By Ray Hamill — It’s a rivalry that has grown in stature in recent years, but there will be far more on the line this weekend than just bragging rights.
On Saturday afternoon, St. Bernard’s will welcome Del Norte to Crusader Field in the Game of the Week, and both schools have plenty to play for.
A win for the Warriors (1-0 in league, 3-4 overall) could clinch at least a share of the first-ever Pacific League championship, if the Fortuna Huskies should lose at Eureka on Friday night, or at the very least it would set up a true championship showdown at Fortuna in two weeks.
But that’s not all the Warriors are playing for.
A loss would leave their North Coast Section playoff hopes on life support with just two games remaining.
The Crusaders, meanwhile, are 0-1 in league and 5-2 overall and they need a win to have any chance of claiming this year’s league crown after they dropped their league opener at Fortuna two weeks ago.
If they win, however, they would still be in contention for a third league title in four years heading into the final round of league play on the final weekend of the regular season in two weeks.
(All four Pacific League teams will take a break from league play next weekend before closing out the league schedule the following week.)
But the league and playoff permutations are not the only thing that makes Saturday’s matchup such an intriguing one for local fans.
These two teams are perennial playoff contenders and usually among the top two or three local programs, annually competing for a league title, including sharing the Big 4 (now Pacific League) crown with Fortuna three years ago.
The Warriors, however, have enjoyed the better of exchanges in this rivalry since St. Bernard’s switched to the Big 4 from the Little 4 before the 2018 season.
Their 2023 championship was one of five straight for the program, an impressive run that finally ended last season when St. Bernard’s and Fortuna edged them for the league title.
In fact, Del Norte won eight straight matchups between the two schools from 2018 to 2024, but the Crusaders swept two games against the Warriors last season to end that streak in dynamic fashion.
A 16-0 win for SB in Crescent City was the first shutout in this rivalry since the two programs became league rivals in 2018.
This year, head coach Nick White is back on the Del Norte sideline for the first time since he stepped away after the 2022 campaign, but things have not gone all Del Norte’s way.
The Warriors started the season slow and lost their first three games, before getting back on track with three straight wins.
Last week, however, they were unable to keep that momentum going at Ferndale and lost 27-7, and the fact their wins came against three programs — Arcata, Hoopa and Eureka — that are a combined 3-18 has raised some questions.
The most surprising aspect of last weekend’s game was how ineffective a normally dominating and relentless Del Norte ground attack — something they have built their success on over the past decade and even long before that — was against the Wildcats, even considering how good the Ferndale defense is right now.
And while they did enjoy a decent day passing the ball, if they want to get the better of the Crusaders on Saturday, they will likely need better production from their running game.
The Crusaders, meanwhile, got back to winning ways against McKinleyville, ending a two-game skid with a comfortable 45-20 win.
Contrasting with the Warriors, head coach Matt Tomlin’s team enjoyed one of its best days running the ball against a much-improved Mack defense, with sophomore running back Jack Omey enjoying his best game of the season after recently returning from injury.
Omey racked up 123 yards and three TDs on 23 carries for an impressive 5.3 yards average.
The Crusaders, who became playoff eligible with that win, will be favored to make it three straight wins against Del Norte when they play this weekend.
They are ranked No. 25 in the NCS, according to MaxPreps — 27 spots ahead of No. 52 Del Norte — and No. 3 in Division 7.
St. Bernard’s appears well on track for a high seed in the NCS Division-5 playoff bracket, along with the Ferndale Wildcats, who are No. 18 in the NCS and No. 1 in Division 7.
The Warriors are also ranked No. 5 in Division 6.
Saturday’s game kicks off at 2 p.m.
