The tougher you are, the harder you fall.

The Thompson Falls Blue Hawks fell to the Anaconda Copperheads 63-14 in Western B football action at Previs Field Friday. Now 0-1 in conference play and 1-3 overall, coach Jared Koskela and his Hawks will host 0-0, 0-3 Florence this Friday, again at Previs Field.

Koskela hopes that his boys display the grit and desire that his Hawk football teams are known for against Florence. He thinks Anaconda surprised his team with their effective passing attack and intensity on T-Falls homecoming night last week.

“We hadn’t seen a team like Anaconda yet this season,” he said, adding that he is glad that the distraction of homecoming and all its associated pageantry is now in the rearview mirror. “They got after us early and kind of took us out of our game, and we weren’t able to recover.”

Koskela did not like the way homecoming week went in preparing for Anaconda. “It was a bad week of practice with all the other stuff going on, the distraction kind of bled over,” he said. “And then we picked up a JV game in Sandpoint Thursday and only had a skeleton crew at practice that day. I am kind of glad homecoming is over and we can get back on task more normally.”

Anaconda also had some extra motivation after being shut out by Koskela and company the last two times these two teams played, including a painful 23-0 loss to the Hawks in the ‘Heads’ homecoming game last year.

The Copperheads scored on their first possession and took a 14-6 lead into the second period. Anaconda took total control of the proceedings in the second quarter, scoring four more touchdowns to build a 42-6 lead by halftime.

Although the Hawks moved the ball well at times, ending up with a season-high 250 yards rushing, those times didn’t add up to enough to stem the Copperheads’ momentum.

“Kudos to Anaconda, they played well,” Koskela said. "But we can play a lot better, and will be looking to prove that this week.”

Quarterback Brylon VanElswyk led the Hawk offense against Anaconda completing eight of 11 passes for 28 yards and rushing six times for 82 more, including an electrifying 67 yard burst up the middle which set up T-Falls’ first touchdown.

Mason Park was good for 60 yards on 14 carries and scored a touchdown, Carson Kenney picked up 55 yards on only four carries, Michael Koskela gained 41 on just three carries, and Hank Stone added 16 yards on a pair of carries and scored the Hawks’ other touchdown in the game. Michael also scored a two-point conversion.

Koskela caught four passes, Park two, and Jason Myers and Stone one apiece. Thomas Pate recorded six pancake blocks for the Hawks and Koskela four more.

On the defensive side, VanElswyk, Koskela and Myers registered five tackles each, Stone and Dean Williams each had a tackle for a loss, and Jacobe Wood blocked a field goal attempt by Anaconda.

Quarterback Travis Dye led the ‘Heads to the win with five touchdown passes and a rushing TD. Brady Galle and Ryder Anderson each caught two scoring strikes from Dye, and Soren Keeland hit paydirt twice for Anaconda on first quarter runs.

This week’s opponents, the Florence Falcons went up a class and took a 23-8 loss from Class A Frenchtown last week. After dominating the Western B and winning several State B titles over the past decade, the Falcons haven’t won a game yet this season. Coach Koskela would love to keep that stat intact.

“They are going to be hot and heavy for us I expect,” he said. “But I think this is more about us than them. We need to control the things we can, to limit our turnovers, focus on tackling better, block right up to the whistle – the fundamentals. That’s what we are concentrating on.”

Playing the Blue Hawk way, with toughness and grit, will also come into play. “The kids know it, it’s a core value for me. We need to play like we mean it every snap, and the rest will take care of itself.”

    THOMPSON FALLS QUARTERBACK Brylon VanElswyk throws a pass downfield against Anaconda at Previs Field in Thompson Falls Friday. (John Hamilton/VP-MI)
  

    BLUE HAWK JUNIOR Michael Koskela looks to elude the Anaconda defense while making a run with the ball in Thompson Falls Friday. (John Hamilton/VP-MI)