Back in 8th grade, DeonDray Ellis came up against a defender he couldn’t solve. Held scoreless for a full game, his frustrations boiled over: he was assessed two technical fouls and ejected, leaving him seriously doubting his abilities for the first time in his life.
“I was sitting there thinking, ‘Am I really good at basketball?’” he said in a recent interview. “But you just gotta stay out of your head, stay confident.”
That low moment made its mark, and as Ellis entered high school he recommitted himself to the game he loved. He spent more time in the gym, focused on getting stronger and emphasized skill work — particularly his shooting form.
Called up to junior varsity as a freshman, Ellis soon adapted to the quickness and physicality of high school. “He probably could have played varsity as a freshman,” said East Helena head coach Ty Ridgeway. “But we had a lot of seniors that year and that JV time really helped him learn the speed of the game and build confidence.”
In his sophomore and junior seasons the extra hours translated into production, with Ellis emerging as East Helena’s go-to scorer. His skills leap coincided with physical growth, as he added two inches in height and some much-needed bulk.
“He grew quite a bit between his sophomore and junior seasons,” Ridgeway said. “That helped him handle contact and finish plays he couldn’t before.”
The latest results have been undeniable for the now-senior guard and Vigilantes team captain. In a Jan. 10 win over Hardin, Ellis scored the 1,000th point of his high school career, becoming the first player in East Helena High’s six-year history to do so.
Underscoring his focus, he hadn’t even been aware of the looming milestone. “I didn’t really know going into the game,” Ellis said. “I’m not someone who’s sitting there tracking my points.”
That mindset reflects a shift that has become just as important as Ellis’ scoring ability — his maturation into a more complete, team-first player.
“He’s a student of the game,” Ridgeway said. “He’s athletic, competitive, and he’s not afraid of guarding the best player on the floor. But what’s impressed me the most is how much he’s grown mentally.”
Ellis learned how to adjust when defenses began keying on him. He found ways to impact games even when shots weren’t falling.
“If nothing’s going in, rebounding is huge for me,” Ellis said. “Taking care of the ball. Slowing the game down. You’ve got to find other ways to help your team.”
That growth has been especially noticeable this season, as opponents increasingly design game plans around stopping him. Double teams, traps and face-guarding have become routine. Instead of forcing shots, Ellis adjusts.
“If they’re loading up on me, that opens things up for my teammates,” he said. “You’ve got to trust them.”
Even with defenses focused on him, Ellis has continued to produce, delivering 19.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game, plus an impressive 2.3 steals per contest. Yet his path to becoming East Helena high school basketball’s most prolific scorer has been long and winding.
Bouncing between several elementary schools., Ellis was often the “new kid” and ended up finding his place on the blacktop. “There were some kids on the basketball court and one of their dads was a travel coach,” Ellis said, recalling a moment from third grade. “He heard about me, came over and asked if I wanted to play on his team.”
Ellis joined the Capital City Ballers, a non-school-affiliated travel program, and stayed with the team for six seasons, traveling to tournaments in Montana and neighboring states in spring and summer.
“It was a big commitment – different states, different tournaments, different kids,” Ellis recalled. “But that exposure helped me a lot.”
At the same time, much of his development came away from the spotlight. “There’s no secret,” he said. “It’s just reps.”
In high school those reps have included solo sessions at City Hall, where Ellis had access to the gym and could work uninterrupted on his shooting form. “I was able to go in there for free,” Ellis said. “I was able to get a lot of shots off.”
Basketball has always been his constant, but Ellis tried out for football as a freshman and played all four years, splitting time between wide receiver, corner and safety. He credits football with helping shape him physically and mentally.
“It made me a better basketball player,” Ellis said. “The physicality helped. Even some of the movements translated: learning how to move in space, how to react — it all carries over.”
Ridgeway said Ellis’ teammates have embraced his unselfishness and leadership. “They’re like brothers,” Ridgeway said. “They compete in practice, but off the court, they’re together all the time. There’s no ego issue at all.”
Ellis, one of the team’s lead ball handlers, sees leadership as an extension of that trust.“Being a good teammate is making sure your guys have confidence,” he said. “If someone misses a shot, you don’t put them down. You tell them to keep shooting. The next one’s going in.”
East Helena enters the stretch run with momentum, sitting at 11–6 overall and 6–3 in Class A Southeast play as of Feb. 11, good for third in the region. Once the regular season ends, on Feb. 17 against Butte Central, the Vigilantes hope to head into divisionals, starting Feb. 26 in Billings, with momentum.
Looking ahead, Ellis hopes to study sports management and keep playing basketball at the collegiate level. Whatever’s next, he plans to stay connected to the game that’s shaped him.
For now, though, his focus remains where it’s always been — on the next possession, the next practice, the next opportunity to get better. On doing the work and setting an example.
“Going to class, getting good grades, doing things the right way,” he said. “I just want to be a good role model.”
