Consider this a wakeup call for the rest of Western B. The Blue Hawks are to be taken seriously this season, wanting to prove themselves contenders in the Western B football playoff race right up front.

Taking a step in that direction at the first opportunity, the Thompson Falls Blue Hawks dominated the Cut Bank Wolves on their own field and started the season with a bang Friday, moving to a convincing 26-6 road win.

“It was a big win, a big confidence builder for these guys,” coach Jared Koskela said. "It’s good to see us play like that after working so hard to get to this point.”

Now 1-0 in nonconference action the Hawks wrap up non-league play with another early season test, hosting the Whitehall Trojans in Thompson Falls this Friday. Whitehall opened the season with a 54-6 win over outmanned Deer Lodge and will also arrive at Previs Field with a 1-0 record.

“Whitehall has two beefy running backs they rely on,” Koskela said. "Senior RJ Aragon is the one that gets the most carries, we will have to deal with their running game.”

After a bit of a slow start in Cut Bank, the Hawks ended up posting an impressive win to jump start the season. But it didn’t look like it was headed that way in the beginning.

Behind the hard running of Brett Burdeau, the Wolves were marching on their first drive of the game. With Burdeau gaining 38 yards on three productive carries, Cut Bank had gained a first down inside the Thompson Falls 30-yard line, just under two minutes into the game.

But that’s when the momentum turned the Blue Hawks’ way and never turned back. Senior linebacker Michael Koskela was the catalyst, streaking into Cut Bank’s backfield and hitting Burdeau hard, separating him from the football, popping the ball back downfield towards Cut Bank’s goal line some 10 to 15 yards in the process before Dean Williams fell on it for the Hawks, ending that scoring threat by the Wolves.

A few minutes later, junior Carson Kenney got into the act for the Hawk defense, intercepting a pass and taking it in for a pick-six down the left sideline from 28 yards out. With Landin Baird’s extra point kick tacked on the Hawks led 7-0.

Later in the first quarter after the Hawks forced and recovered another fumble, quarterback Brylon VanElswyk scored from three yards out, Baird added the extra point and the Hawks increased the lead to 14-0.

Another interception by the Hawks before halftime led to a 25-yard touchdown pass from VanElswyk to Baird.

Cut Bank scored its only touchdown on a 31 yard pass from Miles Greer to Tadan Shook before the half, but the 20-6 score was as close as it would get as the Hawks salted away the win in the second half with solid defense and efficient offense.

Jason Myers scored the Hawks’ final touchdown on an end around play in the fourth quarter.

Kenney wound up rushing for 58 yards in the game to lead the Hawks ground attack, Myers added 40, Koskela 17, Alex Newman 17 and VanElswyk 13. Newman snagged two pass catches for 56 yards, Myers had two for 12, Laird one for 25 and Koskela one for three yards.

VanElswyk threw for 91 yards and touchdown with two interceptions.

Michael Koskela was a disruptive force for the Hawks on defense pulling down 20 tackles, including six unassisted tackles, a quarterback sack and five tackles for losses, not to mention the two fumbles he forced.

Jesse Buchanan added 12 tackles with four solo stops, a sack and a tackle for a loss, Jacobe Wood 10 tackles with three solo, two sacks and two tackles for losses, Riley Reum 11 tackles with two unassisted, two sacks and three tackles for losses, and Kenney nine total tackles with one unassisted.

Myers had four solo tackles and five total tackles, Owen Franck two tackles for losses and seven total and Williams one tackle for a loss and four total.

Myers, Kenney and VanElswyk grabbed interceptions and Kenney also blocked a kick. Williams recovered two Cut Bank fumbles.

Burdeau rushed for a game-high 87 yards on 14 carries for Cut Bank, and Geer passed for 83 yards.