Hawks home for postseason play

It's going to be a busy week for Thompson Falls High School. The Blue Hawk volleyball team, who captured the District 7B championship last weekend at St. Ignatius High School, now host the Western B divisional tournament.

Divisional volleyball matches will be played Thursday through Saturday, but that's not the only action Thompson Falls and the Blue Hawks will see this weekend. The Blue Hawk football team hosts Belt for the quarterfinal playoff game Saturday at Previs Field.

Thompson Falls Athletic Director Jake Mickelson said this is a historical moment for the community and the school. "To have a large tournament and a playoff game in the same town on the same weekend, that doesn't happen very often," he said, adding that the Thompson Falls facilities are a great setting for playoffs and a volleyball tournament. "The influx of people we'll have this weekend doesn't just include teams and parents, but also fans, officials and their families." Hundreds of visitors will be in the Thompson Falls community for the events. Mickelson said he's looking forward to the amount of support the school is getting for the sports teams and the community.

"I hope people enjoy our facilities and our area and local businesses," Mickelson said. "And just enjoy some good competitive sports."

The divisional volleyball tournament begins Thursday, when Thompson Falls takes on Loyola in the opening match of the tournament at 10 a.m. Next up will be Bigfork and Anaconda at 11:45 a.m., followed by Florence-Carlton and Mission at 1:30 p.m., and Eureka and Deer Lodge will take the court at 3:15 p.m. Thursday. The tournament continues with additional games Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, the tournament winners will be determined in the championship game, which begins at 11:45 a.m. As the tournament is a double elimination format, if a challenge game is needed, that is scheduled for 2 p.m.

The Blue Hawk football team, which opened the playoffs with a win against Circle last Saturday at home, now play host to Belt for the quarterfinal matchup. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday. The Blue Hawks secured the home-field advantage through the playoffs with their 9-0 record in the regular season.