116th Brawl of the Wild: Local fans sticking by their teams in upcoming Cat-Griz showdown

Havre has also been a town divided when it comes to the big game between the Montana State Bobcats and Montana Grizzlies. Look around and you’ll see fans scattered all around Havre and on the Hi-Line, fans who have long stood on both sides of the Divide.

In fact, there are even households in our community that are divided when it comes to Cat-Griz.

But, this season, even the most diehard fans of both the Cats and Griz seem a little confused. There’s Cat fans picking against the Cats in this, the 116th Brawl of the Wild, which kicks off Saturday in Missoula. And, there’s Griz fans, who, while they might be picking the Griz in this game, aren’t particularly happy with their team either.

Yes, because both teams have had less than stellar seasons to this point, Havre might still be divided when it comes to the Cats and Griz, but local fans seem to agree on one thing — they really have no idea which way this game is going to go.

Still, when Saturday games, the division will remain the same. There will be Bobcat fans and there will be Griz fans, and one of those groups is going to have bragging rights for the next 364 days by the end of the day on Saturday.

Here’s a look at what eight different locals have to say about the 116th meeting between the Bobcats and Grizzlies.

Stacy Mantle

The publisher of our very own Havre Daily News is making her first appearance in our annual Cat-Griz column. And she’s certainly letting the sports editor know about it. Mantle is a dedicated Griz fan, but, she’s also dedicated to hand-crafting beautiful woodworking art in her spare time, and that includes art for the Bobcats too. Still, she’s going with the Griz this Saturday.

“Finally. George has been doing this for the last 12 years and he finally picks his fellow employee that has been right beside him this entire time to predict this big game,” Mantle said. “As long as I can remember I've always been a Griz fan, and who didn't love to follow our very own Marc Mariani when he played for them years back? About a year ago, I started my own little sign business, Mantle Made Designs. I have created lots of Griz signs for our fans here in Havre, and though I may not root for the Cats when they play the Griz, I still make the Cats signs for those who want them. So in the end my prediction is going to be for the Griz to take this game, a comeback game from last weekend.”

Score: Griz 34, Cats 27

Susie Malsam

Yes, another connection to me, Susie happens to be the mother of my beautiful wife Amy. She also happens to be a Bobcat fan, and why wouldn’t she? Her husband Bob’s nickname is, after all, Bobcat. Still, Susie, like many others has family ties to both sides of the rivalry, and while she roots for the Cats and loves to attend games in Bozeman, she’s actually picking the Griz in a high-scoring affair.

“I’m married to a Bobcat, but we always cheer for the Grizzlies in their other games,” Malsam said.

Score: Griz 44, Cats 30

Bill Huebsch

Montana State University-Northern head volleyball coach Bill Huebsch didn’t graduate from the University of Montana, but that doesn’t change the fact that he has been a Griz fan his entire life.

“I grew up maybe an hour from Missoula, and I could have went with either Bozeman or Montana, but I have always went with the Griz.” Huebsch, who said he follows the team as closely as he can with his hectic schedule coaching the Skylights, said.

He, too, is sticking with his team as well in that he sees the Griz coming away victorious, thanks to the home-field advantage.

Score: Griz 30, Cats 24

Scott Miller

For Miller, being a Bobcat fan was just part of growing up. He said that his entire family graduated from Montana State, including his father, Kirk, who taught at Havre High, coached tennis at Havre and was later the Havre Public Schools Superintendent.

Scott Miller, who is the youth development director at the Boys & Girls Club here in Havre, predicted an upset for the Cats Saturday in Missoula

“This is the worst Bobcat team I have seen in 10 years and I think that the win last week will carry over some momentum and I think by some miracle, they will find a way to win this game.”

Score: Cats 34, Griz 31

Steve Steinmetz

Steve Steinmetz, the owner of Havre Ford and a University of Montana alum, said he has always been a Griz fan, even before he went to school there. Yet, he said his fandom is not as intense as some others that he knows. But he’s a passionate Griz follower and a season ticket holder at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, and he said even though Montana hasn’t been great this season, it will find a way to beat Montana State.

He also predicted at least one missed extra point by the Griz.

Score: Griz 37, Cats 17

Curt Leeds

For Havre High boys head basketball coach Curt Leeds, the decision between the Bobcats and the Griz was easy.

“It came down to math,” Leeds said. “Three is greater than two, and the Cats have three national championships, the Griz have two.”

It was a classic joke from a math teacher, which is the subject Leeds teaches at HHS. The Montana Tech graduate said he did spend a year going to school in Bozeman, but liked the Bobcats well before that.

He also said he thought the Bobcats were going to win Saturday's Brawl of the Wild.

“With (Rob) Ash, they could win, but never beat the Griz,” He said. “Now with (Jeff) Choate, they haven’t been able to win, but I think they will beat the Griz.”

Score: Cats 24, Griz 21

Trey Murphy

While there is a good mix of Cats and Griz fans here in Havre, the quarterback of the Havre High football team is one fan you can put in the column of Montana. Murphy said that his dad, Havre High activities director, Dennis Murphy, is a UM alum, so he has been a Griz fan his entire life.

Yet, Murphy said he doesn’t hate the Cats and if Montana is out of the playoffs and Montana State isn’t, he would still root for MSU in order to see a team from Montana win. However, this week, he thinks the Griz offense will simply be too much for the Cats.

Score: Griz 35, Cats 21

Paige Nelson

Paige Nelson proudly dons the Havre High Blue and White for both the HHS volleyball and tennis teams right now, but when it comes to her preferred choice of colors in the state’s biggest college football rivalry, she’s all about the Blue and Gold of Montana State. Nelson’s dad roots hard for the Bobcats, and her older brother, who was also a standout tennis player at HHS, attended MSU as well. And so, while the Cats have been struggling this season, Nelson is no doubt sticking with the team she says “has better colors.”

Score: Cats 24, Griz 21