Folks have no doubt had Aug. 26 circled in red on their calendars.

If you hailed from Superior the red circle included a “Tigers” name.

If you are a St. Regisite the name inside the circle was most likely “Bobcats”.

This was up there with game of the year talk.

And when the final score, 58-52, was flashed onto the scoreboard Saturday night at Superior High, there were some glad hearts and some broken hearts.

Such is the nature of football rivalries. Bragging rights are for a year. We’re number one cascades from the bleachers of the winning team, in this case the co-op Tigers from St. Regis, Montana and Mullan, Idaho.

But when a battle this intense comes down to the last minute of play, it’s hard to say there was a loser.

Call it a non-winner if you like.

But on this clear, muggy Saturday night in August, the last one with the ball wins truism echoed off the nearby mountain slopes.

The Tigers beat the Bobcats. Only the next game in this decades old rivalry can change that.

Both teams feature senior stars, and underclass standouts.

For the co-op Tigers, senior running back John Pruitt etched his name in rival history with a multiple touchdown performance. And for Superior, the play of quarterback Jaxson Green will live on for a long time.

Both played their hearts out.

St. Regis scored first in this slugfest when freshman quarterback Conner Lulis hooked up with Pruitt for a 12-yard touchdown pass that, when coupled with a two-point after touchdown conversion, gave the Tigers the early 8-0 lead.

On Superior’s after kickoff possession, they were held by the St. Regis/Mullan defense and forced to turn the ball over to the Tigers. A short time later, Lulis found Mullan’s Alex Trogdon for a 19-yard passing TD. With 6:18 to play in the opening salvo of this conflict, the co-op Tigers had a 16-0 lead.

Then it was Green’s turn and the big fella came through with a three yard TD run, which followed a Superior defensive stop with Phin Cataldo scoring from six yards out to tie the game at 16.

Before the quarter came to a close, Green ran four yards up the middle for another Bobcat score, which put Superior in front 22-16.

A fumble on the ensuing kickoff by Tigers senior Kofi Appiah, a Nigerian native who had never seen an American football game before moving with family to Mullan, gave the ball back to Superior.

The Bobcats drive was halted and Pruitt and the Tigers moved quickly downfield, fueled by a 50-plus yard run by the Tiger senior. That drive came to an abrupt end when Superior junior Tritzen Avila intercepted Lulis in the end zone.

When the Tigers defense stopped Superior’s next drive, Pruitt and Lulis moved the ball on a drive that climaxed with a 26 yard Lulis to Pruitt touchdown pass. The score tied the game at 22. with :43 seconds in the first half. That’s where the score remained as the first half ended.

Trogden broke the tie in the third quarter when he raced 55 yards for a touchdown, giving the Tigers a 30-22 lead with 9:37 to play in the third quarter.

Then it was Green’s turn to shine and that he did when he bullied his way into the end zone for a 19 yard score, knotting the game at 30-each.

On the Tigers’ next possession Trogden broke loose again, putting St. Regis back on top by a 38-30 count.

Just seconds into the fourth quarter, Bobcats senior wideout Lucas Kovalsky tied the game at 38 when he plunged across the goal line from three yards out.

Then it was time for the Appiah to unleash his speed, racing 78 yards with the ensuing kickoff and a touchdown that broke yet another tie and put St. Regis-Mullan back in front 46-38.

The break in the game came on Superior’s next possession when they fumbled and the ball was recovered by the Tigers. That turnover set up a 14 yard touchdown run by Pruitt that put the visitors up by a 52-38 score.

Kovalsky ran for another TD with 8:06 to play, bringing the Cats to within eight points, 52-44.

Another Kovalsky TD run tied the game at 52 each with 4:45 to play.

A long run by Pruitt set up a short touchdown run by Trogden, pushing the Tigers back in front, 58-52 with less than three minutes remaining in regulation.

Superior ate up a large chunk of the remaining two minutes on a drive that showed promise but came to a screeching half with 24 seconds to play when Appiah leaped high to intercept a Green pass putting the ball back in St. Regis-Mullan hands.\

The visitors ran out the clock to secure the win, and avenge a 52-30 loss to the Bobcats last year in St. Regis.

The win boosted the Tigers, who play most of their games in Idaho each year as members of a Gem State conference, to 2-0 following their season opening win the week before versus Clark Fork, Idaho.

Green passed for 159 yards and ran for 163 yards and three TD’s.

Next up for St. Regis-Mullan is an early season bye. They return to action Friday, September 8 when they host Idaho foe Kootenai in Mullan.

Superior hosts Plains this Friday at 7 p.m.