Bobcats hold strong throughout

Superior Bobcats Coach Dan Lucier has been working with the school's team for more than 25 years an, for the first time he and his team are so close to a state championship, they can taste it.

As he strolled around the field after the Bobcats 56-0 trouncing of the Scobey Spartans, Lucier wore his usual soggy victory smile that comes from being doused from the water cooler. He gave out damp hugs and handshakes to friends, family and fans of the team.

He still delivers his time-worn catch-phrase for each and every win of the Bobcat's undefeated season, "It was just a great team effort."

And it was.

The Bobcats defense held strong for the entire game, putting some serious pressure on the Spartans and preventing them from scoring a single point.

While the first six minutes of the first quarter were tenuous at best, with neither team managing a touchdown and both showing some strong defensive work, the Bobcats were not to be stopped.

After an impressive drive downfield that included a 30-yard pass from quarterback Travis Stroot to Drew Walen, the Bobcats' entire offensive line punched through the Spartan's defense and landed in a pile-up in the end zone for the first touchdown of the game.

Walen ran in more touchdowns in the first quarter and while the Spartans blocked Yim Sribenjakul's kick on the first touchdown, a two-point conversion pass to Tyler Stenberg after the second touchdown gave the Bobcats a 21 - 0 lead heading into the second quarter.

In the second quarter Stenberg picked up a 35-yard pass to set the Bobcats up for another touchdown run in by Rollin Rennick with less than nine minutes to go in the quarter.

After the Bobcat's defensive line once again shut the Spartans down, Rennick found himself on the receiving end of another touchdown pass with more than six minutes to go in the quarter. Sribenjakul brought home another successful kick and the Bobcats exited the first half ahead of the Spartans 35-0.

For the second time in the playoffs, the Bobcats had a 35-point lead in the second half, forcing the clock to run non-stop in the second half of the game.

With the clock blazing in the third quarter, Stenberg and Walen both came through for two more Bobcats touchdowns and Sribenjakul brought home two successful kicks to widen the Bobcats lead to 49-0 going into the fourth quarter.

With four minutes left in the fourth quarter, Stroot ran in the last Bobcats touchdown of the game, and Sribenjakul pounded in the final kick to give the Bobcats their 56-0 win.

As the Bobcats crowded together on the field cheering and screaming about their advancement in the playoffs, announcer Scott Kinney said over the loudspeaker, "It's not about being the biggest or the strongest or the fastest. Like Mr. Lucier says, it's all about the guys that believe the most, and these guys in blue believe."

While Lucier has had a taste of the state playoffs before, this is the first time the Bobcats have made it past the elusive third playoff game and into the final match of the state championships.

"It feels great. More than just to win, it's to win with these guys that feels so good," Lucier said.

This season's Bobcats consists of a group of students that have grown up playing ball together, and Lucier said that for the seniors of the group, there couldn't be a better way to finish out their high school football career.

The Bobcats will travel approximately 11 hours across Montana next Saturday to Wibaux for the final game of the season.