Submitted photo – The St. Bernard’s Crusaders are No. 4 in the entire NCS, according to the early-season MaxPreps rankings.

By Ray Hamill — The early-season North Coast Section rankings are in and it makes for some impressive reading for some of the H-DNL teams.

None more so than the St. Bernard’s boys.

Fresh off a dominating 63-46 win over the second-highest ranked local boys team, McKinleyville, in the championship game at the weekend Mt. Shasta tournament, the Crusaders (5-1) are ranked No. 4 overall in the NCS out of 136 programs, according to Max Preps.

Only No. 1 Salesian, No. 2 Clayton Valley Charter and No. 3 Bishop O’Dowd are ranked higher right now.

The Crusaders are also the No. 1 Division-6 team in all of California and of course within the NCS.

The Panthers (7-2) are not too far behind and are ranked No. 15 overall in the NCS and No. 4 in Division 4, while an impressive Del Norte boys team (6-2) is No. 33 overall in the NCS and No. 5 in Division 3.

The Eureka Loggers (5-3) are also in the top 50 in the NCS, coming in at No. 47 overall and at No. 9 in Division 3, while Hoopa rounds out the top-five local teams in the rankings, coming in at No. 58 overall and No. 12 in Division 5.

Arcata (5-5) is No. 62 overall and No. 11 in Division 3; South Fork (4-7) is No. 110 overall and No. 21 in Division 5, and Fortuna (2-8) is No. 124 overall and No. 25  in Division 4.

The Ferndale boys (1-2) are not yet included in the rankings after starting the season later than other local schools because of the long playoff run for the Cats in football.

In the NCS girls rankings, meanwhile, the defending Big 5 champion Arcata Tigers lead the local contingent of teams.

The Tigers (4-1), who did not play over the weekend, are ranked No. 13 overall in the NCS and No. 2 in Division 3, trailing only San Marin, which is No. 7 overall.

The Arcata girls are also the No. 6 Division-3 team in all of California.

Fortuna (6-2), Ferndale (5-1) and Eureka (7-2) are all ranked in the top 22 in the NCS, giving the H-DNL a sizable contingent of highly-ranked girls teams.

The Huskies are No. 17 overall and No. 4 in Division 4, while the Wildcats are No. 18 in the NCS and No. 2 in Division 6, trailing only No. 1 Cornerstone Christian in the Division.

The Ferndale girls are also the No. 4-ranked Division-6 school in all of California right now.

The Loggers come in at No. 22 overall in the NCS and are No. 4 in Division 3.

The fifth highest ranked local team is St. Bernard’s.

The Crusaders (4-3) are No. 34 in the NCS and No. 3 in Division 5, trailing only No. 1 Branson and No. 2 Upper Lake.

McKinleyville (6-3) is No. 45 overall in the NCS, while Big 5 rival Del Norte is just two spots further back at No. 47.

The Mack girls are also No. 11 in Division 4, while the Del Norte girls are No. 10 in Division 3.

And rounding out the local teams ranked, Hoopa is No 98 overall in the NCS and No. 14 in Division 5, while South Fork (1-9) is No. 114 overall and No. 17 in Division 5.