The Bobcat-Grizzly rivalry, which dates back to 1897, has involved numerous football players who were either from the Helena area, or moved here later on. With the help of Pat Kearney’s book “The Divide Wars,” Replays takes a look back at some (but not all) of those years and games involving Helenans.

One of Helena’s first college grid stars was Sam Kain. In 1926, Kain helped the Montana Grizzlies beat the Bobcats 27-0, rushing 5 times for 20 yards and intercepting a pass. The next year, in a 6-0 Divide War win, Sam ran for 27 yards and led the game in receiving, catching two passes for 41 yards. Kain went on to coach in Montana for many years, including his alma mater HHS in the 1940s.

A member of Helena’s 1932 state championship team, John Dolan played in three Cat-Griz games for Montana, from 1937-39. In 1938, Dolan competed against former Helenan Bob Bruce on the Bobcats, which the Grizzlies won, 13-0. Dolan, an all-conference end and UM co-captain, went on to play for the NFL Detroit Lions. His nephew, Bill Dolan, along with Neil Campbell, were the first Capital High gridders to play for Montana, in the late 1970s.

Bill Leaphart, who later became a prominent attorney in Helena, was a quarterback for the University from 1940-42. In 1941, he lined up across from the Bobcats’ Bill Zupan. Prior to that season, Montana State had not scored in a Bobcat-Grizzly game in eight years, until Zupan threw a 40-yard TD srike to Jynx Anderson (a Divide War record) to break the streak. He also intercepted a pass.

After World War II, in 1947 the Bobcats were triumphant 13-12, for their first win over the Grizzlies since 1932. Zupan set up Montana State’s first score in the third quarter by returning a punt 26 yards, to the UM three yard line. Zupan’s grandson is Tyson Bogumill, record setting halfback for Helena High and current member of the Carroll Saints.

Jim Posewitz, originally from Wisconsin, was a four-year letterman for the MSC Bobcats from 1953-56. A member of the Bobcats’ undefeated 1956 national championship team, Jim, who was an All-Rocky Mountain Conference selection, participated in the Cats’ first victory over the University in Missoula in 52 years. By catching a 40-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dave Alt in the 33-14 win, Posewitz helped tie the mark for the longest pass play in Divide War history, which Zupan was part of nine years earlier.

One of Posewitz’s teammates, former HHS great Bob Rudio, was involved in four MSC wins over the Griz, from 1956-59. As a senior, he competed against his younger brother, Montana lineman Jack Rudio, which the Cats won, 40-6.

In 1960, the UM roster was comprised of three former Bengals - Spike Moe, Jack Rudio and Jack Shevalier, and one future Helenan - Carl Schwertfeger. The Griz prevailed, 10-6. The following year, the Bobcats won one of the closest games in the history of the series, 10-9. The winning MSC touchdown pass, in the final minutes, was thrown by Bill Mulcahy (Butte Central), who later coached at Capital for many years.

When the Cats were triumphant 24-7 in 1965, Montana State’s Cliff Hysell and Earl Hanson, and Montana’s Dennis Meyer, were all past HHS gridders. Jim Tuss (Great Falls Public) set a Bobcat record by returning a punt 80 yards for a TD in that game. Tuss, whose son Jeff quarterbacked for Montana State in the early ’90s, went on to coach the Capital Bruins to two state football championships.

In 1977, Delmar Jones, a running back from Helena High, and Capital’s Jay Daly, an offensive lineman, helped the Bobcats to a 24-19 triumph over the UM. Jones ran for 187 yards and two touchdowns.

Helena High coach Tony Arnston, who prepped at C.M. Russell, played in four Cat-Griz games from 1985-88. One of his teammates was past HHS great Kevin Bartsch. In 1985, Tony became part of a trivia question, when he was the last quarterback to lose to the Bobcats before the Griz’s 16-game Divide War win streak. In 1987, Arnston caught a 19-yard TD pass in Montana’s 55-7 triumph.

The 1990 Cat-Griz game included five Queen City athletes - Montana State’s Lee Carter (CHS), Derek Didrikson (CHS), Mike Pouliot (HHS) and Shane Maharg (CHS); and Montana’s Billy Cockhill (CHS). Also with the Bobcats that year was Rob Tesch (Choteau), who now serves as an assistant coach for Helena High. Carter posted 10 tackles in the 35-18 loss. Cockhill would play in four Divide War contests, catching 13 passes for 192 yards.

Bruin alums Jason Crebo and Andy Larson, and Kalispell’s Mike Agee (now of Helena), helped the Griz continue their winning ways in the mid-1990s.

The Bobcats almost ended the Grizzlies streak at 11 games in 1997. Montana State took a 25-24 lead with only 22 seconds left on the clock. But the UM got a reprieve when the kicker booted the ball out of bounds. Former Helena Bengal Justin Olsen then made a dramatic 46-yard reception to set-up the Griz’s winning 37-yard field goal as time expired. The losing coach in that game was none other than 1960 HHS graduate, Cliff Hysell.

When Montana State finally halted the Griz’s win streak, with a 10-7 victory in 2002, there were at least seven area players in the game; Bruins Shane MacIntyre and Kyler Noel, and Bengals Brian Pelc, Conor and Seamus Molloy and Tyler Peterson, all with the UM; and Boulder’s Adam Cordiero with MSU.

CURT SYNNESS, an IR sports writer and local sports historian, can be contacted at 449-2150 or email curt52s@bresnan.net.