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The Ferndale Wildcats kept their impressive start to the new high school football season going with another big win over the weekend, traveling to Fall River and beating the perennial Northern Section powerhouse 46-14.
With the win, the high-flying Wildcats improved to 2-0 and they have now scored 85 points in their first two games.
The Wildcats will have a bye in action this week before hosting rival Fortuna in the highly-anticipated Milk Can showdown next week.
Whether they can win back the coveted Can this fall after losing to the Huskies in 2023 remains to be seen, but Ferndale fans will like their chances the way this team is playing right now and the team depth.
“Right now we have 16 on our roster and all 16 can play,” Ferndale head coach Clint McClurg said.
Perhaps the most impressive thing about this year’s roster is the maturity the players continue to display, both in games and in their preparation.
There has been no fall off or complacency in the wake of last year’s historic run to a first-ever state championship win.
“I would say (what’s impressed me most) is their willingness to learn more about the game,” McClurg said. “There are a lot of positive things, and in addition to that they’re willing to hold each other accountable.”
Several of the Ferndale players have begun the new season in style, including quarterback Tanner Pidgeon.
The standout junior rushed for four of his team’s seven touchdowns in Friday’s win and has already accounted for nine of the Cats’ 13 TDs through the opening two games.
Pidgeon ran for 168 yards on 13 carries at Fall River, as well as completing 2 of 6 passes for 42 yards.
He also added an interception on defense after pulling in two the previous week against Fort Bragg.
Prescott Langer also had a good game running the ball.
The junior playmaker helped set a physical tone once again and finished with 51 yards rushing on nine carries, including a touchdown, as well as pulling in two receptions for 25 yards.
“Obviously we got our option right,” McClurg said. “And once we get our option going you better try and stop No. 13 (Langer), and then No. 2 (Pidgeon) is there to capitalize. He continues to be a playmaker for us on both sides of the ball.”
Sophomores Luke Dixon and Garyn McClurg each also impressed in the win.
Garyn McClurg took full advantage of some early carries and finished with 58 yards on 10 touches, while Dixon had 31 yards and a touchdown on four carries, as well as a reception for 30 yards.
“We really like Luke’s physicality and we wanted to get him going a little bit,” said the head coach, who added of Garyn McClurg “he’s a player that has put in a lot of time and effort and we feel like he can definitely make some plays. He’s another horse in our stable.”
Jonah Anderson also had three carries for 23 yards and a TD and the versatile senior has been helping to set the tone for the team on both sides of the ball early in the new season.
“He carries the ball, he’s a phenomenal down blocker and he’s probably our most consistent receiver,” Clint McClurg said. “He’s an outstanding linebacker and another offensive option.”
As it often does for the Cats, the road to victory was paved in the trenches and nobody contributed more in that regard that junior Ethan Weitzel.
The young co-team captain has been a physical tone-setter for the Cats for the last year and that continued to be the case again at Fall River.
“Offensively and defensively, we’re very, very impressed with Ethan Weitzel,” Clint McClurg said. “He was very dominant.”
Defensively, Dixon led the Wildcats in tackles at Fall River and had eight total, including six solo, while Garyn McClurg added six tackles and Tristen Titus five.
The Bulldogs dropped to 0-2.
