Team USA Adds Four Players

Head coach Mark Guandolo has added four more players to the Team USA Football roster that will represent the United States at the NFL Global Junior Championship XI at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale on January 31 and February 3.

Coach Guandolo’s latest selections were broadcast live on The Dolphins Show – High School Gridiron Report on 790 The Ticket with Dolphins play by play announcer Jimmy Cefalo and fellow hosts Larry Bluestein and Sean Alveshire.

Canada, France, Japan, Mexico and Panama have also named their rosters.

Coach Guandolo (below), from Chaminade Madonna Preparatory School, had already selected 34 players for his 40-man roster in December. On Thursday evening he added: WR/RB Joche Norona, Gulliver Prep; DL James Deikle, Dillard; LB Jeff Fuller, St Thomas Aquinas; FS Lorenzo Fulmer, Cardinal Gibbons.

Explaining that the final two names will be confirmed this week, Coach Guandolo said: “We are talking to some coaches about players to fill the final two spots on the roster. I want to make sure before we pick them that they’re committed to this team and I want to meet with them before adding them to the roster.”

High school head coaches in Broward and Miami-Dade counties were asked to nominate a maximum of three players who were graduating seniors with a 2.5 GPA.

Coach Guandolo added: “These 40 athletes are going to have different coaches and be playing with players that they’ve never played with before, and will be up against international opposition, so it will be very different for them. But it’s a great opportunity for to put themselves under the spotlight for coaches and recruiters who come along to scout them.”

Canada first year head coach Glen Constantin announced his final roster, which will be led by Calgary Dinos quarterback Dalin Tollestrup (pictured), who was the CIS Rookie of the Year north of the border last year. One of his likely targets will be Quebec’s number one receiver Frank Bruno of the Bol d’Or champion Vanier College.

Coach Vincent Miraval of European junior champion France also confirmed his traveling squad, as the French return to the NFL Global Junior Championship after a one-year absence.

Tickets cost $5 per day and are available from local schools Cardinal Gibbons, Pine Crest, North Broward Prep, Western High, University School and Chaminade-Madonna Preparatory, with all proceeds benefiting those schools.

Photo by Brett Beadle