Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Hoopa Warriors are 1-0 after a shutout victory at South Fork last week.

By Ray Hamill — Week two of the high school football season will present some different challenges for a number of teams, as two in particular try to keep their fast start going.

The Hoopa Warriors (1-0) came into the new season with high expectations for a senior-heavy roster of players who have been playing together since their youth football days, and in week one against South Fork they lived up to the billing with a 41-0 win.

However, they will face a much tougher challenge when they travel to perennial North Coast Section contender St. Bernard’s on Saturday.

The Crusaders (0-1) are hurting right now, with several starters out because of injury and transfer protocols, and they should be a much tougher proposition later in the fall.

So the time could be right for the Warriors to post a first win over the Crusaders since November 2011.

Kick off is set for 1 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on MIX 95.1 FM.

Also in action this weekend, the Del Norte Warriors (1-0) will try to keep their fast start going at Piedmont (0-1), and head coach Nick White believes that having a core group of third-year varsity players has been instrumental in their fast start.

Kickoff in Piedmont is set for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast live on KPOD 97.9 FM.

Fortuna and Ferndale, meanwhile, will each try to bounce back from a tough opening road loss against quality programs.

The Huskies (0-1) fell 41-19 at University, while Ferndale (0-1) lost 30-20 at Fall River.

On Friday night, Fortuna will play at Justin-Siena (0-1), with kickoff set for 7 p.m. and the the game being broadcast on MIX 95.1 FM.

Also on Friday night, Ferndale will travel to Miranda to take on South Fork (0-1), with the two schools renewing their rivalry for the first time since 2016.

The Cats will be hoping to see the return of starting quarterback Jack Westfall, who missed the opener because of an injury.

The influential senior is day-to-day, but head coach Clint McClurg said on Thursday he is hopeful Werstfall will play.

Also in action tonight, the McKinleyville Panthers will kick off their season at home to Anderson (0-1) at 7 p.m.

And rounding out a busy weekend for the H-DNL, the Arcata Tigers (0-1) will try to bounce back from an opening-weekend loss at Eureka when they host powerhouse Sutter (2-0) at the Redwood Bowl on Saturday night at 7 p.m.

Fresh off their 30-0 win over Arcata, the Eureka Loggers have a bye this week.