Thompson Falls Blue Hawks roll to another easy win

Another Friday night, another blow-out win for the high-flying Thompson Falls Blue Hawks, this time a 62-6 trouncing of the Seeley Blackhawks on their home turf.

And another Saturday morning where opposing coaches are no doubt scratching their noggins wondering, perhaps out loud, “who are these guys?”

They may well be adding “and how do we stop them?” to the muse.

As eight-man Montana high school football teams throughout the area prepare for the guts of the season, only one team has even come close to slowing down the Blue Hawks juggernaut. That was a school that gets athletes from two towns in two states, the St. Regis/Mullan co-opers who had their shot earlier this year and lost 44-26 on their home field in St. Regis.

The 2021 version of the Blue Hawks is a yard-gobbling running team with just enough passing thrown in to cause opposing defensive coordinators to wake up screaming.

These boys also play, as the scores would suggest, some dang good defense themselves.

As evidence to the torment, consider this past Friday night.

Thompson Falls, now an unblemished 5-0 on the year, scored early and often, beginning with their first possession. Junior quarterback Elijah Ratliff put the finishing touches on that drive with a four-yard touchdown stroll, capped as usual by a Nathan Schraeder extra point kick.

Badda bing, badda boom, 7-0 Blue Hawks.

Thompson Falls’ stingy defense put up a big “fah-get-about it” on the Blackhawks next possession, highlighted by a Schraeder pick-six interception return for a TD. Schraeder added the PAT kick and the Hawks from Thompson Falls were up 14-0 with plenty of time remaining in the first quarter.

You like defense? On Seeley’s next possession Ryan Bucher stopped the Blackhawks in their own end zone for a two-point safety and possession of the ball. 16-0 T Falls.

Bucher would add injury to insult a few minutes later when the safety possession drive resulted in another touchdown, this one by Bucher who scampered to paydirt from eight yards out, making the score 23-0 T Falls.

Smell the rout yet?

Schraeder then pulled off a rare football feat on Seeley’s next possession when he intercepted a Blackhawks pass and returned it 26 yards for another Blue Hawks score. It was Schraeder’s second “pick-six” of the quarter. Not the game, the QUARTER. And before you could say “these guys are pretty good” the visitors were up 30-0 and the stench of rout was heavy in the mountain air.

Before the opening quarter expired, Seeley would experience their main highlight of the game, a 75-yard touchdown run that pulled them to within 30-6 heading into the second quarter.

Unfortunately for Seeley, that would be their only moment with a chance to make the highlight reel.

So where in this onslaught of points, one might ask, was all-state wrestler and running back Trae Thilmony?

He was apparently just getting loose...and would soon be breaking loose, as in busting free from Seeley defenders early in the second quarter with an 11-yard TD jaunt that coupled with Schraeder’s kicking prowess vaulted the Blue Hawks into a 37-6 lead.

Ratliff then joined the party a second time when he scooted into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown of the game, a four-yard waltz and a 43-6 advantage.

Thilmony closed out the first half scoring extravaganza with his second TD of the game, this one from eight yards away, bringing the score to 50-6 as the first half came to an almost merciful end.

For the game, the Blue Hawks would rush for 261 yards and get 54 “just enough to keep em honest” passing yards from Ratliff.

With reserves and underclassmen getting the bulk of the work in the second half, the scoring madness tapered off, but not before Joshua Wilhite stepped into the end from four-yards out in the third quarter, then added a 49-yard touchdown sprint in the fourth frame to bring the offensive display to an end.

Along the way Friday night, the deep Blue Hawks roster even allowed for a reserve kicker to get into the act resulting in one second-team PAT kick.

Thilmony finished with a game-best 65 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while six TFalls players had at least double figures in rushing yards for the game.

On the defensive side of the ball, Thilmony contributed four tackles and three assisted tackles to go with his sparkling running stats.

Bucher had two sacks and two tackles for loss, and Schraeder had one tackle and one assist to go with his two pick-six interception returns.

The Blue Hawks will look to keep things rolling this Friday night when they take to the road for a game against the Darby Tigers. Thompson Falls returns to their home field the following weekend, Friday, Oct. 8 for a Homecoming game against Arlee.