For those who might foolishly have thought Superior is a non-factor in the Western B 8-player football battles this year, think again.

This past Friday night in Superior the Bobcats routed winless Victor 66-12 in a game in which the second half was mostly younger, reserve players for the home team.

The win, which was predicated by a 38-point first quarter, moved the Cats to 3-2 in the conference and squared their season mark at 3-3.

Not the record most football fans have seen from Superior in several years, but all three of those losses have been against teams who remain unbeaten on the year.

Just saying.

So it may have been a “take it out on the Pirates” kind of game, but the Bobcats’ offense and defense showed they are indeed still a factor in area Class B-8 football.

The Cats scored early and often Friday night, with Phin Cataldo getting the home team on the scoreboard first when he returned a Victor punt 40 yards for a touchdown less than two minutes after the game began. The point after touchdown (PAT) was no good, leaving Superior ahead 6-0 with 10:33 to play in the first quarter.

Less than a minute later, Cataldo intercepted a Victor pass and raced 25 yards for a pick six. Micah Acker ran for the extra point, giving Superior a 14-0 lead with 9:35 to go in the opening quarter.

Later in the quarter, Bobcats senior quarterback Jaxson Green plowed into the Victor end zone on a 12-yard rushing TD that, with a successful PAT run, put the home boys up 22-0.

The Bobcats offense was just getting warmed up. With three minutes to play senior Chase Woodson got in on the scoring frenzy with a 10-yard TD jaunt. Green ran for the extra point and the Cats surged to a 30-0 lead. After a defensive stop, Acker put the Cats on the scoreboard again with a short two-yard dip into the end zone, followed by a successful PAT pass from Green to freshman Gannon Qunilan with 2:18 still to play in the first quarter.

At that point the Cats held a 38-0 lead and the Mercy rule (non-stop clock except for injuries, called timeouts and change of possession) was in effect.

Meanwhile, the Bobcat defense continued to stymie all offensive efforts by the Pirates, holding them scoreless for the rest of the first half. In the interim, freshman back-up quarterback Landon Richards broke free on a 23-yard touchdown run, when, coupled with freshman Turner Milender’s successful PAT run, put Superior in front 46-0, the score that held up until halftime.

Shortly after the beginning of the second half, Victor finally removed the goose egg from its place on the scoreboard when they scored on a seven-yard running play with 9:27 left in the third quarter. The PAT try was no good, leaving the score at 46-6 in Superior’s favor.

A short time later, Cataldo erased that score when he hauled in a 16-yard TD pass from Richards, who then rushed for the PAT, boosting the Cats lead to 54-6.

Toward the end of the third quarter, Victor scored again, this time on a one-yard run. The extra point try was no good making the score 54-12.

The Bobcats got two touchdowns in the fourth quarter while holding Victor scoreless. The first TD was on a four-yard scoot by senior Ramzee Boyle, the second a 20-yard scamper by Milender.

In the end, the Bobcats wrapped up a 66-12 win.

The Cats travel to Charlo this Friday for a 7 pm game versus Charlo. The Vikings are tied with Superior at 3-2 in the conference and have a similar 3-3 season mark.