Monday regional briefs
Montana Cup to begin in Magic City
BILLINGS – The annual Montana Cup golf matches, which pit a dozen of the state’s best amateurs against 12 top professionals, runs Tuesday and Wednesday at the Hilands Golf Club.
The amateurs are led by current State Amateur champion Tom Swanson of Missoula, and 2013-14 State Am winner Brandon McIver of Billings. Swanson plays college golf at Michigan and McIver was an all-Pac 12 player last season at Oregon.
Other amateurs competitors include Spencer Williams, Parker Heller and Justin Ahlers of Helena; Marcus Drange, Jake Hedge and Connor Miele of Billings; Jordy Donovan of Havre and Easton Enott of Great Falls.
The six pros from the PGA Western Montana chapter are Connor Sproull, Jason Lehtola, Jacob Wilson, Ryan Malby, Scott Longnecker and Chad Carlson.
The six pros from the PGA Rocky Mountain chapter are Eddie Kavran, Tom Anderson, Woody Spainhower, Brandon Kahl and brothers Renzi and Kelbi Lee.
The Ryder Cup-style format calls for two-man bestball matches this morning, with Chapman alternate-shot matches this afternoon.
The event ends Wednesday with 12 head-to-head matches.
The winners get custody of the Dave McNally Trophy, awarded in memory of the former Billings baseball star who was a great friend of Montana golfers. The amateurs have dominated the competition in recent years, and have won nine of the last 10 Cup matches.
ESPN’s Musburger to the booth for Griz opener
MISSOULA – Billings native and veteran ESPN broadcaster Brent Musburger will call the Montana Grizzlies’ football game against North Dakota State later this month.
The news originally came from Griz head coach Bob Stitt’s Twitter account Monday, where the first-year said Musburger confirmed on the phone that he would be in the booth along with color commentator Jesse Palmer for the Aug. 29 ESPN broadcast.
The 76-year-old Musburger grew up in Billings after his family moved from Portland, Ore., where he was born. Musburger then attended military school in Minnesota during his high school years before going on to Northwestern University. He owns a house in Hamilton.
Montana’s opener with four-time FCS defending champ NDSU is set for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff at Washington-Grizzly Stadium.
Griz football players in minor legal trouble
MISSOULA – Two members of the Montana Grizzlies football team were arrested last week, the Missoulian reported Sunday.
Linebackers Herbert Gamboa and Jeremiah Kose were each arrested and booked into Missoula County jail in separate misdemeanor incidents.
Kose, 22, was booked Wednesday night for failing to appear in court on an original misdemeanor charge. He was released on bond that night and appeared in court Thursday morning. No information was available on the original misdemeanor charge, the Missoulian’s report said.
Gamboa, 21, was booked early Friday morning and charged with disorderly conduct. He, too, was released on bond and appeared in court later that day.
The Missoulian had no comment from the players or the Grizzlies’ athletics staff on the incidents. Both start at the linebacker position for the Griz. Montana’s football camp begins Tuesday.
Red Sox take Legion A title in style
KALISPELL – Kyle Norman hurled a seven-inning no-hitter in the Legion A state championship game as the Bitterroot Red Sox rolled to a 13-0 title victory over the Laurel Dodgers Monday afternoon at Griffin Field.
The Red Sox, who rapped out 18 hits in the process, qualified for the Northwest A Regionals in Salt Lake City beginning Aug. 7.
Bitterroot got three hits and two RBI from Zach Ringer, while brother Jonathan added two hits and drove in two runs. Austin Ray added three hits, including a triple.
Tribune Football Tab publication date set
With the calendar now turned to August, the Great Falls Tribune is making preparations to publish the paper’s comprehensive football insert later this month.
The tabloid, which will touch on prep, college and professional football, will be published on Friday, Aug. 28, just in time for the opening of the high school season across the state.
Last week, the Tribune sports staff mailed questionnaires to all Class AA, A, B, C8 and C6 high school coaches in Montana (and Grenora, N.D., which co-ops with Westby in Class C Six-Man).
All coaches are asked to fill the questionnaires out and return them to the Tribune no later than August 23. Coaches are welcome to email them to tribsports@greatfallstribune.com, FAX them to 406-791-6588, or mail them to the Tribune at P.O. Box 5468, Great Falls, MT 59403-5468. Coaches may also call in their responses to the Tribune sports staff by calling 406-791-1481, or 1-800-438-6600, ext. 481.