Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Eureka quarterback Cruz Montana throws a pass against Foothill last week.

By Ray Hamill — The Eureka Loggers will face one of their toughest opponents of the season this weekend, when they travel to Shasta to play last season’s CIF 3-AA state finalists.

The Wolves are 1-1, but their loss came at powerhouse Elk Grove, and they feature a senior-laden lineup with a lot of experience, much like the Loggers themselves.

Eureka is coming off an impressive 62-14 win over a good Foothill team, putting up 536 yards of offense and dominating in all facets of the game.

The Loggers, now 4-0, are ranked 95th in the state by MaxPreps.

Weir, Miller offer potent one-two punch for the Loggers on offense – Eureka has several options at running back, but two stand out … 

Shasta is ranked No. 313. Only three teams on the Loggers’ schedule — Fortuna (238), Ukiah (264)and Lincoln  — are ranked higher.

And the Loggers coaching staff is expecting a tough battle.

“Shasta’s always physical,” Eureka head coach Jason White said. “They’re similar to us. They’re going to come out and play physical football.

“They’ve got a couple of really good running backs, and they fly around on defense. It’s not the typical team that we meet.”

The Eureka players celebrate last weekend’s big win.

A different challenge

In addition to being physical, the Wolves will also present a different challenge for the Loggers, with an offensive system they haven’t seen yet this season.

“We have to make sure we have our defensive game plan in place. Shasta has a different kind of offense They run a shotgun wing-T,” White said. “But we feel we’ve got a good game plan, and hopefully the kids will go out and execute it.”

Nice balance on offense

Quarterback Cruz Montana continues to lead the way on a Loggers offense that has been impressive the past two and a half games.

In those 10 quarters of play, Eureka has outscored some quality opponents by a combined 138-14.

Montana has been ice cool playing the position (maybe it’s the name), completing 46-of-72 passes for 914 yards, seven touchdowns and no picks.

And he has plenty of weapons at his disposal.

A stable of 16 different running backs has combined to carry the ball for 945 yards at an impressive average of 6.3 yards a carry.

In addition, 11 different receivers have combined for 1,054 yards through the air, giving the Loggers a nice balance on the offensive side of the ball.

Friday’s game is set for 7:30 p.m.