Fast Break

Football

Ex-Coug Long in critical condition

Former Tennessee Titans and Washington State defensive tackle Rien Long was in critical condition Tuesday after he crashed his sports car into a rock wall while driving onto an interstate.

Nashville, Tenn., police said Long, 26, was driving too fast down an on-ramp to Interstate 40 near downtown just before midnight Monday.

His 2005 Ford Mustang started sliding at the bottom of the ramp, went up the embankment and hit a rock wall on the driver’s side before rolling over onto the roof.

Long was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Police said he was in critical condition, but hospital officials declined to give details on his condition Tuesday morning.

Former Washington State football coach Bill Doba, who was defensive coordinator when Long played at WSU, said in Pullman he was trying to contact Long’s family.

Long won the Outland Trophy and was an All-American as a junior at Washington State in 2002. The Titans drafted him in the fourth round in 2003 and he played there for three seasons.

But he missed the 2006 season with a torn Achilles tendon, then was placed on injured reserve for 2007 with a knee injury before being waived.

College football

Two G-Prep grads honored

Carroll College defensive lineman Phil Lenoue (Gonzaga Prep) was chosen to the first team and fellow senior teammate, kicker Marcus Miller (G-Prep) was given honorable mention on the NAIA All-America team announced by Victory Sports Network.

They were two of 10 Carroll players honored as NAIA All-America selections.

In December, Carroll won its fifth national title in six seasons.

Colleges

Eastern’s Lothspeich dies

Former Eastern Washington University basketball player and school administrator John Lothspeich, 84, died on Jan. 17, the school announced in a press release.

A celebration of his life will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at the Southside Senior Center in Spokane, a center that he helped create.

A 1948 EWU graduate, Lothspeich spent nearly 20 years as an Eastern administrator. He helped bring the Seahawks training camp to Cheney as well as help secure funds for the EWU Special Events Pavilion and other campus building projects.

Lothspeich, a native of Colfax, was the first recipient of the Eastern Athletics Hall of Fame Service and Contribution Award. Lothspeich played basketball at Eastern in the 1941-42 and 1942-43 seasons, and then again in 1946-47 and 1947-48. Eastern was a collective 83-33 in his four seasons, including the school’s first NAIA tournament appearance.