Community celebrates victory

The state championship win wasn't just a victory for the Hawks. The entire Thompson Falls community celebrated the team's win with fireworks and a parade down Main Street on Saturday. Koskela said the parade, fireworks and celebration after the game were unexpected, and something he's never experienced as a player or a coach. "You couldn't hardly leave the field," he said. Members of the last state championship teams from Thompson Falls, in 1974 and 1975, joined the Hawks on the field after the win, displaying all three of the school's state trophies. Chaos erupted in the Thompson Falls Blue Hawk locker room Saturday afternoon, in a good way. "It got pretty damn goofy," Koskela said. "Some kids were turning in their gear and others didn't want to take it off. They just soaked in the moment."

Several businesses in Thompson Falls had their storefronts painted in blue and gold last week, with parents and students volunteering to add cheer throughout the town.

The alumni from the 1970s also presented a team dinner for the Blue Hawks on Thursday at the Clark Fork Valley Elks Lodge. Community members, alumni and Blackfoot Communications sponsored the lasagna dinner cooked by the Elks. Alumni offered words of wisdom to the 2021 team ahead of their championship game.

"We know what it's like," Roger Wilhite told the current Hawks. "When you win this thing, you're going to be the talk of the town." Teammate Mike Allen told the team to "keep playing till the old Hawks sign."

Doug Gunderson was on the 1975 championship team. During the Hawks' semifinal win against Park City on November 13, Gunderson was part of the chain gang on the sidelines. During a play, he was flattened by Hawk junior Breck Ferris. At the dinner last Thursday, Gunderson joked that the Hawks needed to "take these Titans out like Breck took me out."

Thompson Falls alum Bob Brown reminded the team how rare it is to be part of a state championship team, noting that since the football program began in the 1930s, 2021 was just the third time the Blue Hawks had been in a state championship game.

Hawk assistant coach Ray Buchanan, in his first year with the team, told his players on Thursday that it was crazy to come back and see them go further than anyone had in his playing days. Fellow assistant coach Ray Brown praised the players and Koskela. "You guys have bought in, listened and learned, but we wouldn't be here if we didn't have Koskela. No one loves the game of football more." Brown then presented the team with shirts imprinted with a likeness of Koskela's face.

Additional team members from the championship teams of 1974 and 1975 joined the crowd at Previs Field on Thursday, reminiscing and celebrating after the game. Jay Watson, who now lives in Casper, Wyoming, said he had always said he would come back if the Hawks were in another state championship game. He was a junior when the Hawks won in 1975 and made good on that promise. He was there Saturday to watch the Hawks win.