Blue Pony girls, boys honored in basketball

It was another strong year for the Havre High girls basketball team with the second straight Class A state championship and the fifth title since 2014. Now the best of the Blue Ponies have been recognized for their years that led to another title.

Four of the Ponies' starters were named Class A All-State for their performances this past season. The four of them were also named First Team Northeast A All-Conference. In their senior years, Sadie Filius and Jade Wendland earned the honors. Yelena Miller and Avery Carlson also earned the honors after their impressive junior seasons.

In her final year in the program, Filius averaged 8.7 points a contest on 33.1 percent shooting from the field. She also led the team shooting 86 percent from the free-throw line and 58 total assists on the year. Filius was third on the team averaging 5.0 rebounds a contest and was third with 45 total steals on the season.

After transferring from North Star, Wendland made the most of her lone year with the Ponies. She was second on the team averaging 10.8 points a game on 36.5 percent shooting. She was third on the team with 47 total assists and she made an impact on defense with 52 steals through the year.

Miller had another strong year for Havre leading the team with 14.2 points a game on 58.4 percent shooting. Miller made herself at home down in the post with a team-high 7.3 rebounds a contest and 22 blocks.

Carlson averaged 9.9 points on 41.1 percent shooting for Havre. Her biggest impact came on defense where she led the Ponies with 60 total steals this season. She was second on the team with 5.1 rebounds a game and 48 total assists on the year.

In her final year as a Pony, senior Lacy Preeshl earned Second Team Northeast A All-Conference honors. After playing as a role player for several years, Preeshl got to start and help make an impact on Havre's title run. While her scoring output was low, she made an impact on defense with 32 steals and five blocks on the year.

The Havre High boys basketball team also got hot at the end of the year to qualify for the first appearance in the state tournament since 2016. After an up-and-down regular season, the Blue Ponies went on a run in the postseason thanks to the efforts of players such as Xavier Butler and Isaac Pedraza.

Butler earned Second Team Northeast A All-Conference honors after finishing second on the team with 10.2 points a game this year. He also led the team with 37 total blocks and 5.8 rebounds a contest. He also recorded 28 total assists and 23 total steals throughout the year.

Pedraza was named honorable mention Northeast A All-Conference for his performance this past season. This year, Pedraza averaged 9.3 points and 3.6 boards for the Ponies. He also recorded 29 total assists and 20 total steals this year.

Both Havre High basketball programs had strong seasons that they should be proud of. With several of these players returning, the future remains bright for the Ponies on the court.

Class A All-State Girls

Avery Carlson, Havre; Sadie Filius, Havre; Yelena Miller, Havre; Jade Wendland, Havre.

Northeast A All-Conference Girls

First Team:

Avery Carlson, Havre; Sadie Filius, Havre; Yelena Miller, Havre; Jade Wendland, Havre; Lainey Smith, Miles City.

Second Team:

Lacy Preeshl, Havre; Mallory Robinson, Glendive; Sophie Peters, Sidney; Lexya Burnham, Lewistown; Veronica Turck, Miles City.

Honorable Mention:

Codi Nagle, Glendive; Taylan Hansen, Sidney; Savanna Anderson, Sidney; Aniya Ross, Lewistown; Heidi Phalen, Miles City.

Class A All-State Boys

Royce Robinson, Lewistown; Fischer Brown, Lewistown; Riley Basta, Glendive; Michael Murphy, Glendive.

Northeast A All-Conference Boys

First Team:

Royce Robinson, Lewistown; Fischer Brown, Lewistown; Riley Basta, Glendive; Michael Murphy, Glendive; Bryce Graham, Lewistown; Dalton Polesky; MIles City.

Second Team:

Zach Welch, Miles City; Ryder Lee, Miles City; Taven Coon, Glendive; Parker Buckley, Glendive; Luke Clinton, Lewistown; Xavier Butler, Havre.

Honorable Mention:

Max Eaton, Glendive; Nolan Fry, Lewistown; Isaac Pedraza, Havre; Jerome Entz, Sidney.