Time to lay it on the line, the playoffs are at stake.

The Thompson Falls Blue Hawks host Loyola Friday with a berth in the rapidly approaching State B 11-Man playoffs on the line. Simply put, if the Hawks win they are in. If they lose they could still get in, but it would become more complicated.

The Blue Hawks had no trouble figuring out what to do in Deer Lodge Friday, rolling to a 53-7 win over the Powell County Wardens to improve to 2-1 in conference play and 6-1 overall. It was the Hawks’ fourth road win of the season and all that good work on the road could now pay dividends.

If the Hawks win out at home, first this week versus Loyola and then next week against rival Eureka, Thompson Falls would earn a No. 2 seed and a home game in the rapidly approaching State B playoffs.

Like most coaches, Thompson Falls head man Jared Koskela is nothing if not cautious. “We could still miss the playoffs if we lose to Loyola, this is a big game,” he said. “If we win we are in but, if we lose we have to beat Eureka just to get in. We don’t want to put ourselves in that position.”

Friday’s game in Deer Lodge with the pink-jersey wearing Wardens wasn’t the cleanest football game a coach could ask for but it was another beautiful win in the end for the previously largely unsung Hawks, who finally cracked into the state’s top 10 poll with a ninth place ranking last week.

“It was kind of an unclean win, we have some things we would still like to get fixed,” Hawk coach Jared Koskela said. “The Deer Lodge game was good for us in that respect, showed us what we need to work on going into the end of the season.”

In spite of fumbling the ball away three times (“We can’t afford to put it on the ground like that this time of season,” Koskela said) the Hawks were never really threatened in the game, building a 14-7 lead after one quarter, increasing the margin to 27-7 at the half and setting the running clock in motion by the end of the third at 46-7.

Carson Kenney led a punishing Falls rushing attack by gaining 148 yards on 18 carries and scoring three touchdowns, Michael Koskela took two carries for touchdowns and totaled 15 yards on the ground, Brylon VanElswyk had 11 carries for 62 yards and a touchdown and Alex Newman packed the pigskin once, scoring on a 38-yard run.

VanElswyk completed nine of 13 passes for 107 yards and a touchdown, Landon Baird caught that TD pass from VanElswyk and finished with 37 yards receiving and 26 rushing, Newman added one pass catch for 17 yards, Koskela for 41 and Kenney one for nine.

Outside of one big pass play, the Thompson Falls defense pretty much shoved the Wardens around on their own field all game Friday, allowing very few first downs, let alone scoring opportunities.

Michael Koskela and Owen Franck paced the Hawk defense with 11 tackles apiece, with Koskela recording five unassisted stops and three tackles for loss, and Franck pulling down three solo tackles and two quarterback sacks.

Jason Myers had eight total tackles with three unassisted, Easton Deal six total with three unassisted and one for a loss, Dean Williams six with two for a loss and a sack, Riley Reum had five stops with one unaided and Kenney and Baird added five tackles each.

Jesse Buchanan made three tackles and was credited with half a sack, and Tristan Kelly had the other half of that sack and two total tackles.

Kenney, Baird and VanElswyk all picked off pass interceptions against the Wardens.