The Superior Bobcat football team is still in it to win it.

Making a huge step towards a possible playoff spot down the road, the unranked but unbowed Bobcats fought past Darby, the No. 10 ranked 8-Man team in the latest rankings, 34-32 in Superior Friday.

Not having time to relish their latest big win, Superior’s fourth straight victory, coach Jeff Schultz and his 4-1 Bobcats now go to Seeley Lake Friday to take on the No. 6 ranked, 5-0 Seeley-Swan Blackhawks. Seeley hammered Troy 54-0 in Troy Friday.

“Seeley definitely poses a challenge,” Schultz said. “They love to run the ball so we are going to have to concentrate on that as our No. 1 priority, but not forget about their passing game either. And we need to neutralize their defensive line, they have some big, athletic guys up front.”

Trailing Darby 20-8 at halftime last Friday in Superior, the Bobcats rallied past the McCoy Townsend-led Tigers. Townsend had rushed the ball 19 times for 149 yards scoring three touchdowns in the first half.

Part of the reason the Tigers were so effective early were injuries to Superior starters Turner Milender and Landon Richards in the first two quarters. Both Bobcats sat out parts of the first half but were able to return after halftime and help the Bobcats rally with three touchdowns in the third quarter.

“We were able to hold on with those two out, but their return in the second half helped spark us,” Schultz said. "As a team we were able to get after it in the third and fourth quarters.”

Gannon Quinlan started the Superior surge by running 60 yards for a touchdown. Then Richards found Phin Cataldo with a 31 yard scoring strike, his second touchdown catch of the night, to tie the game at 20-20.

After Darby scored to retake the lead, Milender got in on the action, reaching the end zone on a three yard run to tie the game back up at 26-26. Richards gave Superior the lead

for good with an 11 yard touchdown run and then hit Cataldo with the all-important two-point conversion pass to make the score 34-26.

Darby answered when Townsend pitched a touchdown pass to Jordan Browning in the fourth quarter but the two-point try was no good, preserving the Superior lead and ultimately sealing the outcome at 34-32 Bobcats.

Richards finished the game with 159 yards passing and Cataldo pulled down seven receptions for 114 yards and two TDs to lead the Superior offense. Operating from his linebacker position, Quinlan finished the game with 15 tackles to lead the Bobcat D and defensive lineman Jack Kemp made his presence felt with 13 more big stops.