POWER RANKINGS — No. 1 remains the same, but there are changes elsewhere

By barstoolfanatics on October 31, 2024 • ( Leave a comment )

Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com

By Ray Hamill — The Arcata Tigers remain a solid No. 1 in this week’s Power Rankings, but elsewhere a big statement win by the Eureka Loggers sees them make another jump.

A lot of people have been overlooking the Loggers for much of the season, but first-year head coach Sam Edmonds has them playing their best football of the season right now.

A dominating 41-6 win over St. Bernard’s on Saturday night also puts them in prime position to challenge for this year’s Big 4 championship.

However, they’re not the only Big 4 team impressing right now.

The Del Norte Warriors also kicked off conference play with a nice win on Saturday night, beating Big 4 rival Fortuna 21-12 in Crescent City.

The Warriors, who have now won five straight games, are finding their groove at an opportune time and they will play for at least a share of a fifth straight conference championship when they travel to play Eureka at the Redwood Bowl this weekend.

For my money there is little between the two Big 4 frontrunners right now, but the Warriors get the nod for No. 3 in our Power Rankings because of their one-point win over the Loggers in Crescent City two weeks ago.

That, however, will count for little ahead of this week’s big showdown and both teams will like their chances of taking the victory.

The Arcata Tigers, meanwhile, remain a firm No. 1 for the eighth straight week after improving to 8-0 over the weekend.

The dominating Tigers can clinch at least a share of a second straight Little 4 championship with a win over Hoopa on Friday night.

And they’re showing no signs of slowing down.

The Tigers should get the better of the Warriors but they should also be tested by a Wildcats team that will have a point to prove when they head to Ferndale for a big regular season finale next week.

The Wildcats also comfortably took care of business this past weekend, beating Hoopa 42-12 to remain in the hunt for the conference championship.

The big question right now is would Del Norte or Eureka beat Ferndale?

For now, the Cats remain No. 2 in the rankings.

They have beaten both of the Big 4 teams they faced this year — Fortuna and St. Bernard’s — and have continually impressed week after week with the one notable exception of their recent lopsided loss at Arcata.

The Wildcats will feel they’re a better team than they showed that night and they’ll get the chance to prove that when they play the Tigers a second time next week.

Of course, first up, they’ll need to take care of business against McKinleyville this weekend.

And speaking of teams that will feel they’re better than they showed recently, the St. Bernard’s Crusaders turned in their worst performance of the year against Eureka and will be eager to bounce back when they play at Fortuna this weekend.

The Huskies, meanwhile, drop out of our Power Rankings for the first time this season after losing their fifth straight game this past weekend.