Hawks dominate Circle, ready for Belt

The Thompson Falls Blue Hawks finished the regular season 9-0, but the Hawks are not done with their season by any means. Thompson Falls hosted the Circle Wildcats Saturday at Previs Field, running away with a 55-6 victory.

Hawk Coach Jared Koskela said his team has been looking forward to the quarterfinals since last season. The Hawks made it to the quarterfinals in 2020 and 2019 and lost both games. This Saturday, however, they will be on their home turf with extra motivation and confidence. Belt travels to Thompson Falls for the quarterfinal game. "It's going to take eight guys to beat us," Koskela said, noting that his team has improved and is making big plays on both defense and offense, and both running and passing the ball.

Against Circle, the Hawks garnered 406 total yards, 223 rushing and 183 passing. Koskela said it almost never works out that their passing and rushing yards are similar, but this game he dug into his playbook and the passing game excelled. He noted that Circle had scouted the Hawks, preparing for their rushing game. "We have other stuff too, not just running," Koskela noted. "Eli has taken his quarterback role in stride this year and has been gradually getting better throughout the season."

Quarterback Elijah Ratliff completed 10 of 13 passes for a total of 183 yards and two touchdowns Saturday. Ratliff also led the Blue Hawks in rushing with 87 yards, including a 40-yard push for a touchdown in the third quarter. Senior Trae Thilmony rushed for 78 yards, including an 11-yard touchdown run for the Blue Hawks' first score of the game.

Ryan Bucher scored both Hawk touchdowns in the second quarter, first with a 23-yard run into the end zone and then on a 55-yard bullet of a pass from Ratliff. Bucher also led the Hawks in tackles with six, followed by Erik Strom with five, Nathan Schraeder and Max Hannum picked up three apiece, Ratliff, Jordan Fisher and Josh Wilhite two each, and Breck Ferris, Hayden Hanks, Braxton Dorscher and Lance Palmer one each.

The Hawk defense was also on fire Saturday under the bright Montana fall sky. Ferris picked an interception from the Wildcats in the third quarter and ran the football back 65 yards to score one for the Hawks. "We adjusted the defense and Breck has been picking off passes all week," Koskela said of the junior safety. "He got a good one." Wilhite also added two interceptions to his playoff stats.

The Hawks gave up just one score to the Wildcats, a one-yard pass with a failed two-point conversion at the beginning of the second quarter. Koskela said in Circle's final drive of the game, they got to within five yards of the goal line. With some of the younger Hawks in on defense, they stepped up and made a couple big plays to stop the Wildcats from scoring.

"It's a big-time goal for these guys to get past the quarterfinals," Koskela said. He's expecting a good fight from Belt, ranked third in the North division in Montana 8-Man football. "This is going to be a state-caliber type of game." He compared Belt with Darby, who the Hawks played earlier this year. Koskela explained that Darby was beating his team in the first quarter, but the Hawks settled down and got in a rhythm to bring home a win. He expects to see some of the same level of competition from Belt. "Belt really reminds me of Darby in that their quarterback runs it a lot."

The Blue Hawks will keep the home-field advantage as they welcome Belt this Saturday. "It will make a difference being here and not having to travel east," Koskela said. "These guys have a different motor." Kickoff set for 1 p.m. Saturday at Thompson Falls High School.