Lets Get Ready To Rumble
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The best young football players from six nations and three continents will kick off the annual NFL Global Junior Championship at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday, January 31 as part of the Super Bowl XLI celebrations.
Team captains Frank Bruno (Canada), Max Saint Dens (France), Carlos Arturo Hoyos (Panama), Ikuo Kitamura (Japan), Daniel Cantul (Mexico) and Derek Rifenbury (USA) at the Welcome Banquet
More than 200 players from Canada, France, Japan, Mexico and Panama have arrived in South Florida and are living with host families from local schools as they prepare to meet on the gridiron. Joining them is a Team USA Football roster of 40 student athletes from Miami-Dade and Broward counties under the guidance of head coach mark Guandolo from Chaminade-Madonna Preparatory School in Hollywood. The teams met for the first time at a Welcome Banquet at the Fort Lauderdale War Memorial Auditorium on Monday evening.
The action kicks off at 12pm on Wednesday when European Junior champion France takes on last year’s third place finisher Japan in the National Conference. Reigning champion Canada is France’s next opponent at 1.45pm, then the Canadians face Japan at 3.30pm. 
First round games will be played over two ten-minute halves with the six teams split into two groups. The group winners will meet in the Championship Game at Lockhart Stadium at 3pm on Saturday, February 3.
In the American Conference two-time former champion Mexico faces a Panama team making a welcome return to the tournament after a six-year absence. Team USA debuts at 7.15pm against Panama then meets Mexico at 9pm. General admission to the NFL Global Junior Championship costs $5 per day. Coaches in Broward and Mimai-Dade counties were invited to nominate a maximum of three players per school who had a 3.5GPA through their junior year to be considered for selection.
Photo: Patrick Steenberge introduces Honorary Chairman Jason Taylor alongside Canada head coach Glen Constantin (left) and USA head coach Mark Guandolo
Some players to watch:
Canada: First year Canada coach Glen Constantin, who was previously the team’s defensive coordinator, invited 600 players to tryouts north of the border before selecting his final squad of 40. Quarterback Dalin Tollestrup is the current CIS Player of the Year.
France: Cornerback Paul Meneguzzi was named to the European Junior Championship all-tournament team and poses a threat as a kick returner.
Japan: The versatile Shinnosuke kamo, who plays for Nihon Phoenix in his homeland, is the team’s quarterback, defensive back and punter.
Mexico: Quarterback Gabriel Menese Gonzalez stands 6-3 tall and weighs in at 196 pounds and is poised to lead a traditionally explosive Mexican passing attack.
Panama: Defensive tackle Alonso Jones is the team’s only American-based player, attending Wharton High School in Tampa.
USA: Quarterback Derek Rifenbury threw for 2,036 yards and 19 touchdowns in his senior year at Monarch High School.
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Buy tickets priced $5 per day for games at Lockhart Stadium |