Benn named Class B all-star defensive MVP

BILLINGS — All-star football games are always a fun touch for graduated seniors, but Connor Benn made the weekend’s Class B rendition a coming-out party.

The Ronan grad led the North team, which lost the game 27-8, in tackles and grabbed an interception in the game, earning him the defensive MVP award for the defeated North squad.

It was the second time in three years that a Ronan player has been named an MVP in the game — Jake Skelton was the game’s offensive MVP in 2012.

Benn, who will join MSU-Northern’s team next season, also scored on a two-point conversion run and returned a pair of punts.

“I think because of his stature, people kind of assume one thing or another,” Benn’s coach and father, Jim, said. “He’s one heck of a player, and it showed. He was all over the place.”

The elder Benn was an assistant coach for the North team.

Ronan’s other participant, linebacker Ron Cullis, also intercepted a South team pass.

“The coaches were really surprised by him, too,” Jim Benn said. “They tried to put him at defensive back when we first got there, and I said, ‘No. He’s a linebacker.’”

Despite the loss, the event was a great last hurrah for the Benn father-son duo.

“It’s all the best kids,” Jim said. “They know what they’re doing. They play hard.”

And the social aspect of the summer all-star games are great. Sometimes it’s the first chance to meet incoming college teammates.

“I think he’s got 35 new Facebook friends because of it,” Jim said about Connor.

For Cullis, it was a last chance to shine before he heads to Montana State in the fall.