Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com- The St. Bernard’s Crusaders open the new season at El Molino on Friday night.
It’s opening weekend for eight of the nine local high school football teams, including six who will play under the Friday night lights.
Friday’s Games
Placer at Eureka, 7:30 p.m.
The Loggers have not lost a regular season game since 2016, but should have their hands full against Placer at Albee Stadium.
The game will give local fans a first real look at a very new-look Eureka team, with a number of players eager to make their own piece of history in 2019.
The Hillmen were an impressive 12-1 a year ago, with their only loss coming in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division-III championship game.
It should be a tough challenge for the Loggers right off the bat.
For comparison sake, the Hillmen are ranked No. 89 in California by MaxPreps, with the Loggers ranked No. 132.
The JVs will also be in action.
St. Bernard’s at El Molino, 7 p.m.
The Crusaders open the new season in Forestville against a team they defeated 40-14 in the opener a year ago.
St. Bernard’s will have to be road warriors this season, especially early in the campaign with five of their opening six games away from Crusader Field.
This is one they’ll fancy their chances to win, though.
“We have to play fast,” St. Bernard’s head coach Matt Tomlin said. “We’ve got to get the ball out of our hands quickly, and then we just got to make plays.”
Last season the Lions were 3-7.
Arcata at South Tahoe, 7 p.m.
The Tigers get the season under way with the longest road trip of the weekend in the H-DNL, traveling to South Lake Tahoe on a team-bonding trip.
The Tigers are eager to prove they belong back in the Big 4 as head coach Jamal Jones continues to build the program, but to convince anybody they’ll have to start better than a year ago when they came out of the gates 0-3.
A quick start against a Vikings team that was 1-9 a year ago will no doubt give Arcata some early confidence.
A bye in week two is followed by a pivotal showdown at St. Bernard’s.
So long as the Tigers don’t look past the Vikings, they should be 1-0 heading into that game.
Del Norte at Moreau Catholic, 7 p.m.
A key early showdown for the Warriors against a Moreau Catholic team that was 12-1 a year ago, losing for the first time all season to Fortuna in the NCS Division-IV championship game.
This year, both Del Norte and Moreau Catholic are included in the new-look NCS Division 5, adding to the importance of Friday’s opener.
The Warriors won’t be a pushover for anyone, and a road win here would be an impressive statement, but it’ll tough to achieve.
St. Vincent de Paul at McKinleyville (at HSU), 7:30 p.m.
An improved Panthers team will be looking for a better start than last year, when they lost 18-0 to the Mustangs on the road.
McKinleyville should be better prepared this season, with a number of key returning players and more varsity experience than they began 2018 with.
This is a key matchup between two Division-7 teams and a game that could be crucial if either team is to make a push for the playoffs.
Cornerstone Christian at South Fork, 7 p.m.
A tough opener for a young Cubs team that features a junior-heavy roster.
Cornerstone is coming off a 9-0 season a year ago, including a 56-42 win over the Cubs, and returns multiple starters.
Hoopa at Fort Bragg
Game canceled after Hoopa was forced to pull out due to numerous injuries this past week.
The Warriors expect to field a team at home to St. Bernard’s next week.
Saturday’s Game
Clear Lake at Ferndale
A key early showdown between two Division-7 teams that could have a say in either’s playoff push later in the year.
Too many injuries de-railed the Cats’ early last season, but with a healthy and relatively large roster (for a small school), bigger things are expected out of Ferndale in 2019.
The Cardinals were 2-8 a year ago.
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Ray Hamill writes at humboldtsports.com, where you can read lots more about sports in Humboldt County.
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