Coach Jake Mickelson’s Blue Hawk boys are like dogs with a bone when it comes to ball.

Once they get a good taste of a basketball fight, they don’t want to let it go, don’t want to share that game with anyone else.

Growing their dog-fight mentality each time they play, Mickelson and his combative young Blue Hawks dropped two tough contests last week, falling 61-38 in Mission Tuesday and 61-56 to Valley Christian in Missoula Thursday.

Sitting at 0-1 in District 7B play and 1-6 overall, the Hawks have a pair of conference games on tap this week, playing at Sanders County rival Plains Thursday and hosting Eureka Saturday.

“It looks like an interesting battle with Plains, we’ll have to see how we match up,” Mickelson said. “I know it’s a crazy atmosphere, a jacked-up crowd in Plains for this game, there’s always a lot of energy in these rivalry games no matter what the records are.”

Mickelson thinks Eureka could be one of the better teams in 7B. “I expect Eureka to be pretty solid, with good size and team speed,” he said. “We will have to be ready for a battle.”

The Hawks could use the possible return of sophomore Kellen LeCoure, who has missed the last three games with an ankle injury, to enhance their chances this week. Mickelson said he has been given every indication that LeCoure will return.

For the record, the Hawks very nearly snatched the win away from Valley Christian in Missoula, scrapping hard for every last point in the fourth quarter before finally admitting defeat. The scrappiest dog of all for the Hawks down the stretch was junior Ethan Burgess.

Burgess battled his way to eight of his team-high 18 points in the fourth quarter, the final four off offensive rebounds which kept the Hawks close late in the game. Burgess also ended up leading the Hawks in assists (six) and blocked shots (two) for the game.

Brylon VanElswyk also showed up at clutch time for the Hawks with five of his nine points in the fourth quarter, adding six boards and two steals. Seeing his first action of the season this past week, Jacob Howell provided a welcome spark to the Hawks against Valley with seven points, five rebounds and an active inside presence the Hawks had been missing.

Freshmen Alex Newman and Tristan Kelly continued to gain valuable experience with Newman scoring six points and grabbing six rebounds and Kelly posting five points, four rebounds and two steals.

Landon Baird battled through foul troubles to add four points, three boards, three assists and two steals, and Jason Myers scored two points, thee rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Scoring for Valley Christian was not available.

In the game at Mission, Burgess was again the high point Hawk with13, posting another double double with 10 rebounds in addition to passing out four assists and grabbing four steals.

Kelly added nine points and two rebounds, Newman six points, three rebounds and and two assists, Baird five points, seven rebounds and two steals, VanElswyk four points and eight rebounds, Blake Hershberger one point and Shusterman four rebounds.

Lex LaFrombois netted 24 points to pace Mission, Jason scored 16 and Vinny Shepherd 10.