Bluehawks keep playoff hopes alive
Fullback Nick Adler gets a few of his 100 yards on the ground versus Eureka on Friday.
After losing their first five games, Thompson Falls has kept its playoff hopes alive with a 35-14 thrashing over Eureka on Friday night.
“Our oil injectors were working just fine. We had all of our pistons firing,” said Blue Hawks head coach Doug Padden. “It was just a great team effort.”
Pistons Nick Adler, Kevin Hagedorn, Jaron Laws, Garret Reinschmidt, and Chris Hart all scored for the District 6-B Blue Hawks who improved to 2-2, 2-5.
Although the Lions (3-2, 4-3) came up short, they led in the first half after a pair of Chris Ibach touchdowns, one rushing the other receiving, gave them an early 14-7 advantage.
“They were really effective with the middle screen,” Padden said of Ibach’s 23 yard score. “You’re vulnerable when you’re an aggressive defense, and that’s fine, as long as they don’t break it for scores and big plays.”
Josh Hojem countered back with three unanswered touchdown passes to put Thompson Falls up for good. Chris Hart’s six yard score in the fourth quarter put the icing on the cake for the Blue Hawks.
Hojem would finished 12-of-17 for 124 passing yards, while Adler rushed 15 times for 100 yards on the ground.
Padden attributed much of his team’s success to the improved play of its offensive line.
“They’ve put a lot of work in and they’re finally getting to the point where they’re just going in an actually dominating people. Whenever that happens we’re going to win games,” he said.
Focusing on small improvements each week helped Padden and his Blue Hawks to stay positive despite their five game skid to start the season.
“They have earned it. For me, as a coach, it’s just wonderful to be able to see them win some games,” he said. “It was hard on me just seeing that the kids were not really gleaning the rewards of their hard work yet, at least in the win column.”
Signifying their turn-around, Thompson Falls has tallied 66 points in the last two games after totaling just 46 in their first five.
It’s attitude, and a willingness to try new things that have made all the difference in the Blue Hawks turnaround.
After place kicker and punter Dominique Holt suffered a deep-thigh bruise on Monday, there was a large a void left in the Blue Hawks the special teams unit, and who could fill that void better than a large player?
“Our offense tackle stepped in and punted well for us,” Padden explained. “I’ve got kids who are willing to step in and do some strange things.”
To keep their playoff hopes alive, the Blue Hawks will have to up-end Troy on Friday as the teams square off in the final contest of the regular season at 7 p.m. in Thompson Falls.
Padden says it’ll be business as usual this week as his team resumes their intense practice schedule in hopes of avoiding a let-down verus the Trojans.
“I like the track we’re on. I think our kids are playing up to their potentially finally,” he said.
As for his opponents, who defeated the Blue Hawks last year, Padden isn’t taking them lightly.
“Rich McElmurry is a hell of a good coach. He’s top notch, he’s been doing it a long time, and boy the guy knows every trick in the book,” Padden said. “Both of my eyebrows are raised, and I know for sure that we’re going to get a good team.”