Chrishon Dixon, Kyndall Keller earn State A MVP honors; MontanaSports.com releases all-tournament teams

• Richie Melby
• 5:07 pm

Chrishon Dixon cries as he hugs Billings Central coach Jim Stergar. (TOM WYLIE/MTN Sports)

GREAT FALLS — After leading Billings Central and Havre to their respective Class A basketball titles over the weekend, guards Chrishon Dixon and Kyndall Keller were named most valuable players of the tournament, according to the team at MontanaSports.com.

Dixon, a Billings Central senior, and Keller, a Havre junior, were each unanimous selections in the voting, which was based off athletes’ performances during the three-day Class A boys and girls state basketball tournaments at Pacific Steel & Recycling Four Seasons Arena.

Dixon averaged 11.0 points, 5.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals for the Rams, which won their first boys basketball championship since 1996. Dixon scored 21 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished five assists in the Rams’ 62-44 victory over Hardin in Saturday’s state championship, avenging Central’s runner-up finish to the Bulldogs a year ago.

Billings Central had finished in second place in each of the previous three seasons.

Dixon is joined by teammate Sam Gray on the MontanaSports.com all-tournament first-team. Gray scored 44 points and grabbed 22 rebounds in Billings Central’s three games, highlighted by his 21-point, 10-rebound performance in Thursday’s 65-43 victory over Hamilton in the first round.

Hardin’s dynamic duo of Famous Lefthand and Trae Hugs were also first-team selections, each showcasing impressive games during the tournament. Lefthand scored 30 points and corralled 14 rebounds in Hardin’s 69-59 win over Browning on Thursday, then Hugs scored 32 points and had two rebounds, two steals and two assists on Friday as the Bulldogs moved past Butte Central 79-73.

Hugs and Lefthand combined for 17 points, three rebounds and three steals in Saturday’s loss to Billings Central.

Hamilton’s Hunter Omlid was the final first-team selection after leading Hamilton to the consolation game, where the Broncs fell to Butte Central. The Maroons’ Cade Holter led the second-team selections.

First team

Chrishon Dixon, sr., Billings Central — MVP
Famous Lefthand, jr., Hardin
Sam Gray, sr., Billings Central
Trae Hugs, jr., Hardin
Hunter Omlid, sr., Hamilton

Second team

Cade Holter, sr., Butte Central
Braden Harrington, jr., Butte Central
Tyree Whitcomb, sr., Browning
Brendon Johnson, jr., Livingston
Niki Krause, jr., Billings Central

Honorable mention (listed in alphabetical order by last name)

Tanner Goligoski, sr., Hamilton
Cam Rothie, sr., Hamilton
Seth Sasich, sr., Billings Central
Dylan Sestrich, sr., Butte Central
Riley Spoonhunter, jr., Browning