Solid group returns for Blue Hawks football
The Thompson Falls football team began pre-season workouts this past week in preparation for their opener at home versus Conrad August 25. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
Senior lineman Hayden Hanks, a recent signee to play football next year at Boise State University, is expected to anchor the Blue Hawks offensive line as they prepare for their season opener August 25 in T Falls. (Chuck Bandel/VP-MI)
The “fear” factor can mean a lot of different things.
In football, the Thompson Falls Blue Hawks are hoping to strike some fear into their opponents for the rapidly approaching 2023 season, led by a big and strong player who has already signed with a Division I college team.
Under the subheading “anticipated strengths” highly successful coach Jared Koskela, the 2001 Montana Class B 8-player Coach of the Year, Koskela listed two items: fear of the unknown, and fear of Hayden Hanks.
Many teams have not played against the Blue Hawks and Koskela is hoping that will factor into game preparation and execution.
Hanks is expected to play a huge roll in the team’s return to power this year, with his 6-4, 260-pound frame and explosive strength creating fear among opposing linemen. Earlier this year, Hanks signed a football scholarship offer to take his enormous body and talents to Boise State of the Mountain West Conference.
First, he and his teammates must complete the 2023 Montana High School football campaign, which begins Friday, Aug. 25 when the Hawks take on Conrad in Thompson Falls.
Hanks highlights a solid group of returnees from last year’s team, which struggled in their first year of playing 11-man football as a result of increasing student enrollment numbers at T Falls.
Also back for his senior year is state 170-pound wrestling champion Max Hannum, who played linebacker last year. Junior Bryson LeCoure is expected to compete for the starting quarterback position after sharing duties with now graduated standout Eli Ratliff, who is off to Montana Tech this Fall to play football for the Orediggers.
Also expected to make major contributions to this year’s squad are: senior Brandon Dorscher, Nick Tessier and junior Kaiden Robbins. All had solid years last season and were among the top competitors on the 2023 T Falls men’s track team.
The Blue Hawks finished 5th in the Western B conference last year, posting a 1-8 record in their first year competing with 11 players. They came on strong toward the end of the year and won their last game against Anaconda.
“Getting the team to play as one, never give up,” are two things coach Koskela is focused on as the start of the season draws near.
