Watch Video: Cayman Islands The Site of 2015 International Scout Bowl

Who needs the NFL when you’ve got the Cayman Kick Off International Scout Bowl? The first full-contact American football game ever to be played in the Cayman Islands kicked off 10 January with Caymanians making an impact in a game featuring former professional and college players from the United States.

In fact Caymanians Perry Levy and Glen Duran scored the first two touchdowns of the game. Both hauled in scoring passes to give their Team America White squad a 13-0 lead at halftime.

“It was awesome,” said Levy, who was one of about 30 Cayman Islands residents to play. “It was exciting. It was something I’ve been looking forward for most of my life. I always wanted to play contact football. The American guys were very helpful to us. I mean we got acclimated pretty quick.”

The game was meant as a way for professional and college scouts to spot talent.

“I think we can play this game,” Levy said. “So I think that’s what we’re gonna take forward from it. Possibly do some more exhibition games and maybe get the NFL involved and maybe we can go this direction in the future. I mean I’m passed my time but maybe the youth can do something like this going forward.”

Sports Minister the Hon. Osbourne Bodden lauded the game as offering Caymanians and residents an opportunity to possibly earn athletic scholarships or be spotted for their talent.

“The fact is if we have some of our young people given that opportunity, it just does wonders for Cayman and wonders for those young people,” Bodden said. “It changes their life.”

The event was put on through a partnership between the College Developmental Football League as well as the Sports Ministry and the Tourism Ministry.

“The reason we do this is because we look for sports tourism that fills in the valleys of our tourism product,” Tourism Minister Hon. Moses Kirkconnell said. “Our hotel rooms are full. So we have a little gap right now that this helps us move the needle. And when we look at sports that can bring activities here when we have rooms available, that’s why we’re looking at different types of sports tourism.”

As for the game itself, Team America Blue rallied from a two-score deficit to score 20-unanswered points for the 20-13 win. Kevin Alberque caught the game-winning touchdown pass with just under one minute remaining.

Source: Cayman 27 News

Link to original article: Sporting history is made as International Scout Bowl kicks off in Cayman Islands