Town greets Bobcats
Nick Ianniello/Mineral Independent Fire trucks, ambulances and police cars ushered the Superior Bobcats’ bus Sunday evening as they returned to Superior.
If there was anyone in Superior that did not know the Bobcats won the Montana State 8-man Football Championship Saturday, a cavalcade of honking cars, screaming fans and fireworks filled them in as it descended on the town like a foreign invasion Sunday evening.
The parade of fans, police cars, fire trucks and ambulances met up with the returning Superior Bobcats at the Lozeau exit on Interstate 90 and proceeded into town shouting about the Bobcats' first ever state championship.
Ambulance driver Dawn Bauer said that the processional of vehicles stretched nearly four miles long and included a state gravel truck, two ambulances, three Montana Highway Patrol cars, three Mineral County Sheriff's cars and four fire trucks with horns honking, sirens blaring and lights flashing.
The parade followed freshly repainted bobcat footprints that lead down Fourth Street to Superior High School and past screaming fans who stepped out of their homes to welcome the champions back to Superior.
Some families put signs outside their windows. Jim Gullte, who graduated from Superior High School 50 years ago, parked his truck across the street from the school to watch the ruckus.
"It's pretty nice to see these guys win and see everyone congratulating them," said Gullte.
Gullte said he was at his home Saturday evening when he found out that the Bobcats had taken the championship and he knew that there would be a great show to watch Sunday evening when the team rolled into town.
Ken and Linda Christofferson stood outside their home on Fourth Street waving an American Flag and cheering at the parade. Ken Christofferson said that while he was watching the University of Montana Grizzlies face off against the Montana State University Bobcats Saturday, he watched the scores from the Bobcats game against the Wibaux Longhorns flash underneath the screen.
"We just kept watching them on the edge of our seat," said Christofferson.
Linda Christofferson, who worked at Superior High School for 16 years, said there was no way she would miss the opportunity to welcome the Bobcats back into town.
"I just feel so good about them," Christofferson said.
The couple has been watching the Bobcats all season, and the parade Sunday evening was icing on the cake for the two Superior locals.
"It takes a special bunch of kids to take it this far and win state," Ken Christofferson said.
After the parade, the crowd packed into the Superior High School Gym to cheer on the new state champions. The football team crowded around the center of the gym holding their trophies in the air and grinning from ear to ear.
Head coach Dan Lucier spoke to the crowd with a cracking voice that came from what he called 26 hours of partying that took place on the bus ride back to Superior.
"These guys, every day up to this point, worked as hard as they possibly could," Lucier said.
He congratulated the team for all of their hard work and thanked the fans for their support throughout the season, recalling the enthusiasm and spirit of the crowd that traveled all the way to Wibaux to watch the game.
"Without you guys yesterday we would have been in trouble," Lucier said to the crowd. "It goes to show it's a community effort."