By Ray Hamill — All eyes will be on Crusader Field on Saturday afternoon, as St. Bernard’s gets set to host Ferndale in a showdown that is not just the game of the week here on the North Coast, but perhaps the game of the season.
The smallest two schools in the H-DNL will renew their rivalry for the first time in two years, and something has to give when the last two remaining unbeaten teams in the league face off.
But these two 4-0 teams are not just two of the best three teams in the H-DNL this year — the Fortuna Huskies are also in the mix for that conversation — they are also two of the best teams in the entire North Coast Section right now.
After their dominating win over Eureka last weekend, which was their 17th consecutive regular-season win, the Cats made a big jump to No. 10 in the MaxPreps section rankings, while St. Bernard’s is No. 16.
They are by far the smallest schools to feature near the top of the section rankings.
Of the 14 other schools ranked in the top 16 this week, 11 of them are either Division 1, 2 or 3 teams, and all of them are far larger than St. Bernard’s or Ferndale.
But that’s not the biggest storyline ahead of Saturday’s big clash.
The two schools first met 70 years ago almost to the day — on Oct. 13, 1956 — and their rivalry remains one of the very best in H-DNL sports.
Any time they face each other, it’s must-watch entertainment for North Coast fans.
They also feature very contrasting styles.
The Cats play a physical brand of football and like to wear down their opponents with their relentless ground attack along with some timely play action, while the Crusaders like to air it out and possess the most dangerous aerial attack in the H-DNL, while also featuring a dangerous run game.
“It’s a contrast of two styles,” St. Bernard’s head coach Matt Tomlin said. “It’s two different styles of football, but both styles are very successful.”
The Ferndale defense is preparing for an athletic, big-play SB offense.
Asked what the Crusaders bring to the table, Ferndale head coach Clint McClurg pointed to their athleticism.
“First and foremost, their athleticism poses a problem, and their ability to stretch the field, and run the ball,” he said. “They’re a dual threat offense. They have the personnel up front and they have some athletes.”
The Crusaders, however, will be shorthanded on Saturday. Sophomore running back Jack Omey, who leads the team with 69 yards rushing a game, is missing through injury and is week-to-week, according to the coach, while three other players will miss the game for other reasons.
But Tomlin is confident his squad is deep enough and talented enough to compensate.
“It’s just next man up, and that’s part of high school football,” he said. “We feel we have a really good team.”
So too do the Wildcats, who have several quality running backs and a big, physical line that has dominated other H-DNL teams for the past season and a half.
Expect a heavy dose of Garyn McClurg, who could be the best running back in the H-DNL this fall, as well as Preston Killingsworth and Liam Bishop, behind an outstanding offensive line.
“We’ve got to stop the run,” Tomlin said. “They’re physical and they run the ball well. McClurg is running the ball tremendously right now, and they have Bishop, and Killingsworth is on fire. He’s explosive right now, whether its on offense or on defense. They’ve got three really good running backs and we’ve got to stop their running game.
“And they don’t make mistakes. They don’t hurt themselves.”
How the Cats approach each game is really no secret.
“I think for us, once again it comes back to classic Ferndale football,” Clint McClurg said. “And we need to establish our run game and some play action to keep drives going.
“St. Bernard’s are pretty aggressive. They’re large up front and they’ve got some student athletes that run the football, and that’s going to pose some problems at the line of scrimmage.”
As for the rivalry, coaches and players are looking forward to the opportunity to represent their schools on such a big stage.
“If you’re aware of Humboldt and Del Norte county football, this is one of the biggest games our county has seen in a few years, in my humble opinion,” the Ferndale head coach said. “And for us, we relish the opportunity to be in it.”
Tomlin, who has played and coached in this rivalry, echoed the sentiment.
“These two schools really love to compete with each other,” he said.
Saturday’s varsity game is set for 2 p.m.
