Latest Montana sports: GRIZ CAPTAINS

Griz name 2010 football captains

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - The Montana Grizzlies have named their football captains, including two who are candidates for the Walter Payton Award.

The Griz captains chosen by their teammates are running back Chase Reynolds of Drummond, quarterback Andrew Selle of Billings and defensive tackle Tyler Hobbs of Spokane, Wash.

Reynolds and Selle are on the initial watch list for the Payton award, given to the top offensive player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

Second-ranked Montana opens the 2010 season on Saturday at home against NCAA Division II Western State of Gunnison, Colo. The Griz beat Western State 38-0 in their season-opener last year, after leading just 10-0 at halftime.

MONTANA-MIDDLETON

Montana picks up former Washington TE Middleton

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - A tight end who was dismissed from the University of Washington for a violation of team rules has joined the University of Montana football team.

Kavario Middleton practiced with the Grizzlies on Tuesday.

Middleton, a junior, caught 26 passes for 257 yards and three touchdowns in 2009 and was slated to start for the Huskies this year. But he was dismissed from the team in July for what The Seattle Times reported was a failed drug test.

Middleton tried to transfer to Nebraska, but he told the Lincoln Journal-Star on Aug. 23 that he was going to have to play elsewhere because of academic and admission hold-ups.

TECH SIGNS

3 players join Montana Tech men's hoops

BUTTE, Mont. (AP) - Montana Tech men's basketball coach Aaron Woliczko has announced addition of three players to the 2010-11 roster.

Point guard Tyree Haynie of Chico, Calif., transfers to Tech from Butte College in Oroville, Calif., where he averaged 10 points and eight assists per game as a sophomore.

Guard Bryan Bock of Rialto, Calif., averaged 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists per game as a senior at Eisenhower High. He led the state of California with 114 3-pointers during the 2009-10 season.

And Jeff Huntsman of Sugar City, Idaho joins the Tech team after a few years away from organized basketball. He averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds per game as a senior at Sugar-Salem High. He has attended Idaho State.

CARROLL-RICKMAN

Capital's Rickman commits to Carroll women's hoops

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Carroll College women's basketball coach Shawn Nelson says Helena Capital senior Maggie Rickman has committed to play basketball for the Saints.

The 6-foot-1 Rickman earned first team all-state honors as a junior while averaging 12 points and seven rebounds per game for Capital.

She was also a member of the Big Sky Hoops AAU team that posted a 12-2 record this summer and won the AAU West Coast Championship tournament in Las Vegas.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-09-02-10 0330EDT

Latest Montana sports: BOBCAT QUARTERBACK

Bobcats name starting QB, captains

BOZEMAN, Mont. (AP) - Montana State football coach Rob Ash says redshirt freshman Denarius McGhee has been named the starting quarterback for the Bobcats in the season opener Saturday against Fort Lewis.

Ash and offensive coordinator Brian Wright chose McGhee over senior Cody Kempt, an Oregon transfer who started as a sophomore and was named the backup at the beginning of last season, but started the final four games.

Ash said Tuesday the decision came down to the offensive productivity of the 'Cats when McGhee was under center.

The Bobcats have also named two more captains - senior safety Jordan Craney of Pocatello, Idaho and linebacker Tanner Ripley of Highwood. They join offensive tackle Mike Person of Glendive and safety Michael Rider of Billings, who were elected captains during spring drills.

MONTANA-STUBERG DUI

UM football player pleads not guilty to DUI

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - A 21-year-old University of Montana football player has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence.

Josh Stuberg of Helena was arrested by the Montana Highway Patrol early Sunday and charged with a first offense DUI and failing to report an accident. Prosecutors say he struck a fence, causing at least $500 in damage. The patrol says he refused a breathalyzer test.

Stuberg posted bond and has been ordered to submit daily alcohol breath tests. He is also prohibited from entering bars. His next court appearance is scheduled for Oct. 20.

Stuberg played in 13 games as a redshirt freshman last year and was listed as a backup linebacker on a depth chart released Friday.

MONTANA-ADAMS

UM basketball signs JC guard

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - Montana men's basketball coach Wayne Tinkle has announced the signing of junior college transfer Chase Adams.

Adams is a 6-foot-3 guard from Tucson, Ariz., who transfers to Montana from California's Bakersfield Community College. He attended the Air Force Academy Prep School out of high school before attending Bakersfield last year, where he averaged 15 points per game. He has three years of eligibility remaining.

Tinkle says Adams is a physical guard who can make some plays off the dribble as well as shoot from 3-point range.

Tinkle also announced Monday that 6-foot-7 forward Taylor Farnsworth of Mead High in Spokane, Wash., is going to join the Griz basketball team as a walk-on.

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Information from: Missoulian, http://www.missoulian.com

MASCOT CHALLENGE-MONTE

UM's Monte selected for mascot challenge

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - The University of Montana mascot Monte has been chosen to participate in the Capital One Mascot of the Year challenge for the fifth time.

Monte is the only two-time winner, having claimed the national title in the inaugural year of 2002 and again in 2004. He was also in the competition in 2003 and 2007.

Sixteen mascots were chosen for this year's competition, including the 2009 winner, Bearcat of Cincinnati, along with Joe Vandal of Idaho, The Duck of Oregon and Joe Bruin of USC.

For the next 12 weeks, Monte will be paired against a different mascot each seeking the most votes in a head-to-head competition. Fans can vote through the CapitalOneBowl.com site. At the end of that time, the eight mascots with the best win-loss record will advance to a playoff bracket.

The winner will be announced at the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-09-01-10 0330EDT

Latest Montana sports: MHSA-CONCUSSION RULES

MHSA adds new concussion rules

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - The Montana High School Association has adopted stricter rules regarding the treatment of athletes suspected of suffering a concussion during competition.

It basically boils down to: when in doubt, sit them out.

The National Federation of State High School Associations changed its return to play rule, and the MHSA followed.

MHSA Executive Director Mark Beckman says the new rule takes into consideration that in many cases, athletes that suffer a concussion do not lose consciousness.

The new rule requires that any athlete exhibiting signs of a concussion including loss of consciousness, dizziness, headache, confusion or balance problems be removed from a game and evaluated by coaching staff. If they are suspected of having a concussion, they cannot return to play until cleared by a doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner.

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Information from: Daily Inter Lake, http://www.dailyinterlake.com

MSU BILLINGS-LORAN

MSU-Billings signs baseball recruit

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - Montana State-Billings baseball coach Rob Bishop has announced the signing of Blake Loran of Billings.

Loran transfers to MSU-Billings from Jamestown College, where he redshirted last year.

Loran graduated from Billings Skyview and played first base and catcher for the Billings Royals American Legion team. He hit .426 with 98 hits, 25 doubles, two triples, four home runs and 88 RBI as a senior.

Bishop says he's excited to have another quality Billings player in the program.

MONTANA-STUBERG DUI

Backup Griz linebacker arrested on DUI charge

MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) - The Montana Highway Patrol says a University of Montana football player faces a drunken driving charge after crashing into a fence early Sunday.

Trooper Andrew Novak says the patrol received several reports about someone driving erratically before he stopped 21-year-old Josh Stuberg of Helena.

Stuberg was cited for drunken driving and failure to report an accident. He was booked at the Missoula County jail early Sunday and released an hour later on a $920 bond. He was scheduled to appear in Justice Court Monday afternoon.

Stuberg, a third-year sophomore, was listed as a backup linebacker in the two-deep chart the team released Friday. In 13 games last season, Stuberg recorded 32 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery.

Coach Robin Pflugrad declined comment Sunday because he hadn't met with Stuberg yet.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

Former MT college players in World Championships

HELENA, Mont. (AP) - Two former Montana college basketball players are competing for their home countries in the FIBA World Championships in Turkey.

Former Montana State center Divaldo Mbunga has scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds in the two games he's played in for Angola. Angola has a 1-2 record and plays Germany on Wednesday and Australia on Thursday in pool play.

Former Carroll College player Sinan Guler has 11 points, five assists and five steals in Turkey's two wins. Turkey finishes pool play with games against Greece on Tuesday, Puerto Rico on Wednesday and China on Thursday.

Mbunga played at Montana State from 2007-09 while Guler played at Carroll from 2004-06.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-08-31-10 0331EDT