"Ramsay eager to showcase talents in International Bowl"

The article below is copied from insidehalton.com and written Steve Leblanc. The photography was listed from Ramsey's Twitter page.

...More than a little eager to return to the Dallas Cowboy’s hollowed grounds of AT&T Stadium next Friday (Feb. 5), Thomas Ramsay is set to help Ontario’s U18 squad battle the U.S. in the International Bowl. 

For one looking to raise his profile and get on college coaches’ radar, opportunities don’t get much bigger than this. 

“I’m really excited for the chance to showcase my talents and get some more film for recruiters,” said the 17-year-old defensive tackle, who stamped his ticket to the Lone Star State with a successful qualifying bid for the provincial team last month in Hamilton. 

This marks his second time at the International Bowl, having been part of the Ontario U17 team last year — suffering the lone defeat in a 3-1 showing for the provincial program. “I’m ready to represent Milton and Ontario (again).” 

As comfortable as he looks delivering a big hit or muscling his way through high-traffic situations, football wasn’t always Ramsay’s sport of choice. 

A solid contributor on the rep basketball scene for several years, the now 6-foot-1, 265-pounder made the switch from the court to gridiron shortly after joining the Milton District Mustangs junior football team in Grade 9. 

The reason was quite simple. 

“I like the aggression… the hitting. It was instant love,” recalled Ramsay, who’s spent time on both the offensive and defensive line. “At first I just used my natural strength, and once I got the (tackle) technique down I was flying.” 

 

The International Bowl isn’t the only opportunity the local lineman has had to take his football prowess south of the border. 

Landing a spot at Welland-based Canada Prep Academy this past fall, Ramsay was part of the country’s only all-US schedule — testing himself against many of America’s high-ranked schools. 

The move from MD — where he’d helped the Mustangs to the Halton Tier 3 title the previous season — also saw him come under the tutelage of former NFL/CFL lineman Kevin Huntley. 

“I thought I had my pass rushing moves down, but he (coach Huntley) has taught me so many things,” noted Ramsay, who was also part of the Burlington Stampeders provincial championship drive last summer. “I’ve been very fortunate to have him as my coach and to play a lot of big schools. There’s been great competition.” 

While set to play for another d-line coach he’s already worked with — Carleton University’s Darrell Adams — Ramsay and his Team Ontario mates haven’t practiced together yet and will have just a few days in Texas to gel before taking on their U.S. counterparts. 

That’s where one of the harder to measure but no less valuable upgrades to his game over the past year should serve him well. 

“I’d say team work may be my biggest improvement recently. I think I’ve gotten better at working with different surroundings and am getting along better with different players,” said Ramsay, who’s played with just two members of Team Ontario before, both of them on offence. “I want to fly around out there, make some plays and hopefully we can pull out the win.”

"UW freshman set for American gridiron duel"

WATERLOO (Christine Rivet, Waterloo Region Record) — As a converted hockey player, Jesse Gibbon brings all the athleticism and ferocity of a rampaging defenceman to the gridiron. 

The University of Waterloo's hulking offensive lineman dropped jaws and opposing running backs with equal aplomb in his freshman campaign for the Warriors. 

 

To go with his conference all-rookie selection this past season, Gibbon becomes the first Warrior chosen to play football in an international event since current Saskatchewan Roughrider Chris Best appeared at the East-West Shrine Game in 2007 in Houston. 

Gibbon is destined for Sunday's International Bowl at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex., home of the Dallas Cowboys. 

He, along with 29 of Canada's top under-19 football players, will face the United States in the game with national pride on the line. 

"Jesse finishes. He plays to the whistle and sometimes beyond," said UW's head coach Chris Bertoia. "I think he developed that from his hockey days." 

The six-foot-five, 290-pound behemoth from Hamilton eventually abandoned his competitive hockey career in high school. 

... 

"Jesse's got a big ceiling. We think he's just scratching the surface. He's a guy with pro potential," said Bertoia.

Winnipeg's Zach Williams selected for U-19 national football team

On Wednesday, Football Canada announced some 30 players who would participate in the U19 game at the International Bowl next month.

Among those named was Manitoba Bison offensive lineman Zack Williams. I dug up the following article about him from The Manitoban, the school's student newspaper. It was written by Mike Still last August The photograph was found on Twitter, so not sure who credit goes to for that.

Zack Williams is one of the most humble, polite individuals you will meet.

Once he hits the gridiron, however, the six-foot-six, 285-pound offensive lineman turns a switch on, and if you’re in his way, you’ll find yourself on the turf in a hurry. 

Williams’s football journey is an interesting one. He played the game from age seven until 12, but then stopped in order to pursue hockey. Football caught his attention again in high school, though, and he chose to take it up in grade 10 at Murdoch MacKay Collegiate. 

Things didn’t go as planned in his sophomore season, unfortunately, as he saw little to no game action. Instead of getting down, Williams took his lack of playing time as motivation – working hard and getting serious with his training in the off-season, putting on an extra 30 pounds. That’s when things changed for the better. 

Williams ended up starting every game at left tackle the following season for Murdoch, and also earned a spot on Team Manitoba for the 2013 Football Canada Cup, where he played in every game at his more natural position of right tackle. 

He would earn the nod for Team Manitoba again in 2014, and was also selected to Team Canada later that summer. To cap things off, he chose to forgo his grade 12 season at Murdoch and instead played for the CJFL’s Winnipeg Rifles, where he was named PFC Rookie of the year. 

With all the accolades Williams was gaining, it’s no surprise that he was highly recruited. He talked to every single CIS football team heading into his senior year, except those in the RSEQ conference. Ultimately, he decided to commit to the University of North Dakota, a Division 1 American school. 

Things looked great going forward, but Williams knew that his decision to commit to UND wasn’t wholehearted. 

“Deep down, I wanted to go to the [University of Manitoba] Bisons, but the pressure I guess you could say, sucked me down,” Williams said. 

“Even before the [recruiting] process, I thought that I wanted to stay home.” 

Because Williams committed before grade 12, he had a whole year to ponder his choice. Just under a month ago, he opted to de-commit, for a variety of personal reasons. Not too long after that, he became a Bison.

"Yarmouth Teenager Tackling Football"

On the eve of the start of the 2015 Football Canada Cup, let's take a look at this profile of Team Nova Scotia's Jadon Robinson. The photo is uncredited in the complete version of the article.

YARMOUTH – When Jadon Robinson was a Grade 3 student at Arcadia Consolidated School, he laced up for the school hockey team. He would shuffle from one end of the ice to the other. There were no long hockey strides. His were baby steps on the ice. 

While he continued to play the sport, admittedly, he says, hockey was not really his thing. So it’s not surprising that baseball took over as his favourite sport to play. 

But given his size – he says he’s 6’4” and 340 lbs. – some around him, in particular his brother-in-law Chris Pyne, wondered if the teen should pursue another sport.

Football, it seemed, might be a natural fit. 

It turns out it was. 

“I was in love with it as soon as I stepped on the field,” Jadon says. 

And the sport seems to love him back. Last year – his first year playing football – he was a member of the Nova Scotia provincial under-17 team. He played at the Spalding Cup in Montreal and was named to the all-star team. 

This summer, as part of the provincial under-18 team, Jadon – who turns 17 in September – will compete at the Football Canada Cup in Quebec July 13-19.... 

Since Yarmouth doesn’t have football teams, this past school year Jadon attended Sir John A Macdonald High School in Tantallon (outside Halifax) where he played Division 1 football. His positions included right guard and left guard (on the) offensive line and sometimes defensive tackle. 

Asked what it is about football that gave him an instant connection to – and love of – the sport, Jadon says, “It’s a really physical sport, that’s the main thing I like about it. And the teamwork is big. You work as a unit. 

“And just the atmosphere was great. I just felt welcomed with open arms and that helps a lot when you’re with guys you don’t know, but they act like they’ve known you for 10 years,” he adds. “You’re just one family.” 

Jadon’s Sir John A coach Steve Majury says players will take a few paths to football. There are those who have played it since they were young kids and stuck with it through junior high and into high school. And there are those who are late entrants to the sport, only coming to it in high school, like Jadon. 

“He’s been able to pick up the sport extremely quickly,” Majury says. “He’s made for it. He’s a big, strong, very quick athlete. Given his size, he’s built for football, and his mentality is being a very competitive individual, which I really like about him on the football field.” 

Plus the teenager is very coachable. 

“He’s a very personable young man. He’s intelligent and he just really listens well to coaches as we teach technique and have him really work on specific things,” Majury says. 

... 

This isn't to say Jadon doesn’t have room for improvement, he says. Conditioning, cardio and strength training are all things he still needs to work on, Majury says, saying Jadon’s only limitation at this point is himself. 

“From a potential standpoint, you just look at the shear size and athleticism, those are things you can’t really teach and he’s got those attributes,” he says. “So he can go as far as he wants to with football. If he pushes himself the sky’s the limit for him.” 

As for how far he’d like to go, Jadon – who will enter Grade 12 in the fall – says he’s not sure. He’s still contemplating his future beyond high school, but is leaving all doors open...

"Three Nova Scotia footballers on Canadian squads taking on Americans"

Good article below from Halifax's Chronicle Herald about three Nova Scotia players representing Canada at the International Bowl. The picture is from a recruiting article from April of last year as both Robinson and Rostek were preparing to join Mount Allison's football program.

Nova Scotia’s Nate Rostek, Shaun Robinson and Greg Hutchins are headed into hostile territory to take on the rival U.S.

...

Rostek, a defensive back, played on under-19 team last year, which lost 43-7. He is one of six returning players.

Robinson, a defensive lineman, played on the under-18 team last year and will making his third international appearance for Canada overall.

Rostek said he didn’t play as well as he wanted to last year and neither did the team. He is happy to get another chance.

“It is an absolute honour to be chosen to represent your country,” said Rostek, who played in high school at Sir John A. Macdonald. “I’m very excited as I see this year as redemption.”

He said it is a bit of adjustment for the Canadians since the game is played under American rules. But he believes the returning group can help overcome those obstacles.

“I expect myself and the other returners to push the new players to work hard in practice and to learn the play book, as we know how the end of the week can go if the opponent is underestimated.

“Overall we come in as equals as both us and the Americans were chosen as the best in our country, so I expect nothing less than a tough-fought and competitive game.”

Robinson, a Citadel grad, was part of Canada’s team that lost 40-17 to the Americans for the gold medal at last year’s world championship in Kuwait.

However, he was part of the Canadian under-18 team to beat the Americans 53-9 in Texas last winter.

“It means a lot to go back down to Texas, the experience of representing your country is like none other,” he said. “To test your ability against some of the best players in the U.S. is surreal and I’m excited to show what Canada can do.

“Playing the U.S. is always a tough task but I think we have a lot of talent. The advantage we have is a lot of us played together from previous national teams, so that’s a big up for us.”

...

Hutchins, a kicker from Bedford, will be part of the Canadian under-18 to play the U.S. this Friday night at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys.

Hutchins, set to enter university this fall, is one of four players back from last year’s team.

“It was great to be part of Team Canada’s big victory over Team USA last year, but to have that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity given to me twice is unbelievable,” said Hutchins.

“I’m very proud. It’s funny that when I tell people we beat the U.S. 53-9, they can’t believe it. They know how competitive we are in hockey, but most have no idea that we can hold our own in football too.”

"Stadnyk Named to Team Canada"

I've posted portions of a few articles articles about the U18 club going to Texas to play in the International Bowl, but there are some coming out now about selections to the U19 team. I'm going to be posting those over the course of the next couple of days. The one below is from Peter Ruicci for the Sault Star.  I'm not certain who gets credit for the picture, but it is lifted from another Ruicci article about Stadnyk from mid 2013.

It was something he'd hoped for, but never really expected would happen. 

The Sault's Mitchell Stadnyk has been chosen to play for the Canadian Junior National (under-19) Team that will compete in the 2015 International Bowl Series. 

... 

“I'm very excited for the opportunity to represent not only Sault Ste. Marie and Ontario, but Canada,” said Stadnyk, an 18-year-old who plays both defensive end and defensive tackle. 

... 

A year ago, the six-foot-two, 255-pounder played for the Team Ontario Selects under-17 squad, which also competed in Arlington, Texas. 

Stadnyk started at defensive end and helped Team Ontario beat Team USA 28-21 at Maverick Stadium. 

... 

Going up against players of that calibre “will be the biggest challenge I've faced,” said Stadnyk, who's starred for both the St. Mary's Knights senior team and the Sault Sabercats of the Ontario Varsity Football League. “I just plan to prepare well and do my best to represent Canada.” 

... 

Stadnyk, who chose to return to St. Mary's for a fifth year of high school in order to better prepare himself to play at the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) level next fall, brings an impressive resume to the Canadian squad. 

Playing a number of positions, he was named most valuable player of the local High School Senior Football League last fall. 

He was the city's junior football MVP as a Grade 10 student. 

A three-time, senior all-star, Stadnyk was named the city's high school lineman of the year in 2013. 

He's also played three seasons with the Sabercats. In 2014, he was named to the Adams Conference all-star team and was chosen the conference's top defensive lineman. 

He was also named Sabercats defensive lineman of the year. 

“I'm proud to say I'm a graduate of Soo Minor Football, the local high school football leagues and I'm a member of the Sault Sabercats organization,” Stadnyk said. “The coaching I've received locally has prepared me for this challenge.” 

“His development has been unbelievable,” said Sabercats head coach Steve Nott. “He's shown how much development you can have when you possess that much talent and you work hard.” 

... 

Stadnyk's head coach with the Knights last year, Dave Sguigna, spoke of how the player is well-deserving of this honour. 

“He has all of the technical merits of a sound defensive lineman,” Sguigna said. “And obviously, the Team Canada coaches see the same things we do in the Sault. We're proud to have someone from Sault Ste. Marie playing for Canada.”

"(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.

"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.