Cat-Griz 2021: Local Cat and Griz fans excited to have the Brawl back

Every year, fans across the state watch the University of Montana and Montana State University football teams go at it for the bragging rights, and much, much more. However, they did not get the chance to see the Bobcats and Grizzlies duke it out in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With the return of the Brawl for the Wild this Saturday, local fans of both teams are more than excited to renew the rivalry.

Havre, like many towns across Montana, is split between the Cats and the Griz. Either through family or school, these fans have grown to love their teams and love to see their team win this matchup for bragging rights.

Many factors are making this year’s Brawl of the Wild even more special. Along with its return after two years, it will be a top-ten matchup in the FCS. The fourth-ranked Cats will be looking to keep their undefeated conference record intact as they are 7-0 atop the Big Sky standings. The seventh-ranked Griz will also try to move up the standings as they are tied for third in the Big Sky with a 5-2 conference record.

With such an important game on the horizon, Havre Daily News has brought back the annual Cats-Griz game predictions from fans on both sides of the rivalry.

The 2021 Brawl of the Wild will kickoff at noon Saturday at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula. Here’s how area fans see the matchup unfolding.

Ryan Divish

As a UM alum, Divish is hard pressed to root against the Griz. When he attended UM J-School from 1999 to 2001, he purposefully avoided covering the Griz so he could enjoy the games as a fan. He also had several friends on the team so covering them objectively would have been impossible anyway.

“I got to know a lot of players on the team. I already had several friends on the team, so it was different. Got attached to the team,” Divish said. “Because I had friends playing and because the winning meant so much to them, it meant something to me.”

Even when Divish returned to the Hi-Line to work for the Havre Daily News, he still had many connections to the UM football program. In Havre Divish covered Marc Mariani, who eventually went on to become one of the most successful wide receivers in UM history, and then covered himas an NFL Pro Bowler as a kick returner.

Over the past few years, Divish has not gotten the chance to follow the Griz as much but he has been getting more time to watch lately. As a beat writer of the Seattle Mariners for the Seattle Times, most of the time Divish spends watching sports is for work. So when he does get time to watch the Griz, he can forget about journalism ethics and just be a fan like everyone else.

Heading into this year’s Cats-Griz game, Divish does not expect a lot of offense. As both offenses are dealing with injuries, both teams also have strong defensive units that should make it a long day for the short-handed offenses.

“These two defenses are so good and both offenses are pretty banged up,” Divish said. “Montana State can run the ball on anybody but they don’t throw really well. The Griz can’t run it on anybody. They don’t have any healthy running backs and their quarterback is dinged up.”

Even though it is a toss up, Divish expects his Griz to win the defense slugfest.

Score: 10-7, Griz

Kim Berg

The Bobcats have always been a mainstay in Berg’s family. Her grandfather played football for the Cats and both her parents attended MSU. The Cats then recruited her to throw javelin for their track team. While in college, she got the chance to attend many football games and become even more of a fan.

After she graduated college, she returned to Havre and currently works for the Hill County Health Department. In the years since college, she was unable to watch a Cats game in person until this season. As she has gotten to follow the Cats more, she believes the Cats have the edge heading into this weekend.

“I always hope and pray that they’ll win, but this year I think they’re playing real well,” Berg said. “I think they have the team to win.”

Score: 28-21, Cats

Paighton Gilman

Like many other Griz fans, Gilman was initiated as a fan through her family.

“I became a Griz fan through my family. Some family members are UM alumni and some family members have lived in Missoula for years,” Gilman said. “I have many fond memories of being in Missoula and I believe that it helped shape who I am as a person and who we are as a family.”

One of those memories came in the fall of 2019 when she and her family went to a Griz game against Idaho State. Earlier that year, Gilman lost her grandfather (Bill) to cancer so her family decided to honor his memory and surprise her grandmother with a tribute to him on Griz Vision during the game. The Griz won that game, 59-20.

Even though she lives in Havre and works at Independence Bank, she tries to get back to Missoula as much as possible for more games to make even more great memories. Recently married, she hopes for another good memory when Montana hosts the Cats this weekend. While the MSU defense will be hard to overcome, she believes the Griz have the power to pull through.

“Both teams have strong defensive lines and have been playing extremely well this year,” Gilman said. “If we want to win, our offense will have to outplay theirs. I have seen the Griz come back from deficits, so I know they have the grit and perseverance to make it happen.”

Score: 24-17, Griz

Justine Beaudry

The former Chester-Jopilin-Inverness athlete and MSU alum may spend her time working at Independence Bank in Havre but she is never too busy to root for the Cats. Even after she returned to Havre, she still has ties to MSU as her current boyfriend played for the MSU football team back when she attended school.

With their undefeated conference record and four-game winning streak in the rivalry, Beaudry believes the Cats are playing at their best right now so it was easy for her to pick them to win.

“Definitely the Cats. We have a lot of momentum going on right now,” Beaudry said.

Score: 21-17, Cats

Kyndall Keller

Keller obviously roots for the Griz as she currently goes to school in Missoula and plays for the Lady Griz basketball team. Even though she won’t be able to attend the game this weekend because of a game at North Dakota State, she knows the atmosphere Saturday will be electric.

“It’s awesome. There’s always lots of people who are super loud,” Keller said about the atmosphere at Washington-Grizzly Stadium. “For the Cats-Griz, I mean it’s just going to be even more energetic and loud.”

Keller grew up in a family that roots for the Griz. She also had many family members who played for the Griz, including two aunts and an uncle who all play basketball. So as a lifelong Griz, Keller, the former Havre High state champ and Montana Gatorade Player of the Year, could not pick against her school.

“I think the Griz are going to win of course. They’re my school. They’re my team,” Keller said. “I have faith and confidence that they’ll win.”

Score: 21-7, Griz

Jim Kato

The owner of Scharfe, Kato & Co. has been an MSU fan since he graduated from the school in 1993 so picking the Cats was easy for Kato. While he expects a close game Saturday, he believes that injuries might make the difference in the Cats’ favor.

“Of course I think the Cats are going to win. I just think they’re a little more balanced,” Kato said. “Griz have a few more injuries on offense which has hurt them a little this year, probably more than the Cats. I do think both defenses are very good and I do think it’s going to be pretty close.”

Score: 17-14, Cats

Trenton Maloughney

The Bobcats never stood a chance of making Maloughney a fan as the Havre High senior and quarterback grew up in a family that rooted for the Griz. Over the years, Maloughney and his family would often go to Missoula for a couple of games a season. But the biggest influence on Maloughney’s fandom was his middle school football coach and family friend Ryan Joy who played for the UM football team in the 1990s.

As a lifelong Griz fan, Maloughney, who plays football, basketball, tennis and baseball, could not pick against his team. However, he also thinks things are falling into place for a Griz win this weekend.

“On paper, everyone’s saying the Cats look really good. They’re playing really well,” Maloughney said. “But I think they’re hurt right now so I think the Griz are getting healthy at the right time.”

Score: 17-14, Griz

Theron Peterson

Peterson also grew up in a football family but he grew up as a Bobcats fan. Peterson’s father had been a Cats fan for a long time before eventually attending MSU. Since he and his entire family root for the Cats, it was impossible for Peterson to pick against them this weekend.

Peterson, who plays golf, tennis, hockey and baseball, is going with the Cats for their fifth win in a row.

“I think the Cats win but that’s just a bias,” Peterson said. “They’ve been playing very well defensively and pretty good offensively. This game is always just a toss up. It could go either way.”

Score: 35-21, Cats