Photos by Ray Hamill/HumboldtSports.com
By Ray Hamill — As expected, four local teams have advanced to the North Coast Section football playoffs, including two who could face off in a huge semifinal showdown in two weeks.
The postseason brackets were announced on Sunday, and all four H-DNL schools included received favorable seeds.
None more so than the St. Bernard’s Crusaders, who were handed the top seed in Division 6.
After a remarkable season that saw them not allow any points through their opening eight games, the Ferndale Wildcats are included in the Division-5 bracket, as was widely expected.
The Cats are seeded No. 2, as was also widely expected.
The Fortuna Huskies and South Fork Cubs also have qualified for the postseason.
The Huskies are included in the Division-6 bracket and received the No. 4 seed, which could see them play Big 4 rival St. Bernard’s in the semifinal round in two weeks, providing of course both schools can successfully navigate their opening-round games next weekend.
The Cubs, meanwhile, are included in the Eight-Person Division-2 tournament and received the No. 2 seed.
The playoffs kick off next weekend with games on Friday and Saturday, and all four local teams will open at home.
Fortuna and South Fork will play on Friday night at 7, with St. Bernard’s and Ferndale getting their postseason under way the following afternoon at 1.
The Huskies, who won six of their last seven games after an 0-3 start, will host No. 5 Petaluma.
The South Fork Cubs (6-3) will play No. 3 Cornerstone Christian in their four-team bracket, as they look to secure a second NCS crown in three years.
Their opening game will take place in Miranda, with the winner advancing to play either No. 1 Elsie Allen or No. 4 Potter Valley for the championship the following weekend.
St. Bernard’s, which is 9-1 and shared the Big 4 championship with Fortuna, opens against No. 8 San Rafael.
The Wildcats, who are 10-0 and have lost just one of their last eight playoffs games, will open against No. 7 Arroyo out of San Lorenzo, with the winner of that game advancing to play either No. 3 Salesian or No. 6 Northgate.
St. Vincent de Paul, as expected, received the top seed in the D-5 bracket ad will open against Analy.
Categories: Ferndale, Football, Fortuna, South Fork, St. Bernard's
Ferndale who has one of the best regular seasons ever, is rewarded by moving up 2 divisions and play schools with 1500 + students. CIF continues to punish small schools with their competitive equity nonsense.
Exactly. I can see up bracketing Parochial schools because they recruit…Wait! They sponsor as a guy on the sidelines of Marin Catholic told me concerning a kid I had complimented on the field. Bandon is not Parochial but recruited in the 90’s. Ferndale should not get penalized for out working the other teams and having a talented group come through.
Two years ago The Cat’s won the State championship against a Fairfax team who’s enrollment was 2100, when these players were mainly Sophomores. This years team is one of the most talented High School teams I’ve EVER witnessed in all aspects of the game. 647-18 is remarkable for a team that fielded 17 players for most of the season. My point being, this team of remarkable athletes do have the heart, ability, and great leadership to do even more amazing things on the turf. These young men don’t see enrollment or size of the opposition. They line up 11 against 11 and play about the best football seen in this area for years.
I was part of the Cat’s 1966 championship team and have followed many very good teams since then, but this is a special group of players and coaches that have created the most balanced and complete unit I personally have witnessed in Wildcat football.
So, the best of luck and play to the best of you potential and good things will come your way……….GO CATS!!!!!!!!!!!