankees organization in the 1976 expansion draft.

Iorg made his MLB debut on April 9, 1978, and played for the Blue Jays until his retirement in 1987.

After retiring as a player in 1987, Iorg stayed in Major League Baseball, beginning a long coaching career that kept him in the game for many years.

Your donation directly impacts our student-athletes, helping fund equipment, facilities, and travel to competitions. Every contribution, no matter the size, plays a vital role in fostering a winning spirit. Make a difference and show your support today!