Wow!  And that is a multi-faceted “wow.”

For one thing, I watched this past Saturday what will likely go down as an epic post-season playoff game in the wonderful world of six-player football, Montana high school style. 

For another thing, the Brawl of the Wild is poised and ready to go this weekend pitting Bobcats against Grizzlies with bragging rights and more on the line, as usual. 

And for a third thing, to my left as I write this is my fake Christmas tree, decorated and lit earlier in the season than I ever have. 

More on that in a moment. 

The six-player playoff treat I witnessed was the state semifinal between Hot Springs and Box Elder, the community, not the pesky insect. 

This was an awesome game between two teams loaded with speed, an essential in the fast-paced six-player game.  The score bounced back and forth for 40 minutes before Box Elder scored the go-head touchdown with less than two minutes to play. 

The Bears then held off a last-minute Hot Springs drive, erasing the potential touchdown and game-winning Savage Heat score with an interception at their own eight-yard line. 

That saved a 57-54 win for Box Elder, which advances to this Saturday’s playoff final against Bridger. 

Local volleyball ended this past weekend, and cross country held its state championships two weeks ago. 

The only competition they will have for fans and viewers is a thing we call, affectionately, the Brawl of the Wild. 

Unless you live in a cave somewhere and have no electronic devices of any kind, you no doubt know that the Brawl is THE sporting event of the year in this great state, the annual matchup between the University of Montana Grizzlies and the Montana State Bobcats. 

I’m thinking it was just a week ago that the last Brawl of the Wild was played. If it was this coming Saturday at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman as advertised, then wouldn’t it also be close to Thanksgiving? 

Oh, yeah, right. That’s why I recently bought a box of stuffing mix. Is it that time already? 

Anyway, the Cats come into the Brawl this year with an unblemished 11-0 record that includes their win this past Saturday over UC Davis and gives MSU the Big Sky regular season title. 

The Cats are ranked second in the country, trailing only North Dakota State, the frequent visitor and current occupier of the Football Championship Series national poll. 

UM is ranked tenth and warmed up for the rival extraordinaire with a win over Portland State this past Saturday in Missoula. 

The game has the potential, as always, to be a nail-biting barnburner.  And didn’t they just play this game a few days ago? 

No, it was this pesky time senior time warp I’m dealing with.  And the fear I have of not having any sports to watch will, as usual, be soothed by the start of the basketball and wrestling season in, gulp, a few short weeks. 

And as for the year-round Christmas lights, I can only say that as fast as these days roll by, leaving the lights up is making more sense with each passing year. 

In the blink of an eye, my “dark” time, no football will begin. 

Yup, time marches on.