There are good athletes who succeed, and there are good athletes who succeed with respect and hard work.

Thompson Falls senior Eli Ratliff is the latter.

A standout student and multi-sport athlete, Ratliff was selected this Christmas Day to play in the 76th annual Montana East-West Shrine football game, a showcase of the state’s top players from all classifications.

For Ratliff, who helped lead his Blue Hawks football team to the Montana 8-player state championship in 2021, the honor would not have been possible without his teammates.

And that kind of thinking, along with his athletic ability, are key reasons why he was also offered, and recently accepted a football scholarship to Montana Tech in Butte.

Tech fans in the Butte area will get a preview of Ratliff’s talents when he appears in the Shrine game, which will be held Saturday, June 17th at the Mining City’s Naranche Stadium.

“I’m very excited to showcase all the hard work I’ve put in against the best the state has to offer,” he said. “I hope to make the town of Thompson Falls proud, along with the rest of Sanders County”.

Ratliff, who played both sides of the ball, was recruited as a defensive back by the Tech staff. At 6-1 with good speed, he fits the mold of today’s cornerbacks who are taller and quicker than their predecessors.

He also spent considerable time playing quarterback and wide receiver during his time on the Blue Hawks, under the tutelage of head coach Jared Koskela and staff.

“Eli is going as a cornerback, but he could have easily gone as a wide receiver,” said Koskela. “But going as a defender to cover the state’s best wide receivers is something he is very capable of. I have full confidence he will shine in the Shrine”.

This is the second straight year a Thompson Falls player has been selected to the prestigious all-star game. Standout linebacker and running back Trae Thilmony, who is now attending North Dakota State on a wrestling scholarship, was chosen to the 75th Shrine game.

Ratliff is also a member of the wrestling team and recently won the 160-pound individual weight class at the Bob Kinney tournament in Superior.

The only player chosen to the team from Sanders County, Ratliff credits those around him for much of his success.

“My years at T Falls have been great,” he said. “I’ve had a great support system around me and I couldn’t be more grateful for my teammates and coaches that have got me to this point.”

He said the Shrine game is something he has dreamed about since he was a freshman and is anxious to compete against the caliber of competition on the game’s rosters.

“The easy answer of what a highlight for me has been would be to say winning the state football championship,” Ratliff said. “But I would have to say that seeing my teammates along with myself get better not only on but off the field has been really cool”.