Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Eureka’s Lamarie Dunn (24) tries to get away from St. Bernard’s Demetrius Rawson during last weekend’s game at Crusader Field.

By Ray Hamill — The NCS playoffs might be kicking off a week later than expected, but for the Eureka Loggers they’re really beginning a week early.

The Loggers travel to Del Norte on Friday night for a do or die matchup against the best team in the area knowing that anything less than a win will leave them on the outside looking in when the playoffs get under way in two weeks.

And the players are well aware of what’s at stake.

“When you’re backed into a corner as to whether or not you’re going to the playoffs, there’s definitely a heightened sense of urgency,” Eureka head coach Jason White said, adding that his team had a good week of practice.

There is good news for the Loggers on the injury front, with three key players cleared to play after recent injuries.

Senior quarterback Trevor Bell is back after not starting the past three games — all losses — with a rolled ankle, while senior lineman Miles Meynell will be okay to go after picking up an ankle injury against St. Bernard’s a week ago.

Safety/QB Hayden Bode will also be available after picking up what looked like a serious knee injury last week, only to be cleared to play a few days later.

A lot of incentives

With so much at stake, having Bell in from the start is particularly key for the Loggers, and he’s made substantial progress since coming into last week’s game late after Bode was injured.

“He was about 40 percent honestly,” White said, before adding “he’s made a lot of progress this week.”

There will be plenty at stake as well for the Warriors, who need to win to solidify their playoff status and secure the Big 4 championship outright, after clinching a share of the title a week ago.

A loss will see them share the crown with the winner of the St. Bernard’s/Fortuna game on Saturday.

And there’s also the rivalry aspect.

“Del Norte/Eureka is a big deal,” said Del Norte head coach Nick White, who is a younger brother of the Eureka head coach. “And we want to win the conference outright. There’s a lot of incentives this week.”

Eureka’s Hayden Bode in action at St. Bernard’s last weekend.

Sibling rivalry

Both brothers played down the sibling matchup, which will be the first meeting between the two as head coaches after Nick took over the Del Norte program this year. 

He previously spent several years as an assistant coach there, however, so the two have faced each other before on several occasions.

“Honestly, we’re just rolling with what we’ve been doing, so it’s pretty much just another game,” said Nick, whose twin brother Chris is also an assistant with the Del Norte program.

The elder brother echoed the sentiment.

“For me, it’s not really about me or him, it’s about what our players can do and getting them ready,” Jason said. “I’m focused on getting them ready to try and get into the playoffs.”

Del Norte’s OJ Calleja

A challenge for Eureka

And it will be a challenge for the Loggers, who are 3-6 on the season and 0-2 in the Big 4.

“We’ve got to play our best game of the year in order to beat those guys,” the Eureka coach said.

The Warriors have a balanced and physical team that is firing on all cylinders right now, and have stormed out to an 8-1 record and a 2-0 mark in league play.

They run the ball very effectively and play outstanding defense, a recipe for success at any level of the game.

“They’re just so active defensively,” Jason said. “They kind of fly around the ball, and offensively they’re very basic. They grind away. It’s very much old school football.”

It’s also a smart brand of football.

“(What impresses me) is their preparation during the week, and kind of knowing what’s going to happen,” Nick said of his defense, which is allowing just 10.4 points a game. “Our kids listen and they prepare every week during the week, and that’s huge. 

“And we’re very aggressive. We want to attack. We want to hit people.”

The Warriors D also has a remarkable 96 tackles for a loss, which leads the NCS and is an average of more than 10 a game.

“That pretty much tells you how good our defense is,” Nick said of the stat.

Eureka’s Willie Magana is tackled during last weekend’s game.

Assortment of weapons

The defense will be tested against a Loggers offense that features an assortment of weapons, particularly with a pair of running quarterbacks.

“I don’t know which quarterback will play, but they have two that can run the ball really well,” Nick said. “That’s their biggest threat offensively.”

The game will also pit the Warriors against a Wing T offense for the first time this season, although it’s an offense the Warriors run themselves.

“That will be a different challenge,” Nick said.

Game time is set for 7:30 p.m., with the JVs getting the evening under way at 5 p.m.