"Clayton Named to Team Canada"

And now back to the U18 club, with a nod to the U16 team. Shane Jones introduces us to receiver Sam Clayton by way of Sherwood Park News.  I'm not entirely certain about credit for the photography, but it's from this Canada Football Chat story by Ammeta Vohra.

Add another Sherwood standout to the list of locals set to tackle Texas. 

Bev Facey Falcons receiver Sam Clayton is the latest athlete from the school to make the grade and receive an invite to participate in the International Bowl series, pitting Canada’s best football players against some of the top prospects in the Unites States at AT&T (Cowboy) Stadium in Arlington, Texas at the end of January. 

Preceded by the announcement of four Falcons teammates who will play for Team Alberta’s U-16 entry in the event, Clayton actually went one step further by being named to the 40-man U-18 Canadian National Team. 

 

Facey head coach Curtis Martin said he was glad to see one of his graduating players receive another shot to shine at an event of this magnitude. 

“It finishes off his high school career in a memorable way and also kicks off his CIS career in an exciting way as well as he decides on what school he wants to attend,” he said. “I know there was a couple of teams that were very interested in him that he was deciding between. Sam can be a real game-changer when he is on his game. He can absolutely take over games.” 

... 

It is just the latest in a series of sporting success stories for Clayton, who played lacrosse for Hill Academy in Toronto in his second semester last year after Facey football had wrapped up, and played in four major tournaments last summer in the sport, making the tournament all-star team at the East Coast Lacrosse Classic in Washington, D.C. 

Clayton returned to Facey this past fall where he helped the Falcons in a bounce back season that saw them win the Metro League’s top Carr Conference championship and go all the way to the Tier I provincial championships game before losing to Calgary’s Notre Dame Pride, a team that has not lost a game in three seasons. 

There will also be four members of that championship Falcons team competing for a Team Alberta entry at the U-16 level at the international bowl, playing on Jan. 31 in the NFL stadium in Arlington. 

Cracking the Alberta roster were running back Chuba Hubbard, receiver Kyle Turner and defensive backs Josiah Schakel and Dillon Stor. 

Also making the team were Salisbury Sabres defensive lineman Justin Pearson and Ardrossan Bisons linebacker Cole Lindberg.