Prior to the start of the season, Thompson Falls football coach Jared Koskela was asked what he would like to see from his 2021 team.

“We’ve finished in the top four the past few seasons,” he said. “It would be good to find a way to improve on that.”

Improve they did, as in Montana State B-8 Champions.

And as a result, Koskela was recently named Montana Coach of the Year for 8-man football.

Koskela’s honor was part of a host of similar honors and championships captured by Western Montana teams this year.

Similar awards went to coaches at Missoula Sentinel (AA), Hamilton (A) and Florence-Carlton (B-11).

And it’s been a bumpy ride for Koskela and the Blue Hawks, who have lived on the border line enrollment wise between eight man and eleven man football. And with Thompson Falls heading back to the 11-man classification next year due to a bump in enrollment attributed to rising population in the Thompson Falls area, a repeat state championship would be a serious challenge.

“We knew our tenure in eight-man wouldn’t last because of such a rise and drop in enrollment and already being at the top of the limit,” he said. “So I told the team we must play the hand we were dealt and make the most of it.”

The Blue Hawks swept through the regular season with only a few challenges: St. Regis/Mullan (the combined Montana and Idaho team), Darby and Belt.

“Those three teams gave us fits this year,” he said.

But coming back to B-8 meant the Blue Hawks would be playing more games in their own back yard.

“We were back to playing teams closer to us and teams we were playing a few years ago,” Koskela said. “We didn’t belong with the Eureka and Bigfork teams. It was an eye-opener coming back to eight man”.

His Blue Hawks went 9-2 their first year after returning to eight players to a side and he admits to being stunned by the competition.

“After going 9-2 our first year and getting demolished in the playoffs by Fairview we had players coming back who were hungry and had a sense of purpose again. More and more got into the weight room in the off season.”

That drive and purpose, he said, was key to the success enjoyed by this year’s unbeaten, untied team. And, he added, the returning players had “bought in” to the system he had installed.

“We were more of a team this year and had players that bought into the system I was coaching.”

Koskela said this year’s experience has been particularly gratifying to him and to what it has done for the school.

“Winning the state title was something this school needed and we are glad we could them one after the last one 46 years ago,” he said. “Winning the Coach of the Year gives me and the team more confidence going forward and will foster an excellent culture to build on”.

And he wanted to be sure and thank the players, including the ones who stepped forward as leaders.

“I’d like to recognize my captains: Eli Ratliff, Jordan Fisher, Beano Fisher and Trae Thilmony for keeping the team on the straight and narrow and keeping the focus in practice for goals bigger than themselves,” Koskela said. “They made the entire team improve each and every week”.