Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Junior Emma Wilson, right, is back for the St. Bernard’s girls this season.

By Ray Hamill — Two teams with talented junior classes will kick off the H-DNL girls soccer season on Wednesday afternoon, as Ferndale travels to St. Bernard’s.

The game is one of seven scheduled for Wednesday as high school soccer returns to the North Coast for the first time in 16 months.

And naturally the players are excited to be back out on the field.

“Our focus has been on staying positive and building each other up,” Ferndale head coach Beth Anderson said. “I really like that they’re a positive group, and they like to have fun, and that’s really important after the long COVID break.”

Anderson, who coached at McKinleyville High for several years, takes over the Wildcats program this season, the first time the school has fielded a team since 2018.

And one player the new coach expects to lead the way on the field is senior captain Hallie Short, who will anchor the midfield.

“She’s a smart player,” Anderson said. “She sees the field really well, and she’s a playmaker.”

That vision and leadership will be pivotal for a relatively young Cats team with 15 players on the roster, including four freshmen.

While Anderson admits she is still trying to figure out her lineup, she expects three juniors — Malela Fulton, Gabby Riley and Alyssa Watkins — to play a big role in addition to Short.

“All three of those girls are very quick and have a good knowledge of the game,” Anderson said, adding that she will utilize that quickness to set up the Cats’ attack.

The head coach also likes the team balance and mix of youth and experience, with a solid starting lineup all the way from goalkeeper to the forwards.

St. Bernard’s, meanwhile, will also rely heavily on a talented group of juniors, including returning standouts Emma Wilson, Ema Brenes and Jessi Rutter.

“We’ve have good numbers,” said St. Bernard’s coach Phil Rouse, who has around 16 on his squad. “And we have a really big freshmen group, which I’m excited about, and we have good returners.”

Rouse says he is excited to see what this talented freshmen class can achieve in the coming years together, but for now he will be relying heavily on his juniors to lead the way.

Brenes is expected to anchor the team’s defense, with Wilson playing just in front of her in midfield and Rutter in attack.

Another junior Rouse expects to play a major role for the team this spring is Alondra Adkins, who will feature in attack.

And the Crusaders appear ready to go despite the short preseason.

“I just like that they were ready to play on fairly short notice,” Rouse said. “They’re motivated.”

Wednesday’s game will be played on the St. Bernard’s field, which Rouse says is in great condition after not being played on for over a year.

Game time is 3:30 p.m.

Neither school will field a boys team this season.