As always, Havre is split on Cat-Griz

When it comes to football in Montana, it doesn’t get any bigger than the Brawl of the Wild. And this weekend, there will be plenty on the line when the Bobcats and Grizzlies meet for the 118th time.

Of course, when it comes to a rivalry like this, bragging rights are the biggest thing at stake and even though there could be some potential playoff implications riding on the result, that is secondary.

Montana may not have an NFL team, but it does have the Griz and the Cats, and to a lot of fans of each team, this game is like the Super Bowl. It divides families, friends, and colleagues, at least for one week as the majority of people have chosen a side. Some root for both teams, but ultimately, most tend to favor one or the other. No matter what team you back, this is as big as it gets in Montana sports and will mean a lot to whichever side gets that all-important seventh win.

This year’s game is also significant because it signals the return of Bobby Hauck to the rivalry. In his previous stint as head coach of the Griz, he was 5-2 against the Cats. Now, he will look to end a two-year losing skid for Montana, including a home loss last season.

However, the truth is, in a rivalry like this, the records don’t really matter and with kickoff just days away, we surveyed the community and got their picks for the 2018 Brawl of the Wild.

Shawn Keeley

Keeley knows a thing or two about football, as he was an All-State wide receiver for the Havre Blue Ponies, in addition, playing in the Shrine Game back in 1993. Keeley was also a Class A state champion in the 100-meter dash. Now, despite some mixed feelings, he is a follower of the Bobcats.

“The how and why is kinda complicated,” Keely said of being a Cat fan. “I lived in Bozeman for 12 years but started following the Griz first. So I am one of those guys.”

Keeley also thinks the Bobcats will make it three-in-a-row under head coach Jef Choate.

Score: 34-27 Cats

Jeremy May

May is another Havre High football great who played with Keeley and also represented Havre in the Shrine Game alongside him. However, May is a Griz fan through and through. He said that his uncle Donald was a student and ever since he went to his first game with his dad, the late Bob May, back in the early 1980s, he was hooked. He also made sure to correct me when I asked him about the Cat-Griz game. It’s the “Griz-Cat game,” He said.

May also has a positive outlook for the Grizzlies this week, as he believes they will build on their recent momentum and improve their record to 7-4.

“The Grizzlies have played well in the last two games,” May said. “I’m thinking it will be close.”

Score: 28-24 Griz

Ryan Gatch

The Havre High head football coach is another local football fan who favors the Bobcats, however, he said he cheers for both teams when they aren’t playing each other.

“I am a fan of Montana teams,” Gatch said. “I like to cheer for Montana.”

Gatch did say that he leans toward the Bobcats but again, is one that likes to see both teams do well as they have in recent weeks. In his eyes, both teams are improving and that will lead to an exciting game Saturday in Bozeman.

“I think it will be a close game,” Gatch said. “If I was a betting man, I’d bet on both teams and see what the over/under is because I think there are going to be a lot of points, but I think that Montana State will win a close game with a field goal at the end.”

Score: 38-35 Bobcats

Jake Huston

Like many Cat or Griz fans, Huston was heavily influenced by his family when choosing a side between Montana and Montana State. He is another who doesn’t necessarily hate the Cats, but this week, he is 100 percent Griz.

“It was just the household that I grew up in,” Huston said. “It has just kind of been a way of life for us.”

Huston, who plays basketball and tennis at Havre High while also playing Legion baseball, said he doesn’t know as much about football but he predicited a win for the Grizzlies this weekend.

“I think the Griz will come away with the W,” Huston said.

Score: 38-24 Griz

Doug Sheppard

Sheppard is another guy that likes to see both Montana teams do well and has ties to both schools.

“We have a son that graduated at MSU,” Sheppard said. “Our daughter and her husband both got degrees from Montana.”

This weekend though, Sheppard doesn’t want to see the Grizzlies do well in Bozeman and when it is all said and done, he believes the Cats will come out on top.

“Althought I think this game really is a toss-up and coach Hauck will bring some level of intensity back for the Griz,” Sheppard said. “The Cats’ ground game and Troy Anderson will continue to be the difference.”

Score: 31-28 Cats

Julie Monson

Monson, who works as a counselor at Havre High is much more one-sided then some others and is a passionate Griz fan after growing up in Stevensville.

She said she went to games regularly while living in Frenchtown before moving back to Havre four years ago.

“I have basically been a fan since high school and continue to root for them. I love the atmosphere of Washington Grizzly Stadium.”

Monson also mentioned the Grizzlies' strong play in recent weeks as her reason for predicting them to win.

“The Griz have been playing much better the last couple weeks,” Monson said. “They will be going into this game on a positive note.”

Score: 38-31 Griz

Kinzee Peterson

Kinzee Peterson is another local fan who got her allegiances through family. She is the daugher of Dave Peterson, an official in local sports and she is also a multi-sport star. Last spring, she earned All-State honors in softball and also plays hockey for the Havre Ice Hawks.

“All of my family have been Cats fans,” Peterson said. “I just really like Montana State.”

Peterson said she thought that the game was going to be a toss-up, but that in the end, the Bobcats would find a way to sneak it out.

“I think the Cats are going to win,” Peterson said. “Just because they are my favorite. I think it’s going to be an interesting game.”

Score: 28-20 Cats

Matt Huse

An up-and-coming athlete in Havre is Matt Huse, the son of MSU-Northern Men’s basketball head coach Shawn Huse. Like his dad, Matt is a Griz fan and he is also an avid competitor, playing football, basketball and baseball. For him, being a Grizzly was basically genetics.

“My (grandfather) and my dad’s brother grew up in Missoula and played for the Griz,” Huse said.

When it comes to the 118th Brawl of the Wild, the son of a coach had a lot of thoughts, yet in the end, he has Montana winning a thriller.

“I think the Grizzlies are going to start out strong,” Huse said. “I think Montana will go up something like 24-7. Then, the Cats will come back and tie it up, but then the Griz will score a game-winning touchdown.”

Score: 31-24 Griz