BELLE FOURCHE - Cold, windy and maybe wet.

That's the gloomy forecast for Thursday's football collision between the undefeated Belle Fourche Broncs and the undefeated St. Thomas More Cavaliers.

But if the weather at Dutton Field in Rapid City is likely to nip the nose and chill the fingers, it won't cool the heated hopes of the Belle Fourche faithful.

That was clear Wednesday morning at the Butte County Courthouse, where Auditor Elaine Jensen tried to focus on her work duties rather than the big event to come.

Jensen has more than a passing interest in the game, which will decide the championship of the Black Hills Conference and establish home-field playoff advantage. Her son, Justin, a 226-pound sophomore center for the Broncs, will engage the highly touted Catholic-school opposition pad to pad in the mosh pit of muscle and mud known in polite circles as the line of scrimmage.

His mother will be there cheering him on, along with what she expects to be "an excellent turnout from Belle Fourche," despite the intemperate climate.

And the outcome? Well, what else could a mother say?

"Oh, we're going to win, you bet!" Jensen chanted Wednesday morning, as an office co-worker nodded her approval.

Jensen carries that optimism despite the Cavaliers' dominance in recent years. And she does it without resorting to the intricacies of Xs and Os.

"Don't ask me any football questions, because I can't answer those," she said. "I just know we have a great team."

But she can talk with confidence about the impact of a winning football team on a community of familiar faces who are already inclined to celebrate accomplishments together. And regardless of the score tonight or the Broncs' uncertain fate in the colossal collective of playoff games to come, the season has been a gift, Jensen said.

"We've just had a wonderful season," she said. "The kids have been great. The coaches have been great. And the support of the town has been incredible."

In the office next door, County Treasurer Dee Schuldies agreed that Broncs football had energized the town. She especially praised the defense, arguing that it is too often forgotten when accolades are dished out.

It's worth noting here, of course, that Schuldies' grandson, Kyle Blake, plays defense for the Broncs.

"I'm speaking as a fan," Schuldies said. "And I'm speaking as a grandma."

At the far northwest edge of town, Kim Kling leaned against the cracked-wood catwalk railing above the Belle Fourche Livestock Exchange chutes and spoke from three football perspectives: parent, fan and former Bronc's linebacker.

"I grew up here and stayed here. Like a lot of people in this community, I've been here my whole life," the 55-year-old rancher and livestock broker said.

With two older sons, Clint and Cliff, who played for the Broncs, Kim Kling was well prepared to fully savor the exceptional senior season of his youngest son, Colen, a 221-pound offensive fullback and defensive end.

"They're 7-0. They can run. They can pass. They can mix it up," Kim Kling said. "We've had a great year. It's a really big game for both teams. It's very important."

At the Radio Shack store downtown, Jill Keller managed to express the importance of the game while waiting on customers. She encouraged visitors to keep track of No. 55 - predicting a good game for her "little" brother, Joe Nixon.

And she couldn't help but heap praise on first-year head coach Adam Nowowiejski.

"They've got an amazing coach," she said.

There was no argument on that praise at the local Dairy Queen, where the $1.99 hot-dog-and-fries special barely edged out "Go Broncs" for top billing on the outdoor display sign. Traci Nowowiejski and her head-coach husband are co-owners and help operate the eatery. And Traci said the winning season hasn't hurt business a bit.

"Most people know we bought it. I think people help support it, because he works so hard," she said. "He gives all of his heart to the team, and he has a good bunch of players who work real hard for him."

A dozen or so of those players work hard in their hours away from football at the Black Hills Health and Fitness center, where owner Greg Smith proclaimed early Wednesday afternoon that the Broncs were ready to compete with the Cavaliers as well as East River playoff teams to come.

"I'm tired of people talking about the East- River football stuff," he said. "I think West River can compete with anybody."

Then, for emphasis, he thrust a fist into the air and shouted: "Go Broncs!"

Tonight, with plenty on the line, they'll have their chance to do just that.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com