Last year’s league title race in the Little 4 Division of the Humboldt-Del Norte League came down to the wire, with Arcata defeating Hoopa Valley and Ferndale in the final two weeks of the regular season to secure the crown by one game over Hoopa. Three of the league’s four teams reached the post-season, though none of them got past the first round. At least one team is approaching this season with a different mind-set.
“Our expectations are to go unbeaten in league play and to handle business in the playoffs, to get past that first round and get over that hump,” said Arcata coach Jamal Jones.
A look at his roster indicates those goals are in line with what he is seeing on the field, as the Tigers return the majority of their playmakers from 2018. They are not alone, however.
Hoopa Valley has another coaching change, this time with last year’s offensive coordinator Sonny Ryles moving into the head position. But Hoopa does have experience at the quarterback position, and gained playoff experience last year as well. Meanwhile, the top athlete in the league could very well reside on Ferndale’s roster, with senior dual-sport athlete Landon Gomes handling multiple duties for the Wildcats.
And don’t easily dismiss McKinleyville, which snapped a long losing streak last year with a big win at San Rafael, and then promptly turned it into back-to-back wins by routing Elsie Allen the next week. The Panthers went winless in league play last year, but every game was competitive, a big step forward for a program which had struggled to keep a healthy team on the field in previous seasons.
All teams are previewed in alphabetical order, with records listed from last season.
ARCATA (6-5, 5-1)
It’s hard to argue with the expectations that Jones has for his veteran team at Arcata. After capturing the division title last season, the Tigers are reloaded in 2019 and will settle for nothing less than a dominant run through league play and a shot to advance further in the playoffs. To help them prepare for reaching those goals, the season begins with a pair of big road trips, heading to South Lake Tahoe for the opener, followed two weeks later by a game at Big 4 rival St. Bernard’s.
“We are ready to get out there, and we’re very hungry,” Jones said. “We are really looking forward to the trip to Tahoe, and the opportunity to see St. Bernard’s early.”
The latter game could also end up as a rematch in the NCS Division 6 playoffs, but first the Tigers need to reach their league goal. Helping that cause will be a plethora of key returners, including senior quarterback Matthew Robinson, senior running back Kien Mazzotti and junior utility player Everett Halikas.
“If there was a year in which we are capable of competing in the Big 4 with our roster, this is it,” Jones added. “We are pretty loaded with a lot of returners.”
It’s not just the skill positions where the Tigers boast veteran bodies, though even the receiver position includes senior returner Raven Perez. Up front, senior two-way lineman Max Rice was the top lineman in the league last season and should be a dominant force all year. He is joined by 6-foot-4 junior Jack Baca, and the pair makes for a formidable duo in small school football. Meanwhile, sophomore Alex Jioras moves from the line out to tight end, where he could cause fits for defensive ends and outside linebackers.
Arcata also has a couple key rising stars to keep an eye on. Jones has tabbed sophomore defensive back and receiver Carson Tucker as a player with college potential, someone he described as a “stud athlete.” Senior Niko Zambas will also make his debut on the gridiron, after he was third on the basketball team in scoring as a junior.
After the two early tests, the schedule is a bit more favorable for Arcata, as the Tigers welcome Willits and Balboa-SF to their stadium, prior to opening league play against Ferndale on Sep. 27.
FERNDALE (4-7, 3-3)
Like many small schools with designs on a successful season, the Wildcats have that one player who will likely never leave the field. In this case, that is senior Landon Gomes, who is also one of the top baseball players along the northernmost part of the section.
Head coach Clint McClurg listed eight different positions for Gomes, who can line up at any offensive skill position on any given play, play anywhere in the back seven defensively, and will certainly be a threat returning kicks and punts. On top of that, he is the team’s punter.
“Landon will set the tempo for us offensively, and we will try to move him around and create mismatches,” McClurg said. “Defensively, we are moving him into a safety role to utilize his instincts as a ball-hawking playmaker. Then he has such a huge role on special teams.”
The Wildcats also feature key returners in other position groups, notably two-way lineman Orion Benton and tight end Tristen Martin, who also starts at outside linebacker. Meanwhile, 6-foot-2 junior Jenner Christiansen brings a more refined set of explosive skills to the quarterback position, after getting his feet wet as a sophomore.
“Jenner is already physically and mentally more mature than he was last season,” McClurg added. “We love stretching the field vertically with him, and with his speed we are trying to utilize him in some RPO’s.”
Giving Christiansen the ability to dictate the direction of the offense could be a big step for the offense, which will also welcome junior running back DJ Albee, after he led the junior varsity in rushing last season. Colson Renner is another new name to watch with the Wildcats, as the Ferndale staff expects him to contribute immediately at outside linebacker, wingback and tight end. The experience combined with some new talent has hopes rising for a team which reached the playoffs last season.
“I love our chances in league play,” McClurg said. “We need to focus on our work ethic to get a little better each day. If we do that, a league title is a realistic and attainable goal for these student-athletes.”
Ferndale opens the season on Aug. 24 at home against Clear Lake.
HOOPA VALLEY (6-5, 4-2)
It is a new head coach this year for the Warriors, as Sonny Ryles takes over for Rico Tello, after Tello nearly led Hoopa to a share of the league title.
But despite Ryles moving into the head role after serving as the offensive coordinator last year (he will keep that role this season), there are plenty of familiar faces returning for the Warriors, which should breed optimism for 2019. That starts with the return of quarterback John Smith and receiver Carlos Aguilar.
As a junior, Aguilar hauled in 44 catches for 905 yards and seven touchdowns, giving him 90 catches and nearly 1,600 yards over the last two seasons. Smith returns after splitting time last season with Tristin Campbell, who is also back but could see more of an impact at running back after shifting there late last season. Smith threw for 1,164 yards as a junior, including a 369-yard performance in a playoff loss to St. Helena.
Defensively, Milton Mabry is a top returner after notching 79 tackles a year ago, while Trayce Crutchfield and Tommy Kelley provide some size on both sides of the ball.
Hoopa Valley opens its season at Fort Bragg on Aug. 23.
MCKINLEYVILLE (2-8, 0-6)
The Panthers won’t be playing any home games this year while their field is getting renovated, but will instead head over to Humboldt State University, hoping that they can build on some momentum created by a couple of wins last season.
“Getting those wins last year was huge, and fun for the staff and players,” said McKinleyville coach Keoki Burbank. “We have a good senior group this year which should bring some nice experience and competitive drive. The entire league was competitive last season, and it feels like a lot of the top players from last year were juniors, so it should make for another exciting and competitive league schedule.”
One of the big senior leaders for the Panthers will be two-way lineman Thomas Locatelli, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound athlete who will also be going into his fourth year with the varsity basketball program and had 19 tackles for a loss last season. He is joined again by middle linebacker Kyle Carr, who had 126 total stops as a junior. 6-foot-3 linebacker Mathias Briggs is yet another standout returner on that side of the ball.
Offensively, senior Jack Patton returns at quarterback, though he pulls double-duty as one of the Panthers’ top defensive backs, moving from corner to safety. He is joined in the backfield again by senior Caleb Martinez, who was second on the team in rushing last season.
“Caleb is probably our most dangerous athlete with the ball in his hands,” Burbank added.
Che Martinez is a top returning receiver for McKinleyville, and the Panthers are also excited to welcome Freddie Sundberg III to the team this fall. Sundberg is expected to contribute at running back, receiver and defensive back, after previously only being known as a star basketball player for McKinleyville. Jayden Scher is a top rising junior to watch.
“With our numbers, staying healthy is always a concern, but if we do that, we should be competitive,” Burbank said. “This group of seniors were my first group of freshmen at McKinleyville, so I am excited to see them go out and play their last high school season.”
McKinleyville opens its season on Aug. 23, hosting St. Vincent de Paul at HSU.
