RivalsHigh
The day started in ceremonious fashion as dozens of members of the U.S. Under-19 National Team signed Letters of Intent to play college football at some of the top programs in the country.
It was a recognition of their immense talent.
The day ended in stunned disbelief as the team fell to a collection of mostly unheralded players from around the world, 35-29, in the third annual International Bowl Wednesday in Austin, Texas.
The loss - the first for the U.S. in international football competition - was a revelation that this country's grip on football may not be as great as it realized. "You can't just show up [and win] because you've got a lot of talent," U.S. head coach Steve Specht said. "You still have to play the game."
Specht, the head coach of Cincinnati (Ohio) St. Xavier, said the result should be a wake-up call.
"[International players] are getting better," he said. "It comes to a point where we have to realize and our kids have to realize they are getting better year after year. They are studying the game."
The International Bowl was started three years ago by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) as a way to grow the game around the world, offering an opportunity for players - and more importantly coaches - to learn how the game is played at the highest level.
The U.S. team won the first two games, never trailing in either. In fact, the Under-19 team had given up just 17 points in five international games, including three games in the 2009 IFAF World Championship.
You wouldn't have known it Wednesday night.
The U.S. team fell behind 21-9 at halftime and trailed by as much as 35-16 early in the fourth quarter before staging a rally that fell short.
"The kids battled until the very end," Specht said. "The bottom line is you can't wait until late in the game to say, 'Hey, this is for real.' "
The U.S. team is comprised of some of the top high school seniors from the continental United States, players such as Jameis Winston, a five-star recruit regarded as the top-ranked quarterback in the Class of 2012. Other top prospects, ones going to schools such as Florida State, Auburn, Michigan, Ohio State and Stanford, dotted the roster. The International team is comprised of players from the rest of the world, some of whom have a year of post-high school play. Canadians and Pacific Islanders make up the bulk of the roster, but this year's team had players from 13 different countries, including Sweden, France, Austria, Mexico, Brazil and Australia.
"I'm a little numb right now," International Team head coach Greg Marshall said. "I'm just so proud of our coaches and our players."
Marshall, the head coach at the University of Western Ontario, said his team felt it could compete. And though a half-dozen of his players also signed Letters of Intent to play football in the U.S. - five at BCS-level programs - Marshall recognized the supposed talent disparity.
"We knew we put in a complicated game plan, because we knew we weren't going to beat them playing straight up," he said. "It was a great team effort."
Anthony Coombs, who plays at the University of Manitoba, led the way. He took MVP honors after rushing for 147 yards and two scores.
For Coombs, the win meant more than just a score.
"People don't think anyone can play outside of the United States," he said. "This is going to make the U.S. take this event more seriously, and it's also going to inspire tons of little kids around the world. It feels great that we did this."
|
|
