by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
Lodge Grass HS defeated Rocky Boy 81-54 on Friday the 13th of March and were a game away from the 2020 Montana boy’s basketball Class B state championship game. Lodge Grass HS scored 45 second-half points to take care of business. More than luck was on the side of the Indians.
The MHSA canceled the tournament in the middle of the Three Forks HS vs. Fairfield HS semifinal game due to COVID-19 decisions. Lodge Grass HS and Fairfield HS were determined to be co-champions of the Class B state championship.
Malachi Little Nest, 17, is a member of the Crow Nation. His clan is Big Lodge and he’s a child of Bad War Deeds.
“My Indian name is Awaxaawe Helen Bimmaaxpe meaning Holy water in the mountain,” said Malachi. “My parents are Andrew Little Nest and DesiRae Iron and we live in Lodge Grass, Montana.”
Malachi is a junior at Lodge Grass HS, Montana. He is a starter on the varsity basketball and eight-man football team.
His accomplishments include both academic and athletic. Academic honors include being an all-state academic selection, and in the National Honor Society.
Malachi and his basketball teammates made a state tournament appearance for his freshman and junior year. He is a one-time State Champion, Southern B Divisional Champion, District 3B Champion, Conference Champion, Southern B Divisional Runner- up, 2x District 3B Runner-up and was selected First Team All-Conference this year.
‘I’ve been the starting point guard for the Lodge Grass varsity basketball team since I was a sophomore,” said Malachi. “I was a starter for the Lodge Grass HS eight-man football team since I was a freshman, playing different positions such as running back, quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back.”
“My coach says home, class, gym and that stuck with me as a student-athlete,” said Malachi. “It all starts at home if you have a good attitude and work ethic at home it will carry into the classroom and the gym. At home every morning I get up and thank Akbaatatdia (God) each and everyday that I am alive to see another day. What I’ve learned is tomorrow is never promised so I try to make the most of everyday. Also thanking him that I am Apsalooke (Crow), I carry that wherever I go and I am proud to representative who I am.”
“Three people who have positively influenced me to be a competitive athlete are my dad, my little sister, and Coach Josh Stewart,” said Malachi. “My dad has always been so competitive that just runs in my blood to always being competitive. I don’t like to lose but when I do I always learn from it. He has always pushed me to be the best basketball player I can be and was the one who gave me most of the knowledge that I know to be one of the best point guards in class B but I also still have a lot to learn.”
“At the age of 6 years old he was already dribbling and shooting,” said dad Andrew Little Nest. “Around these years this is when we started entering local tournaments such as 5-on-5’s, 3-on-3’s, and co-ed tournaments. We would make him play kids two to three years older then him that I believed helped him in all areas such as passing, dribbling, and shooting and also his defense became much stronger in these years. What stood out was his quickness, and this is where he started learning all the fundamentals. Around 4th and 5th grade is when I noticed his skills starting to improve. So with the speed he had I stressed on him about defense. I wanted him to be a solid defensive player in which he did become the defensive player that I set him out to be.”
“What else stood out about him was that he excelled in the classroom at an early age he would make all the Honor Rolls and he would always read for at least 20 minutes a day. I told him that basketball is a privilege and your work in the classroom always comes first. All the small goals that we set out and achieved, now it’s for him he set his own goals. He’s amazingly been achieving all the goals he’s set for himself,” added Andrew.
“One of the goals he achieved that really opened his eyes to get better as an athlete is when he won the Big Sky State Games as a sixth grader with the Crow Bulls,” said Andrew. “He got the chance to play at the State Games of America in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Here one of his coaches, Tristan Good Luck, decided to enter them a grade up. So he got the chance to play against some of the top athletes in the country. Playing in Hershey gave him the motivation and drive to get better each year.”
“In eighth grade I started taking him to high school games to watch so that I could show him and teach him the knowledge to be a point guard,” said Andrew. “I would use certain examples and situations on the court for him to understand such as breaking defenses and passes as a point guard. As a freshman one of the expectations that I wanted him to have was to make the varsity team and he did. I still stressed on his shooting, free throws, and how to protect the ball from the other opponents and defenders.”
“Malachi helped contribute to his team that made a state appearance,” said Andrew. “Making a state appearance opened his eyes and they were set on a state title after losing in the consolation game. Going into his sophomore year as a starter he was able to showcase his skills during the season but unfortunately their season was cut short at the divisional tournament after losing to Big Timber HS. The next week after him seeing the teams that made it to State gave him motivation to work harder.”
“He started lifting weights, shooting around at the courts more often, and started working on his leadership skills. I told him that teams that make it to the state championship and win have true point guard that help lead them there. You have to be the general out there, you have to be a leader if you want to win, and that stuck with him through the summer and eventually carrying over into the season,” added Andrew.
“He started off the season kind of slow but each and every game he started to fill the role of being a leader,” said Andrew. “This helped his team a lot on and off the court. During the Divisional’s, I noticed he really stepped up his role as a leader. Each game from the first game to the Divisional’s to the last game of State he did something a leader needed to do in order for his team to win and move onto the next. For example, like locking down the opposing teams best player and scoring when the team needed him to score yet finding his open teammates for an open assist.”
“After doing so much for his team and making it to the State Championship, MHSA announces the cancelling of all state tournaments,” said Andrew. “This felt like we got robbed for not playing that last game but also I’m proud of him and thankful for his journey to the State Championship game that came to a bittersweet end.”
“With the COVID-19 this spring and possibly this summer the tournaments we usually attend are cancelled,” said Andrew. “We’ve been staying home and doing the weights and going to the local courts when he can. I know it’s frustrating for him but I know that he will find someway better himself as a player. COVID-19 has us on stay home policy but there is so much he can do and it’s not stopping him from improving his skills.”
“Coach Josh Stewart also inspires me to be the best person I can be as a brother, son, and student-athlete,” said Malachi. “He was the one that gave me the opportunity to help lead the Lodge Grass Indians to the State B championship game and I thank him for that.”
“Malachi is a workhorse,” said Josh Stewart, head boys’ basketball coach at Lodge Grass HS. “He embodies the spirit of what we’re working to build here with Lodge Grass HS Indians Basketball. We talk about having a ‘Champion Mindset’ and it’s always in this order: Home, Class, and Gym. He is a good son to his parents, a good brother to his siblings, and a strong member of the community who loves his teammates as his brothers. He is a 4.0 GPA student and he gives 110% on the court, without ever complaining.”
“Our philosophy is simple: Defense Wins Games, and Rebounds Win Championships,” said Coach Josh. “Malachi certainly takes pride in what he does on the defensive end of the floor. Having him, Cash McCormick, Colton Collins and Kendall Russell play on-ball defense on certain players, it’s very difficult for them to score or even run their offense. They all have tremendous footwork and an ability to exploit a player’s weakness. Malachi did that and then some all throughout the season. And it has allowed us to have good success.”
“Malachi is doing his workouts while in quarantine,” said Coach Josh. “He will be ready to go into his senior year with motivation to get back to that state title game and complete what he started, with his brothers.”
“He is the classic worker: first to arrive, last to leave. A majority of these boys do that, but Malachi is certainly one of the most consistent,” added Coach Josh.
“The person who influenced me the most was my little sister Courtney Mae who passed away about four years ago,” said Malachi. “She was always competitive and hated to lose especially to me. That competitiveness that she had always inspired me to work harder when I’m working out or shooting around. She is the reason I wear number ‘3’ because that was her number too.”
“The physical training I do is lift weights everyday at my house trying to work every muscle I possibly can,” said Malachi. “I also go for runs and do jump rope.”
“Everyday I’m trying to improve my knowledge as a point guard and be the best I can be by putting in the work, being a good teammate and a coachable player,” said Malachi.
“I give God all the glory and praise for my ability’s to play the sports of basketball and football,” said Malachi.
“When in stressful game situations I’m not afraid to fail,” said Malachi. “I play my game with confidence and try to control the floor. As a point guard in stressful games my job is to handle and take care of the ball, and break the defense. So by doing that I am able to withstand any stressful game situations.”
Photo Credit: Tommy B. Robinson
You are an inspiration to all who read this🙏💙🙏So sorry the tournaments were cancelled. Extremely proud of you!