Fans on all sides enjoy football doubleheader

The football gods blessed high school football teams and fans alike on Friday by allowing the smoke to clear just enough to allow the doubleheader at Memorial Stadium take place as scheduled.

Great Falls Public School’s Athletic Director Gary DeGooyer said the decision not to reschedule was made early Friday afternoon.

“At that time we were right on the border of (unhealthy) and (unhealthy for sensitive groups),” DeGooyer said. “The coaches, players and trainers all felt like it was OK, and we decided not to call the games off.”

DeGooyer said he will continue to monitor air quality levels for Saturday’s activities, which include a soccer jamboree and junior varsity football.

“We’re in the same boat tomorrow, and if we’re in the red (unhealthy), we’ll probably cancel everything,” DeGooyer said.

He said that the call will be made Saturday morning.

Despite the smoky conditions and 90 degree heat, plenty of C.M. Russell High green and gold trickled into the west side of Memorial Stadium alongside a small sea of Kalispell Flathead orange and black for the opening game. Both sides remained loud throughout, despite the Braves handily pulling ahead in the second half.

One Flathead fan stood out in particular, however, mostly because he used to don Bison blue in the early 2000s.

Grant Eve started at quarterback for the Bison for the 2001 season, in which he helped lead Great Falls High to its first playoff berth in almost a decade.

However, when a fellow Eve suits up for the Braves, some might say he gets a free pass in switching allegiances. Grant’s brother Jacques, a sophomore at Flathead, wears No. 46 and is a special teams contributor and backup linebacker for the Braves.

Grant hasn’t completely switched away from his alma mater, however.

“I’ve still got my Bison shirt on underneath this one,” Eve said with a laugh.

Although a single ticket was good for both games, DeGooyer’s prediction that fans would clear out came true.

The green and gold of CMR and orange of Flathead were gradually replaced by a healthy dose of the blue and white of Great Falls High.

A few Rustlers remained in the stands, however, and one among them was having a tough time deciding her allegiance.

Tatum Gunderson, a junior at CMR, was holding Bison-colored pom-poms, despite wearing a Superman-styled Rustler T-shirt.

Gunderson’s boyfriend, Riley Bail-Grover, is a backup defensive back for Great Falls High, which forces her to switch allegiances for at least for 48 minutes a week.

“Well, our game was first and I forgot my Bison shirt to change into for the second game,” Gunderson said, defending herself as her friends prodded her.

Apparently Bison and Rustlers can get along, at least when they’re not playing each other.