By Ray Hamill — One of the most consistently competitive programs in the H-DNL will kick off the new football season with its longest road trip of the year on Friday night.
The Del Norte Warriors will head to the Bay Area to play Oakland High School, and the players will be hoping to hit the ground running — literally — as they look to compete for a sixth conference title in seven seasons this fall.
And it should be a good early-season test for the team.
“They’re fast, they’re athletic,” Del Norte head coach Nick White said of the Wildcats, who have a three-year starting quarterback under center. “So that’ll be a challenge for us on defense. They can be really explosive and they’re big up front.
“But it’s good to face adversity. Adversity makes you a better team.”
Anything other than a competitive season for the Warriors would be a surprise for the rest of the H-DNL, which has grown accustomed to seeing Del Norte among the league leaders every year.
But it’s far from guaranteed and White will be hoping his players live up to those expectations on his return to the sidelines for the first time since 2022.
Last weekend, the returning coach got a first look at his players in live action at the annual preseason H-DNL jamboree at McKinleyville High School.
And White liked a lot of what he saw.
“We enjoyed it. We had fun,” he said. “I think just getting the opportunity to compete and hit someone else …
“We made some mistakes and learned from them and that’s what you want. We want to be able to have these learning moments and get ready for the first game.”
Senior team captain Trent Conk looks set to play a key role for the team this fall and will start at quarterback after making the switch from receiver.
And White believes he has the talent and intangibles to make a big impact this fall.
“(What I like is) his leadership, his ability to run our offense, which can be confusing with our motions,” White said. “And he throws the ball extremely well at times”
This year’s Del Norte varsity team features a nice blend of youth and experience with 10 seniors on the 28-player roster.
And Del Norte fans will be expecting big contributions from several players, including the team captains, a group that includes Cronk and fellow seniors Max Borges (RB/OLB), Finn Bieraugel (OL/DL) and Ricardo Borges (OL/DL), the latter two of whom will help anchor the defensive and offensive lines.
And going into the season opener, the Warriors have a full squad available.
“Everybody’s healthy,” White said. “The scrimmage was good for us as far as that goes. We’re definitely ready and ready to compete.”
The coach added that he’s glad to be back on the sideline this year after a very successful run in charge of the team from 2019 to 2022., and he admits the players are what make it fun.
“It’s a good group of kids,” he said. “I enjoy being around them.”
White also believes the players are making the necessary progress after a busy offseason that included the always-important weight room program.
Asked what he likes about this group, White pointed to the improvement they’re showing at every practice.
“I think just their progression of getting better every day. That’s the biggest thing,” he said. “And I think that’s what we’ve been doing.”
The Warriors traveled down to the Bay Area on Thursday, stopping off to practice at College of the Redwoods, and Friday’s game will be played on a new all-weather field.
The varsity game kicks off at 7 p.m., preceded by the JV game at 4:30.
