Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com – The St. Bernard’s and Del Norte girls teams will open the NCS playoffs on Wednesday.

By Ray Hamill — The Wildcats’ success on the soccer fields this fall is not going unnoticed.

Despite being the smallest school in the bracket, the Ferndale girls received the No. 1 seed for the North Coast Section Division-1 tournament on Sunday afternoon. 

Six of the eight H-DNL girls teams are included in the eight-team D-I field, while five of the seven HDN boys programs were included in Divisions 1, 2 and 3.

Ten of the 11 local teams to make the postseason will play in the opening rounds on Wednesday, with the Fortuna boys receiving a bye as the No. 2 seed in Division 1.

The Ferndale girls will open at home against No. 8 Technology, as they look to win a second section crown in three years and a first-ever in Division 1.

While many of the NCS schools don’t compete in fall soccer, the Cats have been the highest ranked team in the section for much of the season, so seeing this Division-2 soccer program included as the top seed in Division 1 is not a big surprise.

They will play on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 p.m.

The girls D-1 field includes two all-local opening-round matchups.

Big 4 champs Arcata received the No. 3 seed and will play No. 6 Del Norte at McKinleyville High School at 2:30.

The St. Bernard’s girls also have been moved up to the larger schools bracket and are seeded No. 4.

The Crusaders will host No. 5 Fortuna at 2:30.

If the Wildcats win their opener, they would host either St. Bernard’s or Fortuna in next weekend’s semifinals.

Rounding out the local girls teams included, No. 7 Eureka will play at No. 2 Kelseyville on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

And if the Loggers win they will play either Arcata or Del Norte in the semifinals.

In addition to Fortuna, both Arcata and Del Norte are also included in the 11-team Division-1 boys bracket.

The league champion Tigers are seeded four spots below league runner-up Fortuna at No. 6 and will open against No. 11 Cristo Rey De La Salle out of Oakland at Mack High on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30, along with the Del Norte and Arcata girls.

Del Norte is seeded No. 8 but will have to open on the road at No. 9 International in San Francisco.

The lower seeds will host the game because they won their league tournament.

That game will take place on Wednesday night at 7.

Fortuna will play either No. 7 Athenian or No. 10 Drew in next weekend’s quarterfinals.

The McKinleyville boys also made the playoffs and are seeded No. 11 in Division 2.

The Panthers open at No. 6 Credo on Wednesday night at 7.

The South Fork boys also have qualified in Division 3 and are seeded No. 9, opening at No. 8 Contra Costa Christian on Wednesday afternoon at 2:30.