FREEPORT — Freeport senior Ricky Hunter has been selected as place-kicker for the North squad in the Blue-Grey All-American Bowl slated for 1:30 p.m. Jan. 4 in Tampa,. Fla.

The game will be played at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Hunter is one of 55 seniors selected for his team. There were more than 6,750 players who competed at the Blue-Grey's regional or super combines this year.

The undefeated Slippery Rock University football team is ranked No. 9 this week on the Division II national poll released by the American Football Coaches Association.SRU has won 11 consecutive PSAC West games and hosts No. 16 Indiana (Pa.) for homecoming at 2 p.m. Saturday at Mihalik-Thompson Stadium.

HARMONY — The NexTier Bank team of Bob Bowell, John George, Cole Davis and Jordan Klodowski won the fifth annual Butler County Bankers Golf Challenge held recently at Strawberry Ridge.Event proceeds went to the Moraine Preservation Fund.Over the past five years, the Bankers Golf Challenge has raised $20,000 for Butler County charities and non-profit organizations.

PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin and Nick Bjugstad will be out indefinitely with injuries.Coach Mike Sullivan said Monday that Malkin's lower-body injury will require a longer recovery than Bjugstad's, but he added it is not season-threatening.Both centers were injured during a 7-2 victory over Columbus on Saturday. Malkin collided with teammate Kris Letang in the second period before limping down the runway. Bjugstad exited in the third with an undisclosed injury.Jared McCann took over Malkin's spot centering the second line in practice Monday, with Zach Aston-Reese filling in for Bjugstad on the third line.The Penguins, off to a 1-1 start, host Winnipeg on Tuesday.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The Patriots have released tight end Ben Watson.The team announced the move on Monday. It came shortly after Watson tweeted that he didn't do enough to earn a roster spot.Watson was eligible to make his debut for the Patriots against Washington on Sunday. But the 38-year-old wasn't activated after serving a four-game suspension for testing positive for a banned substance following the 2018 season.Watson planned to retire after last season but was courted by several teams. The Patriots eventually signed him to a one-year, $3 million deal as they looked to fill the hole created by the retirement of Rob Gronkowski.

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — Receiver Zay Jones is going from the end of the Buffalo Bills bench to landing a fresh start with the Raiders after being traded to Oakland, a person familiar with the deal confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday.Buffalo acquired a fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft, according to the person who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the trade has not been announced. ESPN.com first reported the deal.The trade comes as both teams enter their bye weeks, and a day after Jones sat on the Bills bench for all but one snap in a 14-7 win at Tennessee.Rookie Duke Williams took over Jones’ role as the No. 3 receiver and scored the decisive touchdown.Staff and wire reports