Contrary to popular belief Wibaux, Mont., is not in another time zone.

That doesn't keep Drummond football coach Jim Oberweiser from poking a little fun in Wibaux's direction.

"There's not a whole lot of afternoon sun over there," said Oberweiser, who was doing a little research on the region earlier this week. "If you look it up online, the sun is setting in Missoula at 5 p.m. and in Glendive at 4:20. I know it sounds funny, but it seems to me that's what it said. We're on the far edge of the time zone over here and they're at the other end of it."

When it comes to playing for 8-man football titles, however, no two teams have done it more in recent years.

Roughly 540 miles of freeway and the Continental Divide are just some of the obstacles that separate these two proud ranching communities, but on Saturday top-ranked Wibaux (11-0) and No. 2 Drummond (10-0) will go facemask to facemask in the Class C championship game. Kickoff is at 1 p.m. at Wibaux's Veterans Memorial Field.

The Trojans begin their trek on Friday with several stops along the way, including a night's stay in Miles City. They'll resume their trip Saturday morning before resuming one of high school football's best rivalries, which was born out of three previous playoff meetings.

Round 4 figures to be the best; it's the only time that Drummond and Wibaux have played for a title.

"We've had some competitive and spirited ballgames," said the normally understated Oberweiser, who is in his 29th season with the Trojans.

Drummond leads 2-1 in its series with Wibaux. The three previous encounters came in the semifinals. The rivalry between the Trojans and Longhorns dates back to just 2004, but to many it seems much older than that.

"It's always a battle with Drummond," said Wibaux head coach Jeff Bertelsen. "I feel like we've played them 100 times and it's only going to be the fourth time. Jim (Oberweiser) does a great job with those guys. They're a very disciplined, fundamentally sound, good football team."

"(Saturday) is a state championship," Bertelsen added, "and we should expect nothing less from them than what we've had in the past."

The Trojans won the most recent meeting, 44-28, in the semifinals in 2007, en route to their fourth Class C state title.The Longhorns won 28-24 in 2006, but lost to Centerville in overtime in the championship. Drummond won three consecutive championships from 2003-05. Wibaux won back-to-back Class C crowns in 2000 and '01, but is 0-2 in title games since then. In fact, a team from either Drummond or Wibaux has been in the 8-man title game every year this decade.

The Longhorns hosted last year's championship, but lost 28-21 to Superior. Wibaux led 21-6 going into the fourth quarter of that game, before the Bobcats rallied for 22 unanswered points en route to their first state championship.

"That was painful, but it was painful in so many ways," Bertelsen said. "They were a good team and man-for-man they were probably a better team - and very deserving - but to be up in the fourth quarter on your home field and not get it ... it was tough."

The loss was even harder to swallow for Bertelsen, who coached his son Travis for the last time. The younger Bertelsen rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns in last year's title game. He went to Montana State, but is redshirting this fall and won't play in Saturday's Grizzly-Bobcat game.

The Superior Bobcats moved up to Class B this season, while Wibaux was voted the No. 1 team in Class C in the first power poll and stayed there throughout the season.

"The kids are hungry this year," said coach Bertelsen. "They knew they let one slip away last year, and now they'll do everything in their power to not let that happen again."

Many of the stars from last year's Longhorn squad return. Junior quarterback Jaylen Sokoloski and junior running back Collin Harrell were starters on that state finals team a year ago. Harrell tops his team with 1,332 yards rushing and 24 touchdowns. Sokoloski has passed for 925 yards and 18 scores and ran for 257 more yards and six TDs.

There's also receiver Robert Gehre and lineman AJ LaBelle. Gehre has caught 31 passes, including eight for touchdowns, and he's also the team leader in interceptions with six. LaBelle, who is listed at 6-foot-4, 240 pounds, may have to play some fullback. Miles Davis, the Longhorns' third-leading rusher, suffered a knee injury in the playoffs and is questionable for Saturday's game.

Wibaux rallied from a 32-26 halftime deficit to knock off Sheridan 64-32 in the semifinals last Saturday. Drummond defeated a depleted Centerville team in its semifinal contest. The Trojans took advantage of seven turnovers in a 47-14 victory.

"It would have been nice to have saved some of those for this week," Oberweiser said. "Both teams are real evenly matched. Quite often it comes down to who takes care of the ball and, knock on wood, we've done real well at taking care of it."

Drummond is led by senior quarterback Neil Mannix, who has gained 509 yards on the ground and scored 17 touchdowns and has passed for 663 yards and 14 TDs. Bryan Mannix, Neil's cousin, leads the team with 1,002 yards rushing to go with 13 TDs. Brothers Parker and Nate Bignell have hauled in all of Neil Mannix's touchdown tosses.