Ferndale ‘all in’ as Wildcats prepare for big state showdown

By barstoolfanatics on November 30, 2023 • ( Leave a comment )

Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

By Ray Hamill — The message from the Ferndale Wildcats is clear. They’re not done yet and there’s still work to be done.

One week after clinching the school’s first North Coast Section football championship in 11 years, the Wildcats will play Portola on Friday night for a place in the CIF Division 7-AA state championship game.

The game will be played at the Redwood Bowl and it will be the Cats’ first playoff game in Humboldt County after having to travel out of the area for all three of the section games.

And for now, the players and coaches are still focusing on the job at hand.

“There’s going to be a time for reflection but that time’s not now,” Ferndale head coach Clint McClurg said.

The team got to practice on the Bear River Casino Resort all-weather field this week to prepare them for the game at Cal Poly Humboldt.

And, according to McClurg, it’s been a good week of preparation from a group of players that clearly wants more.

“I definitely feel with this group of young men, they just seem like they’re still learning the game and getting better,” the coach said. “And when you have that type of approach from the student athletes, the preparation is there.

“I definitely like our mental preparation.”

But while the players have remained focused on the task at hand as they get set for the biggest game of their high school careers, excitement throughout the town has definitely been building all week long.

“There’s a lot of excitement in the community,” McClurg said. “One of our themes this year is ‘all in.’ … We’re all in this together and that’s kind of the vibe and feel. They’ve done an outstanding job supporting the team.”

As for Portola, McClurg and his players are expecting a big challenge from a similar style team, and one that has not tasted defeat all year long.

The Tigers are 12-0 after clinching the Division-5 Northern Section last week with a 27-14 win over Biggs.

They like to run the ball and they do it well, with plenty of team speed and some explosive players.

And that’s something the Wildcats can relate to.

“They’re physical and fast and they’re going to definitely pose a big challenge to our defense, and our offense,” McClurg said. “We’re very similar. We like our heavy run game and we like to set things up with our run game.

Submitted photo

“I really feel like the NCS matching up with the Northern Section is a nice NorCal championship. So I think our student athletes are pretty excited about that.”