Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

By Ray Hamill — This time around, they don’t have to wait quite so long.

After a three-week layoff between games leading up to last weekend’s North Coast Section showdown against Las Lomas, the Eureka players have just six days between games as they now prepare for a CIF NorCal Regional showdown against Menlo-Atherton.

But no one at Eureka High is complaining, and the players, coaches and fans are more than relieved to be still playing after their playoff fate was decided by a coin flip on Sunday morning.

“After having two or three weeks to prepare for a game, and all of a sudden to have four days, it’s been a whirlwind,” Eureka head coach Jason White said.

“Things have been so fast, but it’s good.”

It’s also been a whirlwind week for fans and for the school, as the Loggers prepare to host a big state playoff showdown at McKinleyville High.

It marks the third time in four years the area has hosted a regional game, after St. Bernard’s and Fortuna each hosted in recent years.

And the Loggers will be keen to carry on the wining tradition and make it three out of three for the Humboldt-Del Norte League, with both the Crusaders and Huskies going on to win a state title afterwards.

The Loggers, however, can expect their biggest challenge of the year against a big and physical Menlo team.

The Bears are 12-2 on the season and will be riding an emotional high of their own after pulling out a dramatic victory in the Central Coastal Section Open Division I championship last Friday night.

Playing on grass could give the Loggers an advantage though, seeing as they play the majority of their games on the natural surface, while the Bears play most of their games on artificial turf.

The forecast for Friday is mostly sunny with a chance of evening showers, although conditions will be much better than last weekend’s game, which was played in the rain on a very muddy and slippery Albee Stadium surface.

Pre-sale tickets for this week’s game are available beforehand at EHS, with a dollar form each pre-sale ticket going to Eureka High athletics, and there will be a special entrance line at the game for pre-sale ticket holders.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $8 for high school students with a valid student body card, seniors (65+) and children.