New day dawns for Lady Hawks

A new day has dawned for the Thompson Falls Lady Hawk basketball team. Make that, for the Lady Hawk basketball teams.

For the first time in several years, coach Doree Thilmony reports that enough girls have come out for the sport that Thompson Falls will field the full complement of three teams – freshman (or C team), junior varsity and varsity – this season.

Those three teams will open season play with non-conference games at Libby Saturday. It will be a full day of basketball in Lincoln County as the Hawk boys and their three teams will also be making the trip to Libby.

"We are excited to have three teams to take there," Thilmony said. "Our program is picking up energy."

Thilmony said the strong turnout for hoops this season has forced school officials to advertise for a coach to handle the C team duties. Long-time assistant Sandra Kazmierczak returns to coach the junior varsity Hawks.

Maya Stiles, Sarah Detlaff, Jordan Pomrenke and Trinity Godfrey are the seniors out for basketball, Gracie Claridge and Katelyn Wallen are the juniors, Megan Baxter, Jolia Buchanan, Dreah Day, Jody Detlaff, Faith Frields, Aidin Losure and Riley Wilson the sophomores, and Caity Alexander, Julissa Bonney, Shaw-nee Bruyer, Roni Hanks, Danielle Hodges, Abbi Lane, Shayla Micklon, Elli Pardee and McKenzie Robins the freshmen.

Wilson, Stiles, Baxter, Frields and the Detlaff sisters all saw lots of varsity time last year and should lead the Lady Hawks this season.

Thilmony thinks Bigfork will be the toughest other team in District 7B this season, ranks her Hawks and the Eureka Lady Lions as contenders, and sees Troy as being in a rebuilding mode this season.

"We have been looking good in practice," she said. "We are eager to get out there and show people what we can do."