Ferndale hasn't had much luck against St. Bernard recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Ferndale Wildcats will head out to challenge the St. Bernard's Crusaders at 2:00 p.m. Both teams are still undefeated (Ferndale has nine wins dating back to last season, while St. Bernard's has four dating back to last season).
Ferndale will head into Saturday's match hoping to keep the good times rolling: they proved they can win big on September 6th (they won by 32) but on Saturday they proved they can win the close ones too. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Fortuna , sneaking past 29-26.
Ferndale was unstoppable on the ground and finished the game with 209 rushing yards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now rushed for at least 187 rushing yards in nine consecutive contests dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, everything came up roses for St. Bernard's on the road against Clear Lake on Friday as the team secured a 45-13 win. Given the Crusaders' advantage in MaxPreps' California football rankings (they are ranked 317th, while the Cardinals are ranked 747th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
St. Bernard's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Tyler Hinrichs led the charge by picking up 84 receiving yards and a touchdown, while also punching in two touchdowns on the ground. Hinrichs got the majority of those receiving yards when he pulled down a pass and took off for a gain of 64 yards. Another pass catcher making a difference was Michael Manzi, who picked up 138 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Ferndale's victory was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-0. As for St. Bernard's, their record is now 4-0.
Saturday's matchup might be decided in the on the ground. Ferndale has been unstoppable on the ground this season, having averaged 322.7 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like St. Bernard's struggles in that department as they've been averaging 164.5. It's looking like Saturday's game might have some serious battles in the trenches.
Ferndale beat St. Bernard's 12-0 when the teams last played back in March of 2021. Does Ferndale have another victory up their sleeve, or will St. Bernard's turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
