Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – Are the Fortuna Huskies the team to beat in the H-DNL this fall?

By Ray Hamill — Are you ready for some football?

Or how about some Preseason Power Rankings?

The local high school season kicks off this weekend and we’ll know more about all of the H-DNL varsity teams after the first snaps of consequence.

Opening weekend features three big all-local games that will tell us more about where some of the top H-DNL teams stand, with Fortuna hosting Del Norte, Eureka entertaining Arcata and St. Bernard’s traveling to Hoopa. 

And of course there are several big questions regarding the local teams ahead of the new season.

Like, will one of the three defending Big 4 co-champs win this year’s title outright?

Can the Eureka Loggers turn the corner on what has been a difficult few years for the program?

Can anyone de-throne Del Norte after four straight Big 4 championships?

Whats’ next for the state champs of Ferndale and can they beat the Arcata Tigers to the Little 4 title after two heartbreaking losses to their conference rivals last fall?

Are the Fortuna Huskies really the best team in the H-DNL going into the new season? (We think they are.)

Can anyone contain Luke Lemke?

Who will step up for the Crusaders to replace Wyatt Simoni?

Can Hoopa or McKinleyville bounce back from difficult seasons a year ago?

Will the South Fork Cubs prove to the H-DNL that they deserve a return to the Little 4?

We could go on.

In addition to the Fortuna/Del Norte game on Friday night and the Arcata/Eureka game at the Redwood Bowl on Saturday, four other local teams will be in action on opening weekend.

St. Bernard’s travels to Hoopa for a rare Thursday night showdown to get the party started, while McKinleyville will host Kelseyville on Friday and Ferndale will host Fort Bragg on Saturday afternoon.

South Fork is the only local team with a bye on opening weekend, and the Cubs will kick off their season the following weekend against Fort Bragg.

Here then is our first Power Rankings of the season, with last year’s records in parenthesis. 

Are you ready for some football?

The Del Norte Warriors

PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS 

1 — Fortuna (8-4)

The Huskies have a dynamic group of 2023 JVs moving up to varsity.

2 — Del Norte (6-4)

The Warriors have won at least a share of four straight Big 4s, including three outright.

3 — St. Bernard’s (9-4)

The Crusaders rarely disappoint.

4 — Arcata (8-3)

With two reigning conference MVPs back, the Tigers are still the team to beat in the L4.

5 — Eureka (0-10)

It’s a new era for the Loggers, but can they turn the corner?