Local prep athletes, coaches honored

The Great Falls Tribune’s second annual Northcentral Montana Sports Awards Banquet was a big night for many. And that included a whole host of Havre Blue Ponies.

Monday night in Great Falls, five Blue Ponies were honored at the banquet as Northcentral Montana Athletes or Coaches of the Year.

Among the Blue Ponies honored was Havre High senior Jase Stokes, who was given the All-Around Male Athlete of the Year Award. Stokes was the second straight Blue Pony to win the award, as Dane Warp took home the honor last year.

Stokes excelled in not just two, but three sports this school year for Havre High. He was a two-way Class A All-State player in football, a sport he will continue in college at Montana Tech. He was also named to the annual Shrine Game this summer. Stokes also shined in the winter, winning his fourth consecutive Class A state wrestling championship, as well as his fourth straight Class A team title.

But the fun didn't stop there for Stokes, who also came out for the Blue Pony tennis team this spring. He made Havre's varsity lineup for much of the season as a first-year player, and finished the year by lettering.

And it was a big night all the way around for Havre wrestling and tennis.

Blue Pony senior Parker Filius was named Wrestler of the Year after he, too, became a Class A four-time state champion this past February in Billings. Filius is headed to NCAA Division I Purdue to wrestle collegiately.

Havre head coach Scott Filius was also honored as the Northcentral Montana Coach of the Year. Filius led his Blue Ponies to their fifth straight Class A state championship this winter and has compiled one of the most dominant head coaching careers in Montana mat history. Filius will also be inducted into the MCA Hall of Fame this summer.

Like Stokes with the All-Around honor, Havre High also had the Northcentral Montana Male Tennis Player of the Year award as well. This year, it was given to the Havre doubles team of Jake Sedahl and Nate Korb, one year after it was given to Blue Pony Jeff Miller. Sedahl and Korb are both four-year varsity players for the Blue Ponies, and have lost just three matches this season.