Hawks endure energetic tourney

At tournament time, emotions run high. For seniors, there's the possibility of it being the last time you'll play for your team. For others, the thirst for more competition drives you.

The Blue Hawk boys' season came to an end at the divisional tournament in Pablo last weekend, playing three intense games. "We competed against some really good team this season," Coach Jake Mickelson said after the tournament. "We were really close to beating these teams who had beat us earlier in the season." He said he was proud of how his team played in the tournament. "They played their best basketball and had chances to win the first game against Florence and the last game against Eureka, but the other teams made some big fourth-quarter pushes."

The Hawks kicked off the tournament with a tough game against Florence. Though the Hawks fell 59-54, they led the Falcons through much of the game.

The well-matched teams held each other to few points in the first quarter as the defenses kept their eyes on the ball. Florence was up 14-10 after the first quarter ended, but the Hawks got warmed up and took the lead in the second. Junior Bryson LeCoure dominated at the basket as he picked off several rebounds for the Hawks. Thompson Falls ended up taking the lead with steady play, including a handful of free throws that were on point.

Thompson Falls led 29-24 at the half, but the momentum shifted in the third quarter as Florence got within two points before taking the lead with two minutes left in the quarter. The teams traded leads with Florence hitting a three-pointer up with 10 seconds remaining to tie the game at 43 apiece going into the final quarter. With 17 seconds left, the Hawks were down by 5 points when Coach Jake Mickelson called a timeout to strategize with his team.

The Hawks took the lead for the first half of the fourth quarter, but Florence engaged their boosters in the final minutes, pulling ahead of the Hawks by three points with 1:20 left in the game before sealing the win.

LeCoure had an impressive 23 points for the Hawks, with Nick Tessier adding eight points, Braedon Ferris, Max Hannum and Braxton Dorscher six each, Kaiden Robins and Sam Burgess two apiece and Cael Thilmony one.

The Blue Hawk boys entered the second day of the tournament with renewed energy as they took on the Mission Bulldogs early Friday morning in a loser-out consolation game. "It's always tough to play at 8 a.m. but our team had a good mindset. They showed up in that morning game and I felt confidence from the whole team and knew they figured out how to get it done Friday morning," Mickelson said

The consolation game started slow for the teams, but the Hawks found their rhythm and quickly took a generous lead over the Bulldogs, ending the first quarter up 20-12. The Hawks continued pulling away in the second quarter and leading 37-20 going into halftime.

In the second half, the Blue Hawk boys continued to make it look easy as they strengthened their lead. The Bulldogs didn't give up and were able to improve their score during the third, down 58-34 going into the last quarter, but the Hawks remained steady.

In the final eight minutes, the blue Hawks nearly got a running clock on the Bulldogs as the ball kept finding the net and the Hawks kept their divisional play going with a 76-59 win. Senior Cael Thilmony said the Mission game was one of the most memorable of the season. "Right off the bat after losing to Florence we took off," he stated. Another favorite game of his season was senior night against Superior. "We started out rough and came together as a team and won by 20." "Our chemistry improved tremendously from the start of the season to the finish," Thilmony said of his senior season. "Going into divisional we knew we had to work together."

LeCoure again led the Hawks with 22 points, Hannum scored 18, Tessier 12, Thilmony nine, Theo Nygaard six, Robins five, and Burgess and Owen Doyle two each.

Saturday was the final day of the divisional tournament, and the Blue Hawks needed a win to keep alive their hopes of a state tournament bid. Thompson Falls met district 7B foe Eureka in the loser-out game. The Hawks would lose 54-48 in the season-ending matchup, which started with the advantage to the Hawks as they took a slight lead. Eureka didn't take long to find their groove and quickly overtook the Hawks. Thompson Falls wasn't ready to give up and tied the game at 12 apiece before Eureka ended the first quarter up 14-12.

The Hawks took the lead early in the second quarter, but the teams traded baskets and points, keeping the game close. Thompson Falls was called on the first of the team's three technical fouls late in the second and went into the locker room down just two points at the half.

"The crowd was intense and the game was intense," Mickelson said. "The kids were pumping each other up in the locker room at halftime."

The teams kept the back-and-forth game going in the third quarter before the Blue Hawks tried to build a cushion, sinking two three-pointers over the Lions defense. Thompson Falls was up by five points halfway through the third but Eureka hustled back to take control with two minutes left. Eureka led 49-45 as the final quarter started.

The fourth quarter was a struggle for the Hawks, who upped the intensity as they attempted to catch the Lions. Thompson Falls would be hit with two more technical fouls in the final two minutes of the game, which shifted the momentum. The Hawks got within three points of the Lions, but the team couldn't overcome the deficit as Thompson's season came to an end in an emotional last effort.

Thilmony said it was anyone's game against Eureka. "The minute you would think the game was over, either team would come back and make another play. You knew it was going to come down to the last possession," he stressed. Thilmony added that he liked how the team went into every game knowing they could win and didn't give up. He commended Coach Mickelson for his planning every game and the team for executing the plan.

"The kids played smart," Mickelson said of the last game of the season "It was a good battle. Eureka was playing like it was their last game, too. We just had some shots in the fourth quarter that didn't fall for us. Sometimes the other team hits shots and you don't." Though the Lions beat the Hawks four times during the season, Mickelson said his team didn't give up. "I want to thank those kids for working so hard for us coaches and thanks to the fans and the parents for all the support during the season."

The game against Eureka was the final of their high school careers for the six Hawk seniors. "I hope they had fun being part of this team. They showed a lot of growth, stepped up and accepted their roles. I want them to look back and feel good about how they did and not have any regrets," Mickelson expressed.

Thilmony said he will miss that feeling you get being on the court, making a good pass or scoring a bucket. "I loved everyone that played and the coaches," He said. "I can't thank them enough."

Senior Braxton Dorscher said overall he thinks the team played well in the tournament, though they fell short in the first and last games. "I think we definitely left everything out there and we can't look back and regret the effort we put in. We definitely played with heart," he said. Dorscher said only a couple of the team members had played varsity before this season so as the season progressed, they got a lot more comfortable and started playing more as a team.