“Among the best”: Ronan Chiefs claim fourth at State

The Ronan Chiefs capped off a trophy year at the 2025 State A Boys Basketball Tournament with a fourth-place finish, battling through the grueling three-day event at MetraPark’s First Interstate Arena and Lockwood High School Gym from March 13-15.

“I enjoyed seeing all these teams playing such great basketball at the Metra,” Ronan Head Coach George Sherwood said. “Fourth is a weird feeling. You get this rush of mixed feelings. Sad, happy, embarrassed, proud all in one.”

The Chiefs (18-8) fought hard in the consolation final against Billings Central but fell just short in a 45-40 defeat. Despite the loss, Ronan’s tournament journey resulted in two victories and milestone achievements that solidified the team’s place among Montana’s best.

“The team did great playing the game the right way and buying into a successful system regardless of their role,” Sherwood said. “It had me feeling so proud of them because that takes maturity and selflessness, two characteristics that aren't common in 14-18 year olds.”

Consolation final: Billings Central 45, Ronan 40

Facing the Rams in the third-place game, Ronan jumped out to a strong 14-6 lead in the first quarter. However, Billings Central responded with a smothering defense, limiting the Chiefs to just six points in the second quarter and closing the halftime gap to 20-15.

A pivotal third quarter saw the Rams outscore Ronan 18-11, giving them a two-point lead heading into the final frame. Despite a hard-fought effort in the closing minutes, the Chiefs struggled to find an offensive rhythm, scoring only nine points in the fourth quarter, allowing Billings Central to pull away for the win.

Wade Qualtier led Ronan with 14 points, capping off a stellar tournament in which he surpassed the 200-point mark for the season. Kolby Finley added nine points, bringing his varsity career total past 700, while Tayen Edmo’s eight points pushed him past both the 200-point mark for the season and the 300-point mark for his varsity career.

BILLINGS CENTRAL 45, RONAN 40

BlgsC - 6 - 9 - 18 - 12 - 45

Ronan - 14 - 6 - 11 - 9 - 40

RONAN SCORING: Wade Qualtier 14, Kolby Finley 9, Tayen Edmo 8, Laurance Lozeau 6, Chad Higgins 2, Siouxpixm Qualtier 1.

Fighting back: Ronan 76, Browning 63

After a tough opening-round loss to Billings Central, the Chiefs secured themselves hardware to bring back from the state tournament in the consolation bracket, defeating Northwest A Conference foe Browning, 76-63.

Ronan stormed out of the gate with a 23-point first quarter, setting the tone for an offensive showcase. The Chiefs led 38-25 at halftime and increased their advantage by two points in the third quarter.

Tayen Edmo led the charge with 19 points, while Laurance Lozeau had a breakout performance with 18 points. Kolby Finley chipped in 15, and Wade Qualtier and Chad Higgins each contributed 10 in a balanced team effort.

“We had a different leading scorer each game – part of the reason we are hard to plan for,” Sherwood said. “We played in a hard conference all year and it prepared us for this tournament.

“I am not talking about scoring a lot of points – although we had the highest-scoring game and the second highest-scoring game on the boy's side – but we were able to adapt to different officials or opposing play styles and find the recipe for success.”

Overcoming East Helena: Ronan 73, East Helena 67

With their backs to the wall, Ronan found itself in a high-intensity elimination game, holding off a strong challenge from East Helena, winning 73-67. Wade Qualtier had a career night, setting a new varsity high with 23 points and proving to be a dominant force on offense.

“We did a good job taking care of the ball, we didn't shoot it very well, so we needed to make the most of the possessions we had,” Sherwood said. “We started to attack the rim more because of our poor shooting, and Kolby Finley kept us afloat in the first half while Wade Qualtier took over in the second half. It seemed to me whenever those two didn't score we had a timely contribution from someone else, just a total team win.”

Out of the gate, Ronan played strong, grabbed an 18-9 lead in the first quarter, and then went into halftime with a 36-30 halftime advantage. East Helena cut their lead to four points in the third quarter, but the Chiefs scored 21 points in the final stanza and held off the Vigilantes for the victory.

Finley contributed 19 points, while Edmo added 10. Jhett McDonald came up big with nine points, and Higgins contributed seven. The Chiefs’ clutch play in the final quarter sealed the victory, allowing them to survive another day in Billings.

“They were able to bounce back because they are mature and resilient,” Sherwood said. “We talked about placing at this tournament (being) historic for our community and something to be proud of and that we know we are a top team in the state.”

Tough opening loss: Billings Central 65, Ronan 50

Ronan’s tournament started with a tough 65-50 loss to Billings Central. The Rams’ had the Chiefs on their heels early with a 17-12 lead in the first quarter.

Billings Central pushed that advantage to 36-25 at halftime and then went on an 18-9 run in the third quarter.

Despite intense efforts from Finley (16 points) and Lozeau (13 points), Ronan couldn’t close the gap after falling behind early.

Overall, Sherwood said he empathized with the boys’ disappointment, but is confident they’ll soon see what an accomplishment the season has been.

“This feeling is all too familiar for me, as a player. I lost a state championship in high school and it felt the same way,” Sherwood said. “My boys are competitors and so the disappointment was immediate, and hurts them. In a few days or weeks, they will understand that what they did was something to be proud of. They made their community, their school, their families, and the coaches proud, and eventually, they will be proud, too.”

Reflections from the coach: “Good things happen to hard workers”

Sherwood said he has loved the last four years with this crew of seniors, some excellent basketball players but even better people.

“If you knew these kids, you knew they earned everything they got this year, a hard-working, nasty, gritty group of boys prepared for the real world,” Sherwood said. “My assistants are the best in the state and put in countless hours to help the Chiefs be successful and none of this would be possible without them.”

Sherwood added that he appreciates the Ronan community for accepting him, allowing him to do things his way, and showing up to games loud and proud.

“Next year we will be trying to find eight spots to replace, but a lot of what we lost is so unique, I think we just will look different,” Sherwood said. “We have tons of talent and hard workers in the program so it is a matter of putting in the time and effort in the offseason to prepare for success. Luckily this group of seniors has set a standard that is being followed by the underclassman and this taste of state hopefully can be a lesson that good things happen to hard workers.”

The Chiefs will return one starter, Kolby Finley, who Sherwood regards as the best player in the conference, and one of the best in the state. Other returners will include three-point shooter Jhett McDonald, reserve guard Siouxpixm Qualtier, and versatile player Tryance Matt.

“Sub-varsity guys that will need to step up and had successful JV seasons are Benjamin RunningRabbit, a crafty scorer and sneaky rebounder, Will Normandeau, a three and D guy, and Jordon Messerly, a lanky rim protector,” Sherwood said. “Losing eight seniors means that there are lots of open roles and like I said earlier, good things happen to hard workers.”

    Ronan's Kolby Finley moves for a basket during the Chief's win against East Helena at the state tournament in Billings last weekend. (Susan Lake photo)
  

    Ronan's Tayen Edmo puts in two to advance a win against Browning at the Class A State Basketball Tournament in Billings. (Susan Lake photo)
  

    Ronan Chiefs pause at the end of an impressive season that took them to fourth place in Class A State Basketball Tournament. (Susan Lake photo)
  

    Ronan Head Coach George Sherwood strategizes with is team during the Class A State Tournament in Billings. (Susan Lake photo)
  

    Ronan cheerleader Myla Bell is hoisted aloft during last weekend's state basketball tourney in Billings. (Susan Lake photo)
  

    The Ronan High School band delivers some upbeat tunes during the state basketball tournament in Billings last weekend. (Susan Lake photo)