Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com
By Ray Hamill — Local soccer fans have spoken ahead of Tuesday’s league openers in H-DNL boys soccer and we have a favorite to win this year’s league championship.
In what is expected to be a very competitive and wide-open race for the title, as many as five of the seven teams could contend for the pennant.
A Humboldt Sports poll, however, suggests there are two schools favored above the rest, and one in particular.
After dominating the league for much of the past decade, the Fortuna Huskies received 30.5 percent of the votes cast in our poll, which was first published on Friday.
The Huskies finished second to Del Norte a year ago in a race that right down to the wire.
The defending champions, meanwhile, are second favorites, according to local fans.
The Warriors pulled in 27 percent of the votes cast.
Local fans also seem to believe that Arcata and Eureka could also be in the mix.
The Tigers, who won the title two years ago and placed fourth last season, received exactly a quarter of the votes cast.
The Loggers, who are looking to end a 16-year championship drought after placing third last season, received 17 percent of the votes cast.
The McKinleyville Panthers round out the top five teams in our poll after receiving 6.5 percent of the votes.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote.
League play got under way on Tuesday afternoon.
Categories: Arcata, Del Norte, Eureka, Fortuna, McKinleyville, polls, Soccer, South Fork, St. Bernard's
Wow, HOJ has McKinleyville getting more than 6%, respectfully… and don’t be surprised if Deppe has Mack rolling into playoffs… most excitement for a Mack boys team since coach Ian Macdonald…
THE CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON Back row from left, Garrett Damron, Jason Smith, Joe Macias, Max Hubbert, Griffen Callahan and coach Iain MacDonald. Middle row from left, Colin Cavanagh, Sean Heyne, Andrew Suchanek, Stephen Shell, Luke Trageser, Jesse Ralston and Greg Stockness. Bottom row from left, John Provolt, Mike Bastian, Trevor Kates, Chandler Seward, Chris Still and Stephen Stockness. ~ 1999
I lament a Sunday morning phone call to coach as a “REMINDER” moment of respect for coach, and the team, the players and their family and friends…
… “greatness requires humility; humility strengthens character; character defines goodness; goodness understands wisdom; wisdom understands actions; actions serve as reminders; REMINDERS serve as purposes in life.”
Cheers to Coach Mac 🍻