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By Patrick McManamon
Beacon Journal sports writer
POSTED: 07:00 p.m. EDT, Jul 05, 2009
CANTON, Ohio: The early word before the inaugural IFAF Junior World Championship title game on Sunday was that the United States and Canada were two teams that really did not like each other.
Some dispute over fishing rights, perhaps?
Hardly.
Nor was this a territorial dispute about borders or the fact that the Canadian Falls at Niagara are so much prettier.
It was about seeds, as in seeding. Canada was the top seed in this 11-day tournament of teams worldwide that competed in U.S. football.
What's next? The U.S. seeded first in Olympic curling?
The second seed rankled U.S. players, who were playing their game on their turf in the town where their game was born.
With, one might add, the finest high school coach in the nation.
Team USA had dominated the tournament, winning 78-0 and 55-0 while barrel-rolling toward the championship game.
The final of 41-3 was that one-sided, and it made the experience an unqualified success for the U.S. team.
Canada managed to score with a field goal in the first quarter. Call that its highlight.
First seed? The collective ''hrrmph'' seemed to come from every U.S. player.
Team USA coach Chuck Kyle of Cleveland St. Ignatius quipped in practice that when he was hired, nobody gave him a manual for how to handle his team. Because this had never been done, there was no manual.
The USA now has one written by a coach whose presence gave the team much credibility.
Because of Kyle, major colleges were not hesitant to send their players. Ohio State's Jim Tressel sent two, including linebacker Storm Klein. Tressel's advice to Klein: Go enjoy yourself.
Klein's interception two plays into the game set up Team USA's first touchdown.
In part because of Kyle, Team USA also welcomed players bound for Virginia, Indiana, Oregon State, Syracuse, Wisconsin, Baylor and Virginia Tech.
Quarterback Bryce Petty is headed to Baylor. He only went 14-for-14 for 190 yards with three touchdowns in the title game.
Running back David Wilson is headed to Virginia Tech.
Wilson was the star of the three games. His speed and quickness were simply too much for every team the USA played — France, Mexico and Canada.
He started the championship averaging more than 14 yards per carry. Canada held him to 8.7. It also held him below 100 yards, as he ran for 87 on 10 carries.
If Wilson and Petty are on TV a lot in coming years, we can say we had a sneak preview.
What's next for Team USA?
The next tournament will be in 2012 at a site to be determined.
There is talk of trying to bring this kind of tournament to the Olympics.
But for these players and this coaching staff and this team, it was about two weeks of working together and turning a collection of players into a team.
Kyle looked back at the experience and talked about things like friendship and bonds.
''These guys will be friends the rest of their lives, because it's a team,'' Kyle said. ''All-star teams never have that. All-star teams play to showcase talent. 'I want to show somebody my talent.'
''Nah, not this one. This was a team.''
After medals were presented, players from eight nations huddled in the corner of Fawcett Stadium just outside the end zone. Voices were heard in a New Zealand tone, with Swedish, Mexican, French and Japanese spoken.
After medals were given, Team USA joined New Zealand to enjoy one last version of the Haka, a dance with roots in the island's Maori heritage.
''This is the coolest thing I've ever seen,'' Brian Smith of Walsh Jesuit said to a teammate.
When it ended, the champions and the last-place finisher embraced and shook hands.
This was what international competition meant to these players.
The championship game wasn't unfriendly, but it did have a mental edge to it for U.S. players, who set out to defend the honor of U.S. football.
''Everybody's motivation was Canada's being [seeded] No. 1,'' Petty said.
''Whoever does that, the next time this happens, I hope they think about that,'' Klein said.
Why shouldn't they wonder? This brand of football was typical United States — right down to the Gatorade bath at the end for Kyle.
''That's our pride and joy here, especially in Ohio,'' Klein said.
The score was their statement.
''This,'' Petty said, ''is our sport.''
Let the rest of the world play rugby.
CANTON, Ohio: The early word before the inaugural IFAF Junior World Championship title game on Sunday was that the United States and Canada were two teams that really did not like each other.
Some dispute over fishing rights, perhaps?
Hardly.
Nor was this a territorial dispute about borders or the fact that the Canadian Falls at Niagara are so much prettier.
It was about seeds, as in seeding. Canada was the top seed in this 11-day tournament of teams worldwide that competed in U.S. football.
What's next? The U.S. seeded first in Olympic curling?
The second seed rankled U.S. players, who were playing their game on their turf in the town where their game was born.
With, one might add, the finest high school coach in the nation.
Team USA had dominated the tournament, winning 78-0 and 55-0 while barrel-rolling toward the championship game.
The final of 41-3 was that one-sided, and it made the experience an unqualified success for the U.S. team.
Canada managed to score with a field goal in the first quarter. Call that its highlight.
First seed? The collective ''hrrmph'' seemed to come from every U.S. player.
Team USA coach Chuck Kyle of Cleveland St. Ignatius quipped in practice that when he was hired, nobody gave him a manual for how to handle his team. Because this had never been done, there was no manual.
The USA now has one written by a coach whose presence gave the team much credibility.
Because of Kyle, major colleges were not hesitant to send their players. Ohio State's Jim Tressel sent two, including linebacker Storm Klein. Tressel's advice to Klein: Go enjoy yourself.
Klein's interception two plays into the game set up Team USA's first touchdown.
In part because of Kyle, Team USA also welcomed players bound for Virginia, Indiana, Oregon State, Syracuse, Wisconsin, Baylor and Virginia Tech.
Quarterback Bryce Petty is headed to Baylor. He only went 14-for-14 for 190 yards with three touchdowns in the title game.
Running back David Wilson is headed to Virginia Tech.
Wilson was the star of the three games. His speed and quickness were simply too much for every team the USA played — France, Mexico and Canada.
He started the championship averaging more than 14 yards per carry. Canada held him to 8.7. It also held him below 100 yards, as he ran for 87 on 10 carries.
If Wilson and Petty are on TV a lot in coming years, we can say we had a sneak preview.
What's next for Team USA?
The next tournament will be in 2012 at a site to be determined.
There is talk of trying to bring this kind of tournament to the Olympics.
But for these players and this coaching staff and this team, it was about two weeks of working together and turning a collection of players into a team.
Kyle looked back at the experience and talked about things like friendship and bonds.
''These guys will be friends the rest of their lives, because it's a team,'' Kyle said. ''All-star teams never have that. All-star teams play to showcase talent. 'I want to show somebody my talent.'
''Nah, not this one. This was a team.''
After medals were presented, players from eight nations huddled in the corner of Fawcett Stadium just outside the end zone. Voices were heard in a New Zealand tone, with Swedish, Mexican, French and Japanese spoken.
After medals were given, Team USA joined New Zealand to enjoy one last version of the Haka, a dance with roots in the island's Maori heritage.
''This is the coolest thing I've ever seen,'' Brian Smith of Walsh Jesuit said to a teammate.
When it ended, the champions and the last-place finisher embraced and shook hands.
This was what international competition meant to these players.
The championship game wasn't unfriendly, but it did have a mental edge to it for U.S. players, who set out to defend the honor of U.S. football.
''Everybody's motivation was Canada's being [seeded] No. 1,'' Petty said.
''Whoever does that, the next time this happens, I hope they think about that,'' Klein said.
Why shouldn't they wonder? This brand of football was typical United States — right down to the Gatorade bath at the end for Kyle.
''That's our pride and joy here, especially in Ohio,'' Klein said.
The score was their statement.
''This,'' Petty said, ''is our sport.''
Let the rest of the world play rugby.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Canton, OH
Posted 09:32 PM, 07/05/2009
yawn. .snore. . .zzzzzzzzz .. .
Posted 09:14 AM, 07/06/2009
Great game, watched it on Fox Sports. Good crowd too.
