SPORTS

Box Elder’s The Boy, Four Colors to continue basketball careers

Steve Schreck
sschreck@greatfallstribune.com

For Jeremy MacDonald, Box Elder’s boys’ basketball coach and school principal, Wednesday was a gratifying day.

Two of his players and students, Brandon The Boy and Jerrod Four Colors, signed national letters-of-intent to play college basketball, at Rocky Mountain College and Montana State-Northern, respectively.

“They’ve put in a lot of work to get to this point,” MacDonald said. “Just really proud of what they’ve accomplished and then really hopeful thinking about the future. I know we have talent coming up the line, and we’re hoping to make this a yearly deal where we’re putting kids into college, student athletes. We’re putting kids into college, but for athletics, it’s a pretty rare thing at Box Elder. So I’m just really happy and proud of these guys.”

Back in March, the Bears captured their second State C title in the past three seasons, putting a cap on a three-year stretch in which they went 76-3, and for a majority of that unbelievable success, The Boy, a 5-foot-9 point guard, handled the steering wheel, and Four Colors, a 6-foot-4 post, rode shotgun.

“I want to see them go and be successful at the next level,” MacDonald said. “I know they have the talent to do it. From a community standpoint, it sends the message, especially to younger people, that like, ‘Oh.’ It kind of gives them a little bit of hope, maybe provides them with some bigger dreams. But also if you put in the work and have the talent, that dreams can become realities. And hopefully it inspires some younger kids.”

It seems to be working.

“I had a gentlemen talk to me and just say that we’re doing really good things with our basketball program,” MacDonald said. “So that felt good that people recognize that it’s more than basketball with what we are trying to do with these young men.”

Four Colors and The Boy have been good friends for a while now, and they agreed that it was extra special to be able to share the spotlight Wednesday at Box Elder High School as friends and family celebrated their achievements.

“I’m proud of Jerrod, and I’m glad it’s not just one person from the team that’s going to go to the next level,” The Boy said. “I’m glad to see him doing the same. I think that’s going to open doors for people coming behind us, and not just from our community, either. From different (Indian) reservations and places that they can do the same thing if they work hard and stuff like that. I’m just proud of him. We’ve been best friends for a long time, and it’s a big step for both of us.”

Four Colors, who scored 15 points per game in his final season with the Bears, including a 26-point showing against Arlee in the finale, will continue his career with Lights and head coach Shawn Huse in Havre, about a half-hour north of Box Elder.

“It’s crazy because I think I’m the first in my family to go to college for athletics,” Four Colors said. “It just feels amazing right now because I get to play basketball in college. I get to play at Northern and it’s close to home.”

Four Colors, whose decision came down to Northern and Montana State solely for academics, assumed the center position throughout his high school career. MacDonald sees that changing in college, though he believes Four Colors’ game translates well to the NAIA level.

“He’s got the outside shot that can stretch the defense,” MacDonald said. “But he’s also got experience playing on the interior where he can rebound and is fundamentally sound. He’s athletic and can cover a lot of ground and contest shots. At the next level, he can definitely play the 3 position, maybe a small 4 or a big 2. So he’s a very versatile player. I think he can create some matchup problems with the skill set that he has.”

The Boy’s skill set isn’t too bad, either.

“It’s a big day of course,” The Boy said, “and I can’t really put it all into words. I’m just glad that coach (Bill) Dreikosen is giving me the opportunity to keep living the basketball dream that I’ve always had.”

The Boy, who started since Day 1 for Box Elder and averaged 16 points and 4.4 assists per game this season, will have to adjust to the physicality and speed of college basketball, MacDonald said.

“But the kid works on his game every day,” MacDonald said, “and I think he’s going to take it to another level with the amount of time that the coaches are going to be able help him develop. But he’s your prototypical point guard who can run your offense or get you a big bucket when you need it.”

MacDonald said The Boy took his game to another level this season when he decided to hunt for more shots, developing what MacDonald called a “scorer’s mentality.” In three State C contests, he poured in 68 points, earning Most Valuable Player for the tournament.

The Boy said he considered MSU-Billings, Montana Western, MSU-Northern, University of Great Falls, the junior college route and even a walk-on spot at some schools.

But, ultimately, the best fit was a long way from home, nearly 300 miles.

“The thing that stood out to me was out of all the schools that were looking at me, coach Dreikosen, the approach he had with me was that he believed in me and he trusted me,” The Boy said. “He gave me a full ride scholarship and wants me to come in and play. Nobody else had the approach he had toward me. My heart kind of told me that’s where I should go.”

As for the Bears, they wouldn’t have gone too far these past three years without the help of The Boy and Four Colors.

“In the last three years, the 76-3 record, three conference titles, three district titles, three Northern C finishes, two of them being championships, and then two state titles,” MacDonald said. “You don’t have success like that without great basketball players, and they’re both tremendous basketball players, and the NAIA, the Frontier Conference, is going to see that.”