Submitted photo – A photograph taken of Mike Whalen Field on Tuesday morning.

After 48 hours of uncertainty, the Del Norte Warriors got the news they hoped for on Wednesday morning when they were informed they will get to host Saturday’s big state championship game in football after all.

Del Norte will play El Monte from Southern California for the 5-AA state championship, and the CIF officially announced the game will now go ahead at Mike Whalen Field in Crescent City as originally planned.

On Monday the CIF expressed concern that the field conditions might not be suitable for such a high profile game, and was considering moving the game from the grass field to Humboldt State’s Redwood Bowl, which has an all-weather surface.

The Warriors, however, have insisted all along that their field is in excellent condition, sending drone footage of the field to the CIF and also covering it with a tarp to hold off the forecast rain this week.

The game will be the first-ever state championship in football to be played in Del Norte County and it is anticipated as many as 2,000 local fans could show up.

Game time is set for 6 p.m. 

###

Ray Hamill writes at humboldtsports.com, where you can read lots more about sports in Humboldt County.