It has been, to say the least, a challenging start for the Thompson Falls High football players, coaches and staff. 

Three weeks into the season and their first three games featured top notch teams from throughout the area. The latest test of their meddle was this past Friday’s encounter with highly ranked Manhattan, the Blue Hawks third straight road game. 

The Hawks went toe-to-toe with the state’s top-ranked B-11 player team and were down by a single touchdown at the half, 12-6.  In the end, T Falls fell 38-16. 

This week, in their long-awaited homecoming game, they face Jefferson High (Boulder, MT), which earlier in the season, was the third-ranked B-11 squad at Previs Field in Thompson Falls. Jefferson lost this past weekend to Malta. 

In the Manhattan game, the Tigers got off to a 6-0 first quarter lead via a five-yard TD pass.  The point after touchdown (PAT) attempt failed. 

Thompson Falls, playing in its third season of 11-player football, fought back in the first part of the second quarter, tying the score on a 13-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Bryson LeCoure. The PAT attempt was not good, leaving the score tied at 6-6. 

Before the second quarter ended, Manhattan took the lead back on a 22-yard TD pass. The PAT try failed, but the top-ranked Tigers had a 12-6 lead that held up through the rest of the first half. 

Manhattan opened the second half with a one-yard scoring run that, with a successful two-point PAT run, gave them a 20-6 lead. 

But the Blue Hawks struck back with a defensive safety, cutting the Tigers’ lead to 20-8.  Then with Manhattan kicking off after the safety as per rules, T Falls junior Ian Myers romped 70 yards for a TD.  A successful two-point PAT pulled the Blue Hawks to within four, 20-16, with one quarter of football to be played. 

Manhattan’s defense dug in for the fourth quarter, holding the Hawks scoreless the rest of the way.  In the meantime, the Tigers upped their lead to 26-15 with a five-yard TD pass. 

The Tigers scored two more times, one touchdown coming on a 24-yard pass play, the other on a 26-yard run.  Neither PAT try was good, but as the final horn sounded, Manhattan had a 38-16 victory. 

The win boosted the Tigers to 3-0 on the year, while T Falls fell to 1-2. 

The Blue Hawks piled up 252 yards of offense against Manhattan’s defense, with 198 of those yards coming on the ground. LeCoure was the top rusher for T Falls, gaining 123 yards on 22 carries. 

Teammate and fellow senior Kaiden Robins added 70 yards running on 16 carries.  Junior Sam Burgess was the top receiver for the Hawks, picking up 17 yards on four catches. 

Myers was the leading tackler for the Blue Hawks with five stops.  He also had an interception.  Four Blue Hawks: Noa Stevens, LeCoure, Braedon Ferris and Gabe Hutton had fumble recoveries during the game. 

The Homecoming game versus Jefferson this Friday night (Sept 20) begins at 7 p.m.