Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Ferndale Wildcats open the season at home to Clear Lake on Saturday afternoon.

By Ray Hamill — Don’t overlook the Ferndale Wildcats in 2019.

If there’s one team poised to take a big step forward this fall, it’s the proudest local franchise of all, one that struggled to an injury-plagued 4-7 campaign a year ago and one that will feel it’s a lot better than that record would indicate.

Health, as it does with every team and small schools in particular, will play a role, but the Cats are deep for a small school and have plenty of key talent returning from last season with a chip on their collective shoulder.

Head coach Clint McClurg will have a roster of 25 on hand, although, like many local teams, whether they will field a JV team remains to be seen.

The Cats have some very talented freshmen, a direct result of the Ferndale Mustangs’ AAA championship a year ago, but most of them won’t be ready to contribute at the varsity level just yet.

However, McClurg likes the depth of this year’s team.

“We do have a significant number of upperclassmen, 19 or so, and a lot of them are returning young men who have been with the program,” the head coach said. “I would say that depth is one of our strengths.”

Regli, Benton lead the way

A deep offensive line will be led by seniors Dominic Regli and Orion Benton.

“He’s big, he’s strong, he’s your classic Ferndale football player,” McClurg said of Regli. “He’s just that country strong kid, and he’s a phenomenal student.”

The Cats will rely on those smarts and his football talents along both lines.

“He’s just really stepped up and we’re really looking for him to anchor our offensive line,” the coach added.

Alongside Regli, the return of Benton will be just as key.

“He’s very spirited, very fiery, and he plays with a lot of passion,” McClurg said of Benton, who provides a lot of leadership for the younger players. “And he knows what he’s doing.”

Senior center Hunter Bell also is back and expected to play a major role, as is junior lineman Caden Rocha, whom the coach says has “really developed” this year.

Several other players will compete for playing time along both lines, including seniors Joe Parker and Haven Harrington, and junior Tanner Zanone.

Landon Gomes is one of several key returning players for the Cats.

“It’s interesting to say this at a small school, but I think we have depth,” McClurg said. “We’re not going to have the traditional starters playing on both offense and defense, we’re going to have 15 or 16 starters. We’ve got some great competition up front and some great competition in the backfield.

“It’s the same luxury some of the bigger schools have.”

Top talent

At the skilled positions, the Cats will rely heavily on standout senior Landon Gomes, one of the top talents in the county.

Gomes will see time at several positions as the Ferndale coaching staff looks to take full advantage of his versatility and keep opponents guessing.

“He’s a playmaker, offensively and defensively,” McClurg said of Gomes. “He’s one of those players every coach loves to have. He can throw, he can run, he can catch the ball.”

At quarterback junior Jenner Christiansen returns and is expected to provide stability after stepping in as a starter a year ago.

“He’s developed and looks pretty explosive,” McClurg said. “And he can do some really positive things with his arm … He’s getting the ball into playmakers’ hands, and he’s a playmaker himself.”

Also back and expected to play a big role is senior Tristen Martin, who will play tight end, defensive end and linebacker.

“He’s significantly quicker,” McClurg said of Martin. “His vertical power has increased, he just has really worked hard.”

Division 7 opponents

For the North Coast Section postseason, the Wildcats are grouped in the new Division 7 along with league rivals Hoopa and McKinleyville, as well as opening weekend opponents Clear Lake.

“We’re common opponents in Division 7, it’s a great place to start,” McClurg said of the Clear Lake game. “That’s the thing about football, every single game is very important, so we can’t look past anybody.”

Ferndale hosts Clear Lake on Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m., the only local game on Saturday.