GREAT FALLS — As Montana gears up for another edition of the Brawl of the Wild, some of the state’s most accomplished high-school coaches say the Cat-Griz rivalry’s influence stretches far beyond the stadiums in Missoula and Bozeman.
Few have watched that impact more closely than former Great Falls CMR head coach Jack Johnson — the winningest coach in Montana history — who sent dozens of players to both sidelines of the rivalry.
Hear from Jack Johnson and Paul Klaboe:
His former athletes include Griz legend Dave Dickenson and record-setting Montana State receiver Tanner Bleskin.
“Yeah, it's a big deal. I mean, football's a big deal in Montana. Everybody wanted it, you know,” Johnson said.
Johnson never chose a side when his former players advanced to the rivalry stage.
“I didn't have a favorite. I just wanted Montana to win, you know,” he said.
And when those players faced off against each other, his message stayed consistent: “Just don't get hurt. Just play hard, do what you can, and have a good time.”
In Billings, longtime West High coach Paul Klaboe saw the rivalry shape his program as well.
He coached athletes like quarterback John Edwards, who led the Griz to the 2001 national championship, and Caleb Schreibeis, who became a Buck Buchanan Award-winning defensive end for the Bobcats.
“You always take interest in them, and we've had a number of West High kids play,” Klaboe said.
What fans see as hostility, Klaboe says, players view much differently. He recalls former West standouts Andrew Selle, a Griz quarterback and team captain, and Michael Rider, a Bobcat captain, meeting before the game.
“I'll never forget Michael Rider coming into my office. And the first thing they do is hug each other,” Klaboe said. “It's one week out of the year that it's a war, but it's not personal.”
Ultimately, Klaboe says the Brawl is the ultimate test of what Montana high-school athletes spend years developing.
“Are you strong enough mentally to focus on what you have to do?” he said.
With two legendary coaches, hundreds of former players, and decades of history behind it, the Cat-Griz rivalry continues shaping Montana football long before Saturday's kickoff.
