Last year, we supported our neighbor town, Box Elder, in its celebration of a state championship, and we want to do the same for them this year. CONGRATULATIONS to head coach Jeremy MacDonald and the Box Elder Bears boys' basketball team for bringing home the STATE CHAMPIONSHIP! Undefeated and back-to-back champions! What an incredible accomplishment!
I thought I would share some of their journey this past weekend at the state tournament in Butte. The Bears first played Terry, who was 20-4 and ran right over the top of them with a final score of 91-37. They then faced a very tough and undefeated team from Scobey. That game was a true test of their resilience and determination, with two outstanding teams leaving it all on the court. Despite the tough competition, the Bears never gave up and with about 5 minutes left in the 4th, they took off and never slowed down, beating Scobey by 13 with a score of 68-55.
The championship game was definitely a fun game to watch! The Bears played Manhattan Christian, who was 22-2. The halftime score was close, with the Bears being up 2 points with a score of 25-23, which is a lower-scoring game for their typical game. The 3rd quarter was back and forth until 2:19 left on the clock when Manhattan Christian was up by 1 point with a score of 37-36. The Bears went on a run and scored 4 straight possessions with 3 pointers, putting them up by 8 going into the 4th quarter with a score of 50-42.
The Bears were only up 3 points with 1:30 left in the game, but senior leader and all-star player Tracen Jilot drove the ball and hit a nice little jumper to put them up 5 points. Manhattan Christian then turned the ball over two times in a row and had to foul to keep their hopes alive, but Tracen Jilot sealed the deal when he knocked down his free throws. Manhattan Christian hit a last-second 3-pointer, but the final score was 65-60, with the Bears celebrating as back-to-back state champions!
Coach MacDonald becomes the 13th coach in Montana history to win four or more state championships. I loved hearing the commentators talk about his team with high regard and how whatever he was doing there, those kids had bought in on his program and everything he stood for. What a talented group of young men with a winning coach in more ways than just athletics. Congratulations, Box Elder Bears!
