Superior Bobcats stay undefeated

There are routs, and then there are ROUTS.

Put this game in the capitalized column as the unbeaten Superior Bobcats blasted the Troy Trojans 78-26 Friday night in a Montana eight-man football game in Superior.

Superior used its version of the “Trojan Bobcat” to surprise and overwhelm the visitors with a first-quarter offensive explosion.

Coach Jeff Schultz’s Cats got on the scoreboard first when speedy senior receiver Decker Milender continued his red-hot start to the 2022 campaign by hauling in a 29-yard scoring pass from junior quarterback Jaxson Green, one of two players in the Bobcats quarterback rotation.

Green added the points after touchdown (PAT) and with 11:48 remaining in the opening quarter the home team took a lightning-quick 7-0 lead.

Superior then used its big, aggressive and fast defense to shut down Troy on its opening possession. Less than one minute later, the Bobcats struck again, this time on a short, four-yard touchdown run by junior Chase Woodson with 9:47 to play in the opening minutes of the first quarter. That gave the Cats a 13-0 lead.

Then it was senior Orion Plakke, who is used as the other half of the two-quartetback rotation, snared a17-yard touchdown pass from Green. Lucas Kovalsky ran for the PAT and the rout was on via a 20-0 Bobcats lead with more than eight minutes left in the opening stanza.

Troy got on the scoreboard less than a minute later on a 46-yard running touchdown.

But the Bobcats answered right back on Woodson’s second touchdown of the game, this one a 24-yard scamper. With just over four minutes to play in the offensive display that was the opening quarter, Plakke threw a 10-yard scoring strike to Kovalsky.

Troy matched that score on its next possession with 2:46 to go in quarter number one. However, Plakke added to the offensive fireworks a short time later when he scored on a three-yard run.

When dust from the first-quarter scoring festival come to an end, Superior held a 40-10 lead.

The Cats wasted no time getting back in gear in the second quarter, with Kovalsky finding pay dirt on a 26-yard touchdown run with less than a minute gone in the quarter.

Milender, who is also an outstanding defensive back, intercepted the first play from scrimmage on Troy’s ensuing possession and returned it 25-yards for a TD, boosting the score to 47-6.

With just over five minutes to play until halftime and with the Montana Mercy Rule in effect (non-stop clock when one team trails by 35 points or more) Green connected with Plakke on a 29-yard passing touchdown, making it 53-6.

Superior got the ball back later in the quarter and with 1:26 left to play before halftime, Milender broke loose on a 16-yard touchdown run, making it 70-20 in favor of Superior at the half.

Each team would tack on another score in the second half, the Cats’ touchdown coming via a 66-yard Plakke interception return touchdown in the third.

The win boosted Superior to 3-0 on the season, with their offense averaging more than 60 points per game so far.

“The guys are playing well,” Schultz said. “They are starting to understand their roles and more importantly what the team needs from them”.

Superior’s two-headed QB system recorded four touchdowns on the evening, three by Green, who threw for 103 yards. Plakke added 54 yards throwing the ball while also catching two scoring strikes and amassing 46 yards receiving yards. He also added the interception return to his scoring haul.

Milender also scored a trio of touchdowns, one on the ground to go with his 77 yards rushing, the first quarter receiving TD, and the other via his pick-six interception return.

Senior Issac Miller led the Bobcats with nine tackles and recovered a Troy fumble along the way.

Kovalsky also had two touchdowns, one running and the other receiving.

Next up for the Bobcats is a trip this Friday to UM’s Washington Grizzly Stadium where they will face Valley Christian.