By Ray Hamill — The 2024 local high school football season kicks off later this month and all nine H-DNL varsity teams have reason to feel excited about the upcoming campaign.

All nine will also be tested early in the season as they look to build some momentum ahead of conference play and put themselves in position to qualify for the North Coast Section playoffs.

So what are the most important early-season games for all nine?

Here then is a list of what we think are the most key early-season games for all nine, with last season’s records in parenthesis …

Arcata (8-3) 

At Eureka, Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m.

The defending Little 4 champion Tigers enjoyed a stellar 2023 season, winning eight of their 10 regular-season games and going undefeated in conference play.

A breakthrough season-opening 19-8 win over the Loggers helped set the tone and gave them an early boost.

And they may need to beat the Loggers again if they want to build some early momentum and show us that last season was no fluke.

With additional games against Fortuna (home) and Del Norte (away) in September, the Tigers could be facing an 0-3 start of they don’t get the better of Eureka on opening weekend.

Del Norte (6-4)

At Fortuna, Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m.

The Warriors don’t have to look past opening weekend for what will arguably be their most important game of the first half of their season.

The four-time defending Big 4 champs will play a non-conference game against a Huskies team that beat them 22-12 in their regular season finale last year to earn a share of the conference title.

This year’s non-conference season-opener will have little impact on the race for the Big 4 championship, but it will tell us plenty about where both teams stand.

Eureka (0-10)

Vs. Arcata, Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m.

You could argue that no H-DNL team needs a good start to the 2024 season more than the Loggers, who are looking to put a hugely disappointing 0-10 season in 2023 behind them.

This will be the first game in charge for new head coach Sam Edmonds and what better way to kickstart a new era than with a victory over the defending Little 4 champs.

Adding to the importance of the season opener is the fact the Loggers will have six consecutive road games after that.

Ferndale (11-4)

Vs. Fortuna, Sept. 21, 2 p.m.

You can be certain the defending state champion Wildcats have circled the two conference matchups against Arcata on their calendars after a pair of heartbreaking losses to the Tigers last season.

But those games come in the final four weeks of the season.

The first month also includes games against Fort Bragg (home), Fall River (away) and St. Bernard’s (away), and the Cats will need to build some momentum ahead of conference play if they want to challenge Arcata for the L4 crown.

And what better way to do that than avenging last season’s 37-6 loss to the Huskies in the always-anticipated Milk Can showdown.

(The game against SB will also be a big one early in the season for Ferndale.)

Fortuna (8-4)

Vs. Del Norte, Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m.

The Milk Can showdown will also be a big one for the Huskies, as it always is, but the season opener against Del Norte will be a pivotal showdown in terms of setting the tone for their Big 4 challenge.

Few coaches have their players better prepared for games than Mike Benbow and his staff and they’ll need to be ready to go from the start this year with a sizable challenge right off the bat.

These two teams rarely disappoint when they meet and this game will be a fascinating way to kick off the new season for local fans.

Hoopa (3-7)

Vs. Etna, Sept. 6, 7:30 p.m.

With a new head coach and a group of exciting players moving up from a JV team that went 7-3 in 2023 on their way to a co-conference championship, Warriors fans have reason to feel excited for the upcoming season.

However, they will have their hands full going up against St. Bernard’s in their season opener in a showdown most local fans won’t expect them to win.

But a second straight home game to start the season against Etna the following week could give this team some early momentum and belief.

This will be the first meeting between the two schools since 2019.

McKinleyville (0-10)

Vs. Kelseyville, Aug. 30, 7:30 p.m.

No local team faces a more challenging opening to the new season than the Panthers, who play six straight games against 2023 playoff teams — Kelseyville (away), Fortuna (away), University Prep (home), Del Norte (home), Arcata (away) and Ferndale (home).

A good start will be key if the Panthers are to put a disappointing 2023 campaign behind them and set themselves up to challenge for a conference title they won two years ago.

The Knights won this matchup 62-12 last year and will have the majority of their players back from a junior-heavy roster in 2023.

South Fork (6-5)

Vs. Hoopa, Sept. 13, 7 p.m.

Similar to last year, the Cubs will play four straight games against 11-player teams to open the 2024 campaign.

The defending eight-person NCS champs have shown they can compete with and beat the best eight-player teams around, but if they truly want to get back to 11-person ball full time they must fare better than they did last season against those teams, when they lost all four showdowns.

They open at Fort Bragg on Sept. 6, but it’s the following week’s game against Hoopa in Miranda that will be pivotal.

A win in that game would suggest they’re ready for a return to the Little 4.

St. Bernard’s (9-4)

Vs. Biggs, Sept. 14, 2 p.m.

After season-opening games against Hoopa (away) and Willits (home), the Crusaders will host Biggs High School on Sept. 14 in what could be a good early-season test.

The Wolverines finished 9-4 and were the Northern Section Division-5 runners-up a year ago and they will travel to Crusader Field with a lot of players back from that team and a senior-heavy and experienced roster.

A challenging early-season schedule also sees the Crusaders play at Clear Lake — a playoff team from 2023 — and at home against defending state champs Ferndale.