The Superior Lady Bobcats just can’t wait to get out there and run, run, run; and have some fun doing it.

Coach Jeff Schultz and his Bobcats will tip off girls basketball season play in the Tip-Off Tournament in Hamilton this week, playing Philipsburg at 2:30 p.m. Friday and facing the Hamilton JV at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

Schultz said his team has been working hard in practice, and that there is an excitement brewing with his experienced but still young squad which features four salty seniors, one high-scoring junior and two promising underclassmen.

Maggie Haworth, Makenzie Reum, Maryisa Swope and Perri Jasper are the senior salty ones, Josie Crabb the prolific point-producing junior, and sophomore Ava White and freshman Lily Jasper the promising underclassmen for the ’25-26 Bobcats.

Back in Class C and District 14C after spending last year in Class B and District 7B, where the Bobcats did advance on to the Western B divisional tournament last year, Schultz thinks the change of scenery in competition isn’t really that big of a change for his team.

“The teams in Class B may be more consistently talented,” he said. "But the good teams are good no matter what level you are at, and there are some very good teams in Class C.”

Schultz said Charlo should be considered the preseason favorites in 14C, but also does not discount the chances of talented teams like Hot Springs and St. Regis.

In the meantime, like the song goes, girls just want to have fun, and Schultz is ready to unleash his Bobcats. The Bobcats have become famous for the pedal to the metal style of play Schultz has favored during his 18 years coaching in Superior, and this season looks to be no different. Maybe faster though.

“We like to play fast,” he said. “These girls are good athletes, they get after it. It’s an exciting brand of basketball they play.

“We are excited, we just want to get out and play, see what we can do,” he said. “This group of kids has been together a long time, have grown up playing with each other. We lost a really good one in Braelyn (Mangold) from last year but have everyone else back, and we like to play hard.”

No one on the team plays harder than Crabb, Schultz said. The hard work pays off in points aplenty for Crabb. “Josie puts in a lot of work, all year around,” he said, “nobody works harder than her. She set the single game scoring record last year, and then broke her own record after that.”

Josie was a second team District 7B All-Conference pick last year.

Schulz said he is also excited about Superior’s non-conference slate of games. “We have a tough schedule of non-conference games to start the season, look forward to getting out there and seeing how we match up.”

Drummond, Seeley-Swan and Lincoln, all considered 13C elite teams, are included in that schedule, Schultz offered.