Superior rolls in win at Grizzly Stadium

For the young athletes who got to play on the field at Washington Grizzly Stadium in Missoula Friday night, it must have been sensory overload.

Oh, there was a Class B-8 Montana High School football game going on down on the field between unbeaten Superior and winless Valley Christian, a mismatch won by Superior 68-20.

This was the first time many of these players had been on a college football field inside a stadium like the one on the University of Montana campus.

“That was an awesome experience,” Superior head coach Jeff Schultz said. “The kids were blown away. They played well as a team and we are working well as a team”.

Playing well for the Superior Bobcats these days is an understatement.

Superior took control from the start when with 10:16 in the opening quarter senior running back/defensive back Decker Milender broke free from 15 yards out and ran for a score. The point after touchdown (PAT) run by Chase Woodson was good, giving the Bobcats an 8-0 lead.

However, a short time later Valley Christian answered that score with one of its own, a 30-yard touchdown run with 8:04 to go in the opening quarter that tied the score at 8-8.

Less than a minute later, Superior’s Lucas Kovalsky hauled in a 25-yard scoring strike from Bobcats quarterback Jaxson Green. Chandon Vulles bulled into the end zone on a successful PAT run and the Cats had regained the lead 16-8.

Superior would add to that first quarter lead with just :46 remaining on a three-yard scoring plunge by Green and a successful Woodson PAT run. At the end of the first 12 minutes of play, Superior led 24-8.

The opening minutes of the second quarter settled into a defensive standoff before the Eagles scored on a 9-yard passing touchdown with 6:52 to play in the first half. The PAT was no good, leaving the score at 24-14 in favor of Superior.

That would be as close as Valley Christian would get the rest of the game. Carter McLees answered the Eagles score less than a minute later when he snared a 39-yard catch and run pass from the Bobcats’ “other” quarterback, Orion Plakke. Milender’s PAT run boosted the score to 32-14 and the first hint of a route wafted through the cavernous home of the Grizzlies.

The Cats added two more second quarter touchdowns in the span of just over one minute, a 26-yard TD pass from Plakke to Kovalsky, and 18 seconds later a 10-yard run for six by Vulles. Vulles ran for one of the lightning quick touchdowns’ PATs, while Milender ran for the second. With 5:06 to go in the half, the Bobcats lead had blossomed into a 48-14 advantage and Superior was not done yet.

With the fast, big and strong Bobcats defense holding the Eagles in check, McLees scored on a nine-yard run and Plakke caught a pass from Green for the PAT, giving Superior a 56-14 lead heading into the final half of play.

Valley Christian came out after halftime and put six points on the scoreboard via a 36-yard touchdown pass with 8:44 to go in the third quarter. The PAT try was no good, giving the Bobcats a 56-20 lead.

Superior struck again before the third quarter came to a close, with Plakke hauling in a 10-yard scoring toss from Green. A failed PAT attempt put the score at 62-20.

Superior add one final touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, this time on a seven-yard Vulles blast into the end zone. That put the score at 68-20 and neither team would score the rest of the way.

The high-powered Superior offense displayed a balanced scoring attack on the night, amassing 193 yards rushing and 135 yards passing.

The win boosted the Bobcats to 4-0 on the year. Superior’s next game is the annual Homecoming game this Friday night on the Bobcats’ turf beginning at 7 p.m. when they take on the Arlee Warriors.

In addition to being Homecoming it will also be Senior Night with the upperclassmen honored at halftime along with Homecoming Royalty selections.

In other games Friday, the co-op St. Regis/Wallace, Idaho Tigers trounced the Wallace, Idaho Miners in a rivalry game played in Wallace. St. Regis/Mullan beat the home team 46-6. No other stats were available.

St. Regis next game is this Friday when they entertain Lakeside in the Mullan Homecoming game.

Also, Plains got its offense unleashed for the first time this year, running up 46 points in a 52-46 loss to the Troy Trojans in Troy. The offensive surge was the first double-digit score for the Horseman, who are made up primarily of underclassmen.

No other stats on that game were available.

Plains takes to the field in its Homecoming game this Friday when they host Valley Christian at 7 pm.