Beware of the Copperheads! Beware of the Blue Hawks! Who is to be believed?

Coach Jared Koskela and his Thompson Falls Blue Hawks, fresh off a 20-0 win over the Colstrip Colts in Butte Friday, and the Anaconda Copperheads, fresh off a 21-7 dismantling of Missoula Loyola, will meet Friday night at Previs Field to determine which Western B team should be feared the most as the conference season heats up.

Adding gravity to the situation, the game will also serve as the Hawks’ 2025 homecoming game.

Koskela is obviously a believer in his team, and he expects a battle with what appears to be a vastly improved Anaconda team. The Hawks shut out the Copperheads to spoil Anaconda’s homecoming game last year and Koskela doesn’t want the ‘Heads thinking they can return that favor. The Hawks have actually shut out the Copperhead two straight times as they also turned the trick in Thompson Falls back in ’23.

“Anaconda is a lot better team than they were last year, we will need to be ready,” Koskela said. “I’m sure they remember our history against each other as well as we do and are probably looking for some revenge.”

If the Copperheads want it, that revenge will need to be served up on the Falls-friendly turf of Previs Field, where the Hawks haven’t played since opening the season against Cut Bank back in August.

Besides being for homecoming game bragging rights and vengeance of the gridiron kind for Anaconda, Friday’s tilt in Thompson Falls is also shaping up as a key contest in the developing Western B playoff race.

The Hawks warmed up for this week’s key game by topping the Colstrip Colts 20-0 on Bob Green Field to complete non-conference play. It was not only the Hawks’ first win of the season, it was also the first time Thompson Falls won on an artificial turf field in eight to 10 years, Koskela said.

Scoring a touchdown right before halftime following an interception and return by Carson Kenney, the Hawks got on the board first in Butte on a short touchdown run from Hank Stone with only 20 seconds left in the half, and Brylon VanElswyk ran in the two-point conversion for an 8-0 Hawk lead heading into the locker room.

“That was big, getting that touchdown before the half,” Koskela said. “It was nice to get that pressure off heading into the second half.”

The Blue Hawks scored twice in the fourth quarter to put the game away, the first one on a 19-yard pass from VanElswyk to Michael Koskela and the final one on a six-yard run by Mason Park. Both conversion attempts failed following those TDs.

Park, in fact, enjoyed a career-best rushing game, picking up 100 yards on 18 carries to lead the Thompson Falls offensive attack against Colstrip. Stone added 30 yards rushing on five carries, VanElswyk 27 on six carries, Michael Koskela 22 on three totes and Kenney two on two carries.

Van Elswyk completed three passes for 27 yards, with the scoring toss to Koskela and Alex Newman and Jason Myers catching the other two.

Kenney paced the Hawk defense with 13 total tackles with three unassisted, a tackle for a loss and a quarterback sack, and Myers had 11 tackles with three solo, two sacks and a tackle for a loss. Kenney returned the interception he made before halftime 28 yards to set up the Hawks’ first TD, and Myers also grabbed an interception, returning it 32 yards during the game.

Park added seven tackles with one solo, a tackle for a loss and a fumble recovery, and Stone and Michael Koskela each had six tackles with three unassisted apiece.

Riley Reum made five punk blocks to lead the Hawks at the point of attack on the line of scrimmage, and Dean Williams and Michael Koskela added two each.