GREAT FALLS (AP) - Havre's Brent Finneman of the Montana State University-Northern football team was among 12 recipients of scholar-athlete awards, the Montana Chapter of the National Football League Foundation announced.
Joining Finneman were, Montana State football player Nick Marudas and Montana quarterback Craig Ochs.
The awards will be given at the chapter's seventh annual banquet, scheduled April 2 at the Red Lion Colonial Inn in Helena.
The chapter, under the leadership of Great Falls native Bill Sprinkle, an official with the Montana High School Association, annually selects scholar-athlete winners from each of the four prep classes and from all of Montana's college football programs.
Other college players to be honored are: Kevin McCutcheon of three-time NAIA national champion Carroll College, Wayne Butori of Montana Tech, Eric Reis of Rocky Mountain College and Ben Snipes of Montana-Western.
The high school players selected for the awards are Shawn Lebsock of Class AA Billings Skyview, Wesley Davenport of Class A Colstrip, Brandon Utterback of Class B Fort Benton, Jim Trotter of Class C Richey and Kyle Preuit of Roberts, which plays Six-Man football.
The foundation is also giving special awards to three people based on significant contributions to amateur football. The awards go to longtime Great Falls Russell football coach Jack Johnson, Billings prep and college official Bud Rausch and Missoulian sports writer Rial Cummings.
The awards banquet features a presentation by Supreme Court Justice Brian Morris. He was an all-state running back and state champion hurdler at Butte Central and earned all-Pac 10 honors as a fullback for Stanford.
