Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Del Norte Warriors will play El Monte for a 5-AA state championship on Saturday.

By Ray Hamill — Both St. Bernard’s and Del Norte will see mirror images of themselves when they play for a state championship in football this weekend.

The Crusaders will play South out of Torrance at the Redwood Bowl, while the Warriors will play El Monte at Mike Whalen Field in Crescent City.

Both games are scheduled for 6 p.m. on Saturday night.

And both teams can expect a familiar look from their opponents.

El Monte features the most productive running back in the state and the second most productive ground attack, playing good old-fashioned smash-mouth football, much like the Warriors.

The Lions have rushed for a remarkable 5,335 yards this season, the sort of numbers you rarely see at the high school level, with an average of 355.7 a game.

They are led by senior Davon Booth, who leads the state with 2,722 yards this season (194.4 a game), and teammate Abel Cueva, who is averaging 101.1 yards a game.

Between them they have scored 52 of their team’s 73 rushing touchdowns.

Conversely, the Lions don’t pass much, averaging just 46.1 yards a game through the air.

The Warriors run the ball almost as much, and they have three top-notch backs behind a physical line.

Del Norte averages 297.1 yards rushing a game and 56.9 yards through the air, with Levi Cox Cooley (1,547 yards), Chase Blackburn (1,071) and Kobe Mitchell (1,030) all surpassing the 1,000-yard mark on the ground and combining for 41 rushing touchdowns, with any one of them capable of taking over a game.

The matchup in Crescent City will be a game of similar styles and could come down to which defense is better prepared for the occasion.

Quarterback Will Omey will play a pivotal role for the Crusaders in their 6-AA state championship game at the Redwood Bowl on Saturday.

Spread offenses

Likewise at the Redwood Bowl, where St. Bernard’s and South also play similar styles of offense, albeit very different to that of Del Norte and El Monte.

Both the Crusaders and Spartans like to spread the field and are pass-first offenses.

Both have exceptional senior quarterbacks, although St. Bernard’s Will Omey is more of a dual threat than counterpart Drew Nash.

Nash, however, is a very dangerous passer, with 3,145 yards and 37 TDs through the air (and 28.3 yards a game rushing), with the Spartans passing for an average of 211.5 yards a game and rushing for 149.7.

Similarly, the Crusaders pass for 264.9 yards a game and rush for 167.7.

Both teams also feature a number of capable receivers, who can break open a game on any given play.

Lane Thrap has been nothing short of sensational all season for the Crusaders and the best receiver on the North Coast (and beyond).

Opposite him, Omey has also gone to a number of reliable options and big-time playmakers, including Justin Hagler, Demarte Prudhomme, Logan Petrusha, Bode Joyner and Peyton Smith.

The key for the Crusaders offense, however, might just be how quickly they can establish their running game, which in turn could really open up their high-octane offense.

Likewise for the Spartans, and this game could also very well come down to which defense can contain the other better.

Maybe the two local state championships have more in common than we thought.