After coming off the top of the pile last season, Thompson Falls High football coach Jared Koskela will have a new, more daunting challenge this year.

Fortunately a core of players from last year’s unbeaten, untied Montana 8-man state champs returns as the team heads to the 11-player classification this fall.

State 8-player Coach of the Year Koskela will have to tackle the next peak without graduated seniors Trae Thilmony, Nathan Schraeder, Erik Strom and Ryan Bucher as they take on the 11-man challenge in front of them.

“As a coach, I find going from 8-man to 11-man a lot harder to adjust to than going 11-man to 8-man three years ago,” Koskela said. “Not one player on this team has played 11-man football, not even in junior high. We got away with running our way to the state championship last year, but based on recent film study and the teams we are going to face, we must be more adaptable to the forward passing game”.

Indeed, last year’s champs were led by the likes of Thilmony, a three-time state wrestling champion, and Schraeder, both running backs who played a major role in the team’s success.

But that may very well be offset by the return of quarterback Eli Ratliff and wide-out Breck Ferris who loom as a potent piece of the passing attack. Add Hayden Hanks into the mix and the Blue Hawks, buoyed by a solid turnout of promising players no doubt make the transition, Thompson Falls style.

Koskela likes his team’s chemistry and speed, both of which were factors in last season’s battle to the top. He also likes what he sees in the important “confidence” factor a winning team must have.

The season schedule has the Blue Hawks jumping right into the 11-man ranks with a home opener this Friday against always tough Townsend from central Montana. The Blue Hawks take to the road the following weekend when they travel to Three Forks for another Friday night game. Their nine-game schedule includes match-ups with conference foes Florence and Eureka on the road. It also includes a contest with Fairfield, also on the road.

Koskela singled out those games as among the toughest on a challenging schedule.