Relentless Blue Hawks bash Darby Tigers

Fear the relentless ones, for they can never be satisfied.

Unrelenting to the visiting Darby Tigers from the get-go Saturday, the persistently relentless Thompson Falls Blue Hawks swamped the Tigers 56-0 on Previs Field.

Far from satisfied, the unbeaten (4-0) and No. 4 ranked Hawks wing to Arlee Friday to hopefully continue their relentless quest for a Western 8-Man playoff berth against the 2-2 Warriors. Arlee defeated Victor 34-12 Saturday.

"I look at Arlee as kind of a dark horse in the conference," Koskela said. "If they can beat us it certainly would scramble the race for the playoffs."

Not leaving anything to chance against Darby Friday, the Hawks beat the Tigers to the punch time and time again. Originally scheduled to Friday the game was moved to Saturday to avoid the thick smoke that was blanketing the area. It was cool, rainy and largely smoke-free in the Clark Fork Valley by kickoff time Saturday afternoon.

The Hawks started things out by taking the opening kickoff and quickly marching down the field for the first touchdown of the game, which Kade Pardee scored on a 24-yard run. After Trae Thilmony ran in the two-point conversion the score was 8-0 and the rout was on.

The Hawks then caused a fumble and recovered it at Darby's 12-yard line after the following kickoff. A few plays later, Pardee scored again from two yards out on a run and, after the conversion run failed, the Hawks now led 14-0.

Holding the Tigers on downs, the Hawks scored again with 6:47 left in the first quarter on a 32-yard dash by Jordy Fisher and Nathan Schraeder added his first of six straight extra-point kicks in the game, matching a school record, to make it 21-0.

A short time later after getting the ball back again, Sparks threw a short pass in the flat to Pardee and Pardee motored in for a 12-yard touchdown to make it 28-0. With 41 seconds left in the first quarter the Hawks set the game clock into continuous motion when Sparks scored on a one-yard run and Schraeder converted the extra-point kick to make the score 35-0.

Sparks scored on runs of 60 and one yard in the second quarter and the Hawks took a 49-0 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Pardee scored the final touchdown of the game on a six-yard run in the third quarter for the final scoring in the Hawks' lopsided win.

Sparks completed four of five passes for 128 yards and three touchdowns in addition to running the ball seven times for another 128 yards and three more touchdowns.

Pardee had 11 carries for 95 yards and four touchdowns, Thilmony had four totes for 34 yards, Fisher two for 33, Schraeder two for eight, Max Hannum two for seven and Elijah Ratliff one for two. Pardee had one catch for 35 yards, Derek Andersen one catch for another 35 yards, Erik Strom one for 30 and Lucas Andersen one for 21 yards.

Defensively, Thilmony was the Hawks' main man with eight tackles, including a quarterback sack, Dane Chojnacky had five tackles with one for a loss, Lucas Andersen had five stops with two sacks, Strom five tackles with a sack, and Derek Andersen three more tackles.

Although it was a feel-good win for the Hawks, they did suffer a potentially season-ending loss as Schraeder suffered a lacerated kidney late in the game. A junior, Schraeder was playing his first season of football and was making vital contributions, especially in the placekicking department.

Schareder's six point after touchdown kicks matched the TFHS school record set by Nathan Bache many years ago and matched by Pardee two years ago.

"That was a tough break, Nathan getting hurt like that," Koskela said adding that he gave Schraeder the game ball for his record-tying performance. "He was really kicking well and was a big part of the team otherwise."

Schraeder's doctor said he will need six weeks for the injury to properly heal, meaning he is likely lost for rest of the regular season at least.