Rams dethrone Beavers
BILLINGS — It was a tough Saturday for teams seeking three-peats at the State A Basketball Tournament in Great Falls. In the boys matchup, two-time defending state champion Dillon ran into a buzzsaw as Billings Central rolled to a 70-48 win over the Beavers. Toby Stewart rode five 3-pointers en route to a game-high 23 points. Stewart said it was great to see all the hard work pay off.
“Stay in confidence. It’s not always got to be me — it could be anyone else. We all came ready to shoot, though. Practice, practice all the time. Gym, 6 a.m.’s, constant reps. Just came ready to shoot.”
Darcy Merchant Jr. added 16 in the win. Rams head coach Jim Stergar paid homage to his four seniors.
“We were going after this since Day 1 with these kids that are now seniors, and I’m just happy they’re coming away with the gold.”
Havre returns to prominence
In the girls title game, the Lady Blue Ponies of Havre put together a remarkable performance, knocking off two-time defending champion Billings Central, 52-28. Havre superstar Amaya Jarvis led with 20 points. Jarvis was thrilled to bring another championship trophy to the storied history of Havre girls basketball.
“Yeah, I feel like coming into this program there was a lot of pressure on me, especially after not winning for two years. So I think once we got that around everyone’s head, we were able to pull it off.”
Havre head coach Tommy Brown acknowledged the pressure felt by his three seniors.
“All the trials and tribulations they went through, and all the tough practices and long seasons, it all paid off and they earned this.”
It was the Blue Ponies’ first title since 2022, which was part of five titles over a six-year period.
By Ken Adelblue
The Montana Sports Update, Northern News Network
