Knocking the Blue Hawks down is one thing, knocking them off is another.

The never-say-die Hawks got knocked down early but refused to stay down and eventually gutted out a 21-18 win over the Eureka Lions in season-ending regular season football action at Previs Field Friday.

It was coach Jared Koskela and his Hawks’ fourth come from behind win of the season. Finishing the regular season 4-1 in Western B conference play, 8-1 overall and on their second four-game win streak of the season, the Hawks earned the No. 2 seed from the west and a home playoff game with the win. As a result, Thompson Falls will host the Jefferson County High School Panthers from Boulder, the No. 3 seed from the south, at 7 p.m. Friday at Previs Field.

The 2026 Blue Hawks will go down in history as being one of the toughest outs in Montana football, as one of the hardest bunch of ballers to hold down. Sure, they may get knocked down but they keep just getting back up, and finding a way to win in the end, like they did again against Eureka.

Trailing 18-14 after a frantic first half of action, the Hawks willed their way to the win behind their seniors and another great game from junior Carson Kenney. Kenney rushed for 180 yards in the contest, scoring the go-ahead, stay-ahead touchdown early in the fourth quarter.

The Hawks doggedly held on to the lead from there, clinching the victory when senior Jason Myers caused a fumble to end Eureka’s final scoring chance of the game deep in Thompson Falls territory.

“We like to think of ourselves as fighters, this team has taken on a Rocky Balboa personality,” Koskela said. “We get hit a few times but just keep fighting. Eventually opponents will make a mistake and give us the chance to throw that last haymaker to defeat them.”

Obviously, to Koskela, gritty is its own kind of pretty and, along those lines, the Hawks were able to turn in another beautiful effort against Eureka.

“We made the plays when we needed them,” Koskela said. “The key for us was to keep it close going into the fourth quarter and take our chances from there. We figured if we win the fourth, we win the game, and that’s the way it worked out.”

The game was a back and forth battle all night long.

The Lions wasted no time firing off the first salvo, scoring on a 65-yard run down the left sideline on their very first play from scrimmage and, after missing the point after kick, took a 6-0 lead.

Wasting no time in answering, the Hawks used a 25-yard kickoff return from Jason Myers to get going and soon marched into Eureka territory, scoring their first touchdown on a 34-yard run by fullback Michael Koskela. With Brandin Laird’s extra point kick tacked on, the Hawks led 7-6.

After Eureka came back with another quick drive and touchdown to take a 12-7 lead, the Hawks answered with another drive of their own, capped by another touchdown run by Koskela (this one from five yards out) and extra point from Laird to put the Hawks back up 14-12.

Again, Eureka moved downfield to score another touchdown to take an 18-14 lead with about 10 minutes left in the first half.

The Hawks had a chance to retake the lead before halftime but misfired on a wide-open option pass attempt to quarterback Brylon VanElswyk, who was all alone in the end zone on the play.

Not to worry, the Blue Hawks stopped Eureka at the Thompson Falls 12-yard line after a long drive to start the second half and made the game-winning drive after that, moving 87 yards in 11 plays and using over six minutes of game time well into the fourth quarter, finally scoring on a short touchdown run by Kenney and adding Laird’s third successful PAT of the game to take at 21-18 lead with 8:50 left in the game.

Kenney ripped off a 44-yard run on that series to set up the touchdown.

The Hawk defense bent but did not break after that and Myers forced the fumble that ended a long drive by Eureka, and dashed the Lions’ hopes of victory. “That was the knockout punch,” Koskela said of Myers’ forced turnover, “the play that sealed if for us.”

Needing to run the clock out after that, Kenney went 58 more yards on a third and three play to lock down the victory.

Kenney finished the game with 180 yards rushing on 26 attempts offensively and led the Hawks on defense with nine tackles, three of which were unassisted.

Van Elswyk completed six of 11 passes for 73 yards and added 14 yards rushing, and Koskela rushed five times for 47 yards and two touchdowns besides catching three passes for another 13 yards. Van Elswyk had a team-high six solo tackles and eight total, and Koskela three solo stops with seven total. Van Elswyk and Koskela both recovered fumbles.

Myers was also a force for the Hawks, catching two passes for 41 yards, returning three kickoffs for 53 yards and making six tackles on defense, including three unassisted.

Dean Williams added eight tackles with three unassisted and one for a loss, Jesse Buchanan had four tackles with one unassisted and one for a loss, and Riley Reum also had four tackles.

Owen Franck, Tristan Kelly and Baird added two tackles apiece.

Williams, Buchanan, Jacobe Wood and Jack Everett all recorded punk blocks for the Hawks against Eureka.

Coach Kosekla was busy studying film of Boulder Sunday. The Panthers lost 42-6 to Three Forks last week.

“They are from a tough division, it’s kind of hard to compare teams from the west and the south,” Koskela said. “Our goals have changed as we have gone along this year. Our first goal was to make the playoffs. We did that and then even earned a home playoff game. Maybe we need to adjust our goals again.”