Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The Fortuna Huskies in action at last weekend’s H-DNL jamboree at McKinleyvillle High School.

By Ray Hamill — With a core group of talented senior leaders on the team, the Fortuna Huskies believe it could be a good season in The Friendly City.

It all gets under way on Friday night when the Huskies travel to play St. Helena in the season opener, with the varsity game kicking off at 7 p.m.

Longtime head coach Mike Benbow has been impressed with what he’s seen from his players through the preseason and is hopeful they can carry that momentum into the season.

“You know what, it’s gone really well,” Benbow said of the preseason practice. “Our kids have been working extremely hard and we’ve been focusing on a few things I’m actually pretty excited about.”

The Huskies feature a new starting quarterback with Will Shaw taking over under center, and he has been impressing the coaches with his play during the preseason.

“He’s a pretty athletic guy,” Benbow said. “He throws the ball well and he runs our offense really well.”

The presence of dynamic running backs Kavi Bolden and Mako Limon will definitely help Shaw and gives the Huskies arguably the best running back tandem in the H-DNL.

Bolden and Limon are both capable of taking over any game and will be the focus of the Huskies offense.

“We’ve had some pretty good running backs here, but as a pair together at the same time?” Benbow said. “It’s pretty amazing.

“They are fast kids and they run the veer pretty well. And I think they’re going to have a really good senior year.”

Two other key players — Bradisen Essig and Gavin Mayberry — will also be expected to provide some necessary team leadership.

Essig will line up at tight end and middle linebacker — as well as some other spots if needed — and has been described by Benbow as “the heart and soul of our defense.”

Mayberry will play receiver and safety and is a big athletic kid who moves very well, according to the coach.

Another senior, Tyson Evanow, will also provide some leadership and is poised for a big fall after injury-plagued campaigns the past two years.

“He’s a really good football player and part of our senior leadership,” Benbow said the versatile Evanow, who will play running back, tight end, linebacker and safety, depending on where his team needs him. “He plays all over the place and he’s pretty smart.”

After their season opener at St. Helena, the Huskies will travel to play Ukiah in two weeks, before hosting Ferndale in the annual Milk Can game and University Prep on back-to-back weekends to close out September.

That will conclude their pre-conference schedule with the Big 4 switching to a six-game home-and-away format this year.

Friday night’s game will be broadcast live on The Beat 95.1 FM.