"Trojan to play on Team Canada in International Bowl"

Before we get to an article from the Winnipeg Free Press about International Bowl Team Canada U18 selection Mason Bennett, I want to take a moment to point out that the IFAF's World Championship may run after all.

American Football International reports that USA Football's application to replace Sweden as tournament host has been accepted but that participation from the various countries involved has to be confirmed before anything is made official.  This is still great news because the possibility of the event taking place at all seemed quite small for a while there.

On to Mason Bennett.  Much of the information below has been shared with us by Football Manitoba (and copied in an earlier post) but the article below adds to his list of accomplishments and displays why this young man seems easy to like and cheer for. Credit to Danielle Da Silva for the article (unsure as to who phot credit goes to, but it's certainly not me). Complete version available here.

...The 17-year-old defensive end recently participated in the 2014 Football Canada Cup representing Manitoba, where he was recognized as a standout player and was one of 40 athletes selected for Team Canada.

"I was very surprised and very happy and very honoured to be chosen, especially from all the guys who made the provincial team, and for me to be selected from Manitoba was pretty big," Bennett said.

...

The selection to Team Canada rounds off 2014 on a high note for Bennett. At 6-3 and 230 pounds Bennett leads the Winnipeg High School Football League (WHSFL) in sacks at 14 and has 41.5 tackles to his name.

...

The Grade 12 student at Vincent Massey Collegiate (VMC) has also accepted a scholarship offer to play at the University of North Dakota, and is finishing off 2014 with an academic average of 85 per cent.

Bennett credits some of his success to playing against talented athletes on the teams he’s been a part of and working with coaching staff at Vincent Massey, especially head coach Kelsey McKay.

"He’s the one that made me try out for Team Manitoba two years ago and without that I probably wouldn’t have gained the confidence to be the player I am today," Bennett said.

McKay said Bennett has embraced his speed, strength and intelligence in picking plays since he started with the Trojans three years ago.

"From the moment that I met him… he’s always had a tremendous work ethic," McKay said, adding that Bennett has spent a great deal of time in the gym building on his strengths and maturing his body.

"It’s allowed him to have a lot of success," McKay said.

...

While at UND, Bennett plans to study psychology and become a life coach for students who don’t have the money or mindset to play sports. He hopes to help young athletes develop through sport the same way he did.

"I think it motivates me to be a better person, a better person in the community, better student, a better everything pretty much," Bennett said.

McKay expects more success for Bennett in the future based on what he’s seen from the young athlete so far.

"He’s been the most successful in terms of reaching his goals and that’s because he keeps his eye on the ball."

"We can’t wait to see, when the story is finished being told, what it looks like."

International Bowl 2014 scores

I'll be back with more information later, but for now I want to at least list the scores from the various games played in Texas this Friday and Saturday.  As you'll see, at the final game's final gun, Canada emerged with a 3-3 record.

Friday, February 7th:
U15:  USA Football 48, Canada 00
U16:  Canada 10, USA Football 07
U19:  USA Football 43, Canada 07

Now before I go on here, I want to share a comment from Bleacher Report.

Canada stood tall as a whole with an impressive U-16 win, but its performance at the highest age level indicates just how large the talent gap between these two sides is. 

Let's bear that in mind for a moment as we look at the day two scores:

Saturday, February 8th:
U17:  USA Football 34, Canada 06
U17:  Canada 28, USA Football 21
U18:  Canada 53, USA Football 09

Bleacher Report concluded its recaps of the games with this comment:

After this display from Canada's young football players, there is no doubt at least one part of the world is beginning to close the gap between themselves and the United States on the gridiron. 

The difference an evening makes, eh?  Now Canada is beginning to close the gap by winning three out of six games.

I should point out that the two articles were written by different writers.  So I wonder if the guy that wrote the first reconsidered his position after the performance by the second highest age bracket?  He may also want to take a glance at head to head results at the junior level.

Along those lines, the next event on tap is the IFAF U19 World Championship in July.  I'll look for International Bowl post-game articles for the next few days, then direct attention to that event.  Looking forward to it already!

"(Brampton) footballers to suit up for Canada at International Bowl"

As International Bowl 2014 edges closer, a few more articles about participants begin to emerge, such as the one below from the Brampton Guardian.  It provides a couple of quick profiles about two of the defensive backs from that region that will be attending.

BRAMPTON- Two Brampton football players are getting set to represent Canada. 

Jadon Johnson and Royce Metchie have been named to Team Canada’s Junior Team 60-man roster to take on the United States under-19 team as part of the 2014 International Bowl Series at Maverick Stadium from Feb. 7 to 9 at the University of Texas at Arlington.
 

Both Brampton players are defensive backs. Johnson, a graduate of St. Marguerite d’Youville, attends the University of Guelph where he played his first season in 2013 for the Gryphons football team. Metchie played high school football this past season for the St. Edmund Campion Bears. 

...

Johnson, who besides playing for d’Youville has been with the Brampton Bulldogs program. He is a 5-foot-10, 175-pound cornerback. After helping d’Youville win the Region of Peel Secondary School Athletic Association (ROPSSAA) Tier 1 title two years ago he enrolled at Guelph and this past season helped the Gryphons reach the Ontario University Athletics (OUA) semifinals where they loss to Queen’s. 

Metchie, who also played for the Brampton Bulldogs, is listed at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, and is one of the few players still in high school to crack the Team Canada roster. He helped Campion reach the ROPSSAA Tier 1 semifinals where the Bears lost to eventual champion Lorne Park. 

Both players have also played on Team Ontario...

"Ferraro joins Team Canada for International Bowl"

MISSISSAUGA — It took a little while to sink in, but when St. Marcellinus Secondary School kicker/punter Gabriel Ferraro realized he had just met a seven-time Grey Cup champion kicker, he was understandably starstruck.

It was a few years ago and Ferraro had just finished playing a high school football game when he was approached by former Edmonton Eskimo and Toronto Argonaut star Hank Ilesic, a Mississauga resident who just happened to be in the area watching the game.

"At first I didn't realize who he was," said Ferraro, who now trains with Ilesic at St. Marcellinus and Olympia Muscle and Fitness at Rockwood Mall. "Then it clicked in, I did some research and I thought 'Oh my God, this is Hank Illesic.' It was very unexpected, but I'm very grateful I got to meet him and train with him."

Since they began training together, Ferraro has evolved into one of the top high school kickers in Canada.

Next month, he'll join Canada's under-19 junior team in Texas for the 2014 International Bowl, a series of training camps and scrimmages with the U.S. juniors that concludes with a game at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, on Feb. 8.

"It's exciting before you go there, but once you're there, you have to keep your emotions in check," Ferraro said of the thought of playing in such a popular stadium. "You can get excited before and after, but when you're playing, it's all business. No matter what field you're on, you're still on a field. It doesn't matter where you are, you still have a job to do whether it's at (AT&T) Stadium or a grass field."

Ferraro was selected for Canada's 60-man team from a field of 500 players who tried out across the country last month.

In Texas, the players will be competing for the right to represent Canada at the 2014 World U19 Championships in Kuwait in July.

Ferraro, who was named team MVP for the Burlington Stampeders after a great Ontario Football Conference season last year, is one of two kickers on the team.

Canada is likely to only take one kicker to Kuwait, meaning Ferraro will have to focus on what he can do and not worry about his competition in order to earn his spot.

He says training with Ilesic has helped in that regard.

"It's a lot about your mental side when it comes to kicking," Ferraro said. "Even the workouts you do not only make you physically stronger, but also mentally stronger. That's a big thing for whenever you have to rebound from a bad kick or a bad game."

In September, Ferraro will begin his first year at the University of Guelph, where he'll learn more from Ilesic, Guelph's kicking coach. Ferraro will be the backup to his older brother, Daniel, who's in his third year at the university.

2014 International Bowl roster selection coverage

The roster selection for the 2014 International Bowl has gathered some interest, at least in Alberta.  It is mentioned in two recent articles in reference to a couple of local players.

The photography of Ed Ilnicky below is by Greg Southam for the Edmonton Journal.

Edmonton Sun - A pair of young U of A Golden Bears football prospects will play on the Canadian junior team in next month’s 2014 International Bowl series.

Rookie running back Ed Ilnicki and recently recruited offensive lineman Joel McQuay are part of the 60-player roster that will take on USA Football’s U-19 team Feb. 7-8 at Maverick Stadium at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Ilnicki, a freshman out of Spruce Grove, and McQuay, who is graduating from Red Deer’s Notre Dame high school, were chosen from a pool of 500 athletes in attendance at regional identification camps across Canada.

The main goal will be moving on to represent their country once again at the 2014 U-19 World Championship in Kuwait.

In his Bears debut, Ilnicki led the team in rushing yards in 2013, finishing fourth among running backs in the Canada West Conference with 518 yards, to go along with 5.1-yard average and two touchdowns, while catching 16 passes for 166 yards and another TD.

...

McQuay, a six-foot-five, 270-pound O-liner, signed a letter of intent to join the Bears next season, meaning the entire starting offensive line off of Team Alberta will be at training camp under Bears head coach Chris Morris in the summer.

St. Albert Gazette - The Football Canada national junior team roster for the 2014 International Bowl includes a pair of St. Albert players.

Defensive lineman Garret Meek, a St. Albert minor football product with the University of Saskatchewan Huskies, and running back Jackson Ryan of the Bellerose Bulldogs were named to the 60-player roster for the Feb. 7 and 8 series at Maverick Stadium at the University of Texas at Arlington.

...

The six-foot-three, 290-pound Meek completed his first Canada West season with the Huskies after a stellar high school career with the Ross Sheppard Thunderbirds.

The bantam graduate of the 2009 Tier II provincial finalist St. Albert Fury played three seasons with St. Albert Storm midget team in the Capital District Minor Football Association.

The six-foot, 250-pound Ryan is considered the first Bellerose player to compete internationally. He joined the Bulldogs in his Grade 12 season after playing for the Sexsmith Sabres in the Mighty Peace League.

The co-recipient of the team’s outstanding offensive player award rushed for 278 yards on 46 carries and scored three touchdowns while battling injuries with the Carr conference division one semifinalists in the metro Edmonton league.

"Football Canada announces Junior National Team International Bowl roster"

Football Canada made the below announcement a little earlier today.  Between now and the International Bowl, I'll look for articles about members of the team so that we can get to know them a little better going into the tournament.  Congratulations to all the young men who made it.

Football Canada is proud to announce its Junior National Team roster which will take on USA Football’s U19 National Team as part of the 2014 International Bowl series, to be played February 7-8 at Maverick Stadium at the University of Texas at Arlington.

The 60 player roster was selected from close to 500 players who took part in regional identification camps across Canada. These top prospects will take on USA Football’s U19 squad in Texas, competing for one of 45 spots to represent Canada at the 2014 U19 (19-and-under) World Championship in Kuwait.

Canada’s 2014 Junior National Team is led by head coach and defensive coordinator Warren Craney. Craney is a veteran of international competition having served as defensive coordinator at the two previous World Championships under Noel Thorpe (2012) and Glen Constantin (2009) respectively in addition to four generations of the IFAF World Team.

Canada and Team USA have met in the first two IFAF U19 (19-and-under) World Championship gold medal games with Canada avenging a 2009 loss in 2012 to capture gold. With the record split, the 2014 International Bowl series will re-ignite the Canada-USA rivalry as it builds towards the summer.

Name / Nom	Pos.	Team / Équipe	Hometown / Ville natale
Jonathan Arseneault	DL/LD	CEGEP St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu	St-Constan, QC
William Aziz	DL/LD	CEGEP Vanier College	St. Thomas, ON
Lance Bashutsky	DB/DD	U. Saskatchewan	Wynyard, SK
Mathieu Betts	DL/LD	CEGEP Vieux-Montréal	Montréal, QC
David Blain	REC	CEGEP Montmorency	Montréal, QC
Christophe Bouchard	DB/DD	Académie St-Louis	Quebec, QC
Mathieu Boutin	DB/DD	CEGEP Notre-Dame-de-Foy	QC
Quinton Bowles	DL/LD	VI Raiders (CJFL)	Winnipeg, MB
Chris Brown-Fillion	LB/SEC	Winnipeg Rifles (CJFL)	Steinbach, MB
Jozua Côté	RB/DO	Peru (NY)	Longueil, QC
Wade Leeroy Cyr	OL/LO	CEGEP Vanier College	Montréal, QC
Josh Dahl	DB/DD	Saskatoon Hilltops (CJFL)	Saskatoon, SK
Vincent Desjardins	DL/LD	CEGEP Notre-Dame-de-Foy	QC
Mason Dick	OL/LO	U. Saskatchewan	Winnipeg, MB
Dante Djan	QB/QA	St. Francis Xavier U.	Calgary, AB
Frédérik-Xavier Duhamel	OL/LO	CEGEP Vieux-Montréal	Montréal, QC
Trysten Dyce	REC	Regina Thunder (CJFL)	Winnipeg, MB
Gabriel Ferraro	K/B	Burlington Stampeders	Mississauga, ON
Logan Fisher	RB/DO	Saskatoon Hilltops	Saskatoon, SK
Troy Hanson	LB/SEC	Kent (CT)	Edmonton, AB
Mitch Hillis	REC	U. Saskatchewan	Saskatoon, SK
Brett Hunchak	QB/QA	Calgary Colts (CJFL)	Calgary, AB
Ed Ilnicki	RB/DO	U. Alberta	Spruce Grove, AB
Jadon Johnson	DB/DD	U. Guelph	Brampton, ON
Cédric Joseph	RB/DO	CEGEP Champlain-Lennoxville	Montréal, QC
William Jouan-Ladouceur	DB/DD	CEGEP St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu	Greenville Park, QC
Karym Kartsonis	REC	CEGEP Notre-Dame-de-Foy	Saint-Augustin de Desmaures, QC
Reyd Kessler	RB/DO	Calgary Colts	Calgary, AB
Cole Klughart	OL/LO	St. Joseph	Saskatoon, SK
Tristian Koronkiewicz	DL/LD	VI Raiders (CJFL)	Regina, SK
Pierre-Karl Lanctôt	OL/LO	CEGEP St-Jean-sur-Richelieu	Dorval, QC
Jesse Lawson	OL/LO	Langley Rams (CJFL)	Surrey, BC
Dominic Lévesque	K/B	CEGEP Champlain-Lennoxville	QC
Cédric Lussier-Roy	LB/SEC	CEGEP Champlain-Lennoxville	Sherbrooke, QC
Evan Machibroda	DL/LD	Holy Cross	Saskatoon, SK
Ethan Makonzo	LB/SEC	CEGEP Vieux-Montréal	Montréal, QC
Hergy Mayala	REC	Trinity Pawling (NY)	Montréal, QC
Jayden McCoy	DB/DD	U. Manitoba	Winnipeg, MB
Joe McQuay	OL/LO	Notre Dame	Red Deer, AB
Garrett Meek	DL/LD	U. Saskatchewan	St. Albert, AB
Royce Metchie	DB/DD		Brampton, ON
Edouard Montemiglio	RB/DO	CEGEP Vieux-Montréal	QC
Louis-Mathieu Normandin	REC	CEGEP Vieux-Montréal	Montréal, QC
Nick Parisotto	DB/DD	Guelph Bears	Guelph, ON
Félix Pelletier	DL/LD	St. Leonard Cougars (CJFL)	QC
Trivel Pinto	REC	Metro Toronto Wildcats	Toronto, ON
Shane Richards	OL/LO	Calgary Colts (CJFL)	Calgary, AB
Nate Rostek	LB/SEC	Sir John A. MacDonald	NS/N.-É.
Jackson Ryan	RB/DO	Bellerose	St. Albert, AB
Rossini Sandjong-Djabome	DL/LD	CEGEP Édouard-Montpetit	Longueuil, QC
Ryan Sceviour	OL/LO	U. Calgary	Calgary, AB
Tom Schnitzler	LB/SEC	Saskatoon Hilltops (CJFL)	Saskatoon, SK
David Sévigny	OL/LO	CEGEP Notre-Dame-de-Foy	QC
Louis-Philippe St. Amant	DB/DD	CEGEP Notre-Dame-de-Foy	QC
Logan Thacker	LB/SEC	Winnipeg Rifles	Ochre River, MB
Samuel Thomassin	OL/LO	CEGEP de l’Outaouais	Gatineau, QC
Alex Thompson	REC	VI Raiders (CJFL)	Regina, SK
Brayden Twarynski	DL/LD	U. Saskatchewan	Saskatoon, SK
Kyle Van Wynsberghe	REC	Carleton U.	Delhi, ON
Eric Verity	DB/DD	U. Saskatchewan	Saskatoon, SK

"James to take game to Texas"

The following article was written by Mary Caton for the Windsor Star.  The picture included within the article is by Joel Boyce, also for the Star.

Getting the chance to play football in a hotbed like Texas is on an iconic par with qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

Some of the best gridiron talent from Windsor and Essex county will get that opportunity at the 2014 International Bowl Feb. 1-8 in Arlington, Tex.

“The talent down there is insane,” said Glen Mills, head coach of the Essex Ravens who will serve as head coach of Team Ontario Selects in the under-19 division.

University of Windsor Lancers head coach Joe D’Amore will also be there as the offensive co-ordinator for Team Canada in an under-18 game against Team U.S.A.

A total of 10 area players will be on the field at various age levels, led by Ravens and Catholic Central star Khaliel James (right) who was selected to play running back and wide receiver for Team Canada.

“It will be an amazing experience,” the 17-year-old said. “It’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”

James was an automatic invite to play for Team Canada based on his outstanding performance with Team Ontario at last summer’s Canada Cup. He was twice honoured as his team’s game MVP and helped Ontario earn a bronze medal.

Making Team Ontario’s under-19 roster are quarterback Anthony Bontorin and offensive linemen Devin Desjardins and Drew Desjarlais.

Making Team Ontario’s under-17 roster are wide receiver Brandon Speller, offensive lineman Chris Church, linebacker Zachary Herzog and defensive back Inho Choi.

Playing on Team Ontario’s under-15 team are offensive lineman Mark Speller, younger brother of Brandon and linebacker Owen Turner.

“Our kids do very well at this,” Mills said. “They love our kids.”

Desjarlais knows exactly what’s ahead, having played for Team Ontario U-17s in last year’s thrilling 20-19 win over Team U.S.A.

“The competition was great,” the 16-year-old Belle River student said. “It’s Team U.S.A. in Texas. You know it’s going to be a good game.”

Desjardins has played in a Canada Cup but he knows this event takes the game to another level.

“It will be a lot different,” the 17-year-old said. “We play their (U.S.) rules and they take football really seriously. It’ll be great to see.”

All games will be live streamed and available through the website at http://www.internationalbowl.com.

Since Khaliel James was the one to draw the headline, I looked up his OVFL Essex Ravens stats.  He was credited with 41 carries for 361 yards (a healthy 8.8-yard average) and five touchdowns.  He also had three receptions for 92 yards and another touchdown.

Brandon Speller, Drew Desjarlais and Zachary Herzog were all named to the OVFL All-Star Team at their age group (junior varsity).

"Assumption quarterback to represent Canada in U.S."

From the Brantford Expositor.

After helping the Assumption College Lions win provincial football championships at the junior and senior level, quarterback Liam Putt is getting ready for another challenge.

Putt, a Grade 11 student, has been named to the U-18 Football Canada Cup National Team, which will be taking on the USA U-18 as part of an International Bowl Series. The series will be played Feb. 7-8 at the University of Texas at Arlington.

"It's awesome and I'm really looking forward to it," Putt said. "It will be a real learning experience for me.

"The competition will be great and it will give me a chance to see how university-level teams practice and prepare for games."

The team, which includes players from across Canada, will assemble at the university a week or so before the games to practice and prepare.

The team was selected by coaches who picked the best players at each position during the Canada Cup football championships in Moncton, New Brunswick, in the summer. Putt was a quarterback with Team Ontario at the Canadian championships.

"I think we should do pretty well," Putt said. "There is a lot of talent here in Canada and I think we'll do well.

"One of the things I think will be important is how quickly we can bond as a team. I think that was something that was part of our success at Assumption."

Putt was the quarterback of the Assumption College Lions junior team which won the Ontario Regional Junior Football (Metro Bowl) title a year ago. Just last month he quarterbacked the senior Assumption College team to the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Association's bowl championship with a 23-14 win over Hamilton's Westdale Secondary School.

Selection to the national team is just the latest accomplishment for Putt, a resident of Caledonia who has been playing football since he was six in the Hamilton-Wentworth Region.