Football Canada announces Roster For 2017 Series Against U.S.A.

| Canada | 12/19/2016

Football Canada unveiled its preliminary under-18 national team which will face off against their U.S. counterparts as part of the inaugural North American Championship on January 28, 2017 in Orlando, Florida.

The series of games between USA Football and Football Canada features under-18 and under-19 national team competition.

The North American Championship builds on the rich rivalry developed between the two national teams as Canada and the U.S. have met in each of the first four gold medal games at the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) U19 (Junior) World Championships. Canada evened up its junior world’s gold medal game record, at two, following a 24-6 victory in China. In 2012, Canada defeated Team USA 23-17 to capture its first gold in Austin, Texas.

The U.S. and Canada’s national teams began playing an annual series of games in 2014. This upcoming January will mark the first time that the winter series of games between the two North American national teams is held outside of the International Bowl series. The International Bowl was established in 2010 as a USA versus the World game, played around NCAA national signing day.

“The series has grown tremendously and we’re excited to head to the state of Florida, where the first International Bowl game was held in 2010, and showcase our national team rivalry,” said Shannon Donovan, executive director, Football Canada.

The 40 players invited to the under-18 national team were selected from the 2016 under-18 national tackle football championship, the Football Canada Cup, held July 9-15 in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Joining the players named today in Orlando is the Canada’s under-19 national team, which includes the 2016 Football Canada Cup all-star roster.

The under-18 national team will be led by coaches selected from the eight participating provincial teams that competed at the 2016 Football Canada Cup. Marco Iadeluca, head coach of Quebec’s 2016 gold medal winning Canada Cup entry, will serve the same role with the under-18 national team. The full coaching staff will be announced in the coming weeks.

Arlington, Texas will play host to the 2017 International Bowl series featuring action between provincial teams from Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario who will face U.S. competition.

Players invited to Canada’s under-18 national team

Pos. Name Hometown Provincial team Team 2016
QB Andreas Dueck Winnipeg Manitoba Vincent Massey
QB Ezechiel Tiede Lachine Quebec St. Paul’s (NH)
RB Adam Bennett Upper Tantallon Nova Scotia Sir John A. MacDonald
RB Chase Brown London Ontario Jr. Mustangs
RB Alex Gayle Edmonton Alberta Jasper Place
RB Grégoire Martin Saguenay Quebec Odyssée Dominique-Racine
OL Logan Bandy Calgary Alberta St. Francis
OL Thierry Bernier St-Eustache Quebec André-Grasset
OL Peter Brown London Ontario Jr. Mustangs
OL James Duffey Jr. Leduc Alberta Bev Facey
OL Dylan Estabrooks Sackville New Brunswick Tantramar
OL Tong King Winnipeg Manitoba Vincent Massey
OL Nathan Raymond Redvers Saskatchewan Moosomin
REC Alex Groshak Calgary Alberta St. Francis
REC Noah Johns London Ontario Jr. Mustangs
REC William Marchand Laval Quebec André-Grasset
REC Glodin Mulali Moncton New Brunswick Harrison Trimble
REC Evens Passée-Coutrin Verdun Quebec Dalbe-Viau
REC Bryce Scarrow Waterloo Ontario Twin City Predators
DL William Desgagné Saguenay Quebec Ch.-Lennoxville
DL Alexander Fedchun Calgary Alberta Ernest Manning
DL Emeric Hamelin St-Jerome Quebec Lionel-Groulx
DL Lake Korte-Moore Ottawa Manitoba-Silver
DL Bryce Liwiski Saskatoon Saskatchewan Centennial
DL Germain Renaud-Dumoulin Boucherville Quebec Ch.-Lennoxville
DL Tanner Schmekel Regina Saskatchewan Riffel
DL Jacob Spencer Brantford Ontario Cambridge Lions
LB Lourenz Bowers Dartmouth Nova Scotia Dartmouth
LB Gabriel Pelletier Quebec Quebec CNDF
LB Spencer Smyth Dundas Ontario Varsity Tigercats
LB Daniel Teitz Calgary Alberta Springbank
LB Brody Williams Oakbank Manitoba St.Paul’s
DB Sydney Brown London Ontario Jr. Mustangs
DB Riley Gabriel Truro Nova Scotia Cobequid
DB Randy Gibuku-Mabengo Québec Quebec CNDF
DB Dru Guimond Riverview New Brunswick Riverview
DB Louis Lavaud Vaudreuil-Dorion Quebec John Abbot
DB Jake Robertson Thunder Bay (ON) Manitoba-Silver St. Ignatius
DB Dillon Zimmermann Regina Saskatchewan LeBoldus
K Antoine Couture Montréal Quebec Collège Notre-Dame

Source: Footballcanada.com

Roger Kelly is an editor and a writer for AFI. A former PR Director the B.C. Lions of the Canadian Football League for 7 years, he now lives in Sweden writing about and scouting American Football throughout the world.