The 2026 North Coast Section soccer playoffs kicked off on Wednesday afternoon with four local teams in action.
Three more H-DNL teams are scheduled to begin their postseason on Wednesday night.
It was a good start for two of the four schools in afternoon play, with the St. Bernard’s girls and Del Norte boys both advancing.
The Crusaders are seeded No. 5 in Division 1 and comfortably took care of business at No. 4 Technology in Rohnert Park, winning 3-0.
The Warriors, who are seeded No. 7 in the boys Division-2 bracket, hosted No. 10 Kelseyville in Crescent City and also won comfortably, 4-0.
Also in action on Wednesday afternoon, the McKinleyville and South Fork boys lost their playoff openers to end their seasons.
The Panthers were seeded No. 7 in Division 1 and lost 5-3 to No. 10 College Prep at McKinleyville High School, while the Cubs, who were seeded No. 10 in Division 3, traveled to play No. 7 Brave Christian in Dublin and lost 4-2.
The win for the Del Norte boys sets up a Saturday night quarterfinal showdown against No. 2 Cristo Rey De La Salle in Oakland, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.
Cristo Rey De La Salle had an opening-round bye.
The win for the St. Bernard’s girls sets up a Friday night semifinal showdown at No. 1 Kelseyville, which also had a first-round bye.
That game is scheduled for 7 p.m.
If the SB girls continue to play like they did on Wednesday, however, they will be a handful for the top-seeded Knights, who are 20-1-1 on the year and have not lost since their opening game in mid August.
“I thought we played exactly to our game plan,” St. Bernard’s head coach Brandon Amis said.
Senior team captains CJ Figas and Malia Masayos led the way and combined for all three goals and two assists.
Masayos netted twice and Figas once, with all three goals coming in the first half to all but end the game as a contest before halftime.
Figas also had two assists, while impressive freshman Kinley Johnson assisted on the other goal.
“They’re just a devastating duo up top,” Amis said of the senior strikers, who are playing like they don’t want their season to end just yet.
The shutout was the fifth straight for the SB girls, who have outscored their opponents 17-0 in that run, including four wins, and a streak of four consecutive losses before that now seems like a long time ago.
Defensively, the Crusaders are enjoying their best run of the year, with goalkeeper Kaitlyn Amis in control between the posts and her back line rising to the late-season challenge.
Carli Baum did an excellent job marking Technology’s most dangerous forward, according to the coach, while the ever-reliable Emilyn Wilson and Paloma Granados, both freshman, did not put a foot wrong.
“Kaitlyn stopped every shot that went near her, and Emilyn and Paloma solidified the defense, just like they always do,” the coach said.
The defense was missing influential senior team captain Paula Bullock, but fellow senior Chloe Grunden filled in for her and also did an excellent job.
“She’s phenomenal,” Brandon Amis said of the reliable Grunden, who also is enjoying an outstanding season. “She won all of her 50/50 balls today. She just fits right in the system.”
The Fortuna boys and girls teams will kick off their playoffs on Wednesday night, along with the Eureka boys.
The Eureka, Ferndale and Del Norte girls all have opening-round byes and will begin their postseasons this weekend, along with the Arcata boys.
