GRAVETTE — Gravette kicker Cody Montee concluded a hectic week by signing with NCAA Division II Missouri Southern in Joplin, Mo.

Montee made a recent trip to Joplin and the 6-foot-3, 175 pounder also made visits to Missouri State and Central Arkansas.

But Montee said hepicked Missouri Southern because of the chance to handle placements and do the punting.

“I’m real excited because not a lot of kids get to say they played college football,” Montee said. “I had interest from bigger schools, but I am going to have a chance to compete to kick field goals and kickoffs and do the punting. And it is close to home.”

Montee was the Lions’kicker and punter for three seasons and even did some kicking his freshman year. He made 9 of 13 field goals last season and 11 of 15 his junior year.

He also averaged 42.4 yards per punt in 2010.

Gravette coach Bill Harrelson said Montee had a significant impact in the Lions’ success over the past three seasons.

“Cody impacted the game in a lot of ways,”Harrelson said. “He had 18 punts inside the 20-yard line this year.

“Opponents hardly ever got the ball past the 20 because he was always kicking it in the end zone.

“Cody was a weapon every year.”

Missouri Southern was 4-7 last season, including 2-7 in conference play in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association.

Sports, Pages 10 on 02/09/2011