Blue Hawks blankety-blank tough on opponents so far

It’s been a blankety, blank, blank, blank kind of season for the Thompson Falls Blue Hawk football team, and you could expect the blanking to continue. If coach Jared Koskela and his hungry Hawks have their way, that is.

Unbeaten with a 5-0 record and ranked No. 3 in the latest Montana 8-Man power poll, the Hawks flew into Arlee Friday and blanked the Warriors 52-0. It was the red-hot Blue Hawks’ fourth, count ‘em fourth, straight shutout win.

Since shading Mission 38-32 in Mission to start the season, Koskela and his Hawks have had a blanking-good time, shutting out Clark Fork 42-0, Seeley-Swan 52-0, Darby 56-0 and now Arlee 52-0. Put all those points together and the powerful Hawks are averaging 48 points per outing while allowing only six.

Returning to Thompson Falls for homecoming this week, the Hawks will host Sanders County rival 2-1 Plains Friday.

“Plains always seems to play well against us, we expect a tough game,” Koskela said. “We are playing well and need to keep our foot on the gas pedal.

The Hawks have certainly had their foot on the gas since surviving that early season encounter at Mission. It’s been point-blank sailing for Thompson Falls ever since.

Like they have all season, the Hawks took control right from the opening kickoff in Arlee.

Roman Sparks keyed a big first quarter for the Hawks by running for two touchdowns (from six and one yards out) and throwing a 34-yard scoring pass to Lucas Andersen.

In the second quarter, Sparks hooked up again with Andersen on a 65-yard touchdown pass, and Kade Pardee scored out closing in the first half with a nine-yard touchdown run.

Pardee gathered in a 21-yard touchdown pass from Sparks and Trae Thilmony reached paydirt on a four-yard run to close out scoring in the second half.

Sparks had an efficient night, completing three of three passes for 120 yards and three touchdowns, in addition to carrying the ball 10 times for 60 more yards.

Pardee picked up 89 yards rushing and another 21 receiving, Elijah Ratliff gained 65 yards on only three carries, and Andersen totaled 99 yards on his two pass receptions.

Andersen paced the blanking defense with 10 tackles, Thilmony had eight, Dane Chojnacky and Pardee seven each, Derek Andersen six, Erik Strom five, and Sparks and Ratliff three apiece. Derek Anderson had two tackles for loss and Lucas Andersen, Thilmony and Pardee one apiece.

Jordy Fisher recovered an Arlee fumble.