SETBACKS, THE COME UP, AND CHICKEN TACOS

This is forward Leonard Dixon’s third year on Mt. Hood’s men’s basketball team, and second year actually playing.

The 20-year-old is a sophomore majoring in General Studies and isn’t sure where he’ll be attending college next year. But, wearing No. 11, he’s a leading force for the Saints this winter, making the most of his opportunity.

Dixon currently leads the Saints in scoring, with 18.3 points per game (16th overall in the Northwest Athletic Conference), and averages five rebounds.

He led Mt. Hood with 20 points and six rebounds in a heartbreak, 87-84 loss at Clark College on Wednesday. The Saints (7-7 overall, 1-1 and tied for fourth in the NWAC South Division) fought back from a 16-point deficit with less than 6 minutes left, only to miss a game-tying shot at the buzzer. 

Dixon originally hails from Riverside, California, and began his basketball career in the seventh grade, where he also played in Las Vegas in the Coast to Coast League.

In eighth grade, he continued to play the game in Southern California, then transferred to Sam Barlow High School when his family moved to the Damascus area.

He played on the Bruins freshman boys team his freshman year, junior varsity his sophomore year, and then for the varsity during his junior and senior years at Barlow, graduating in 2017.

Dixon said he really enjoys taking road trips with the Saints and recalled a unique experience that took place during his freshman year, two years ago (he took a break last year, but was still on the team). he Saints were in Estacada for the team’s preseason “boot camp,” and a mouse came out in the room where the players were staying as they were laying in the bunk beds, which really surprised them.

It helps to underscore how Dixon’s basketball career has been quite an adventure, overall.

“It’s been a blessing and a curse. It’s been fun learning a lot,” he said. “I’ve learned the game more and learned to love it. (Saints head) Coach Bowie also helped and influenced me to get better.

Dixon also has enjoyed his teammates.

“It’s fun to be around them,” he said. Basketball has also positively impacted him in many other ways. “It helped me get somewhere in life, in education. It’s motivated me to get a degree.”

In five to ten years, he sees himself continuing his basketball career professionally; he hopes to play overseas in countries such as Germany or Spain and explore warmer states, he said.

If that doesn’t work out, he’d like to become an electrician or a PE teacher/coach.

Besides hoops, Dixon enjoys skateboarding, listening to music – especially Hip-hop, R&B, and pop – and all types of food. He especially enjoys his mom’s chicken tacos.

He said he decided to become a Saint for many different reasons.

“I chose MHCC cause of Nate and it pushed me to the next level. He made it feel like home,” Dixon said. It also was an easy commute to school for him.

Dixon is optimistic about the upcoming games and the rest of the season.

“I feel like we have a big push coming up,” he said. The team had some injuries and setbacks earlier in the season, but recently has come back together and everyone is playing hard again.

“It’s been fun playing with everyone,” he said.