Team USA Faces Canada In Championship
Game; French All-Stars Practice At Alltel Stadium Super
Bowl XXXIX Field
February 04, 2005
The Team USA Jacksonville high school all-stars will take
on Canada in the NFL Global Junior Championship IX final
at The Bolles School tomorrow, Saturday, February 5 at
4pm. It is the fifth straight year the tournament showpiece
will feature the two North American rivals.
Team USA (3-1) overcame a resilient Mexico in the last
of the first round games on Wednesday evening to qualify.
Canada, which finished 4-0, hopes to banish memories of
four straight championship game losses to the Americans
and recapture the title it won in 2000.
The match up pits Florida 3A State Champion head coach
Corky Rogers of Team USA against Canada's Danny
Maciocia, who is also the head coach of the Edmonton Eskimos
of the Canadian Football League.
USA's only first round loss came to Canada when
wide receiver Rod Owens came up an inch short of the endzone
with a catch as time expired that would have given his
team an opportunity to tie the game had it been ruled
a touchdown. We'll see them again on Saturday
when it really counts, said Owens, looking forward
to the rematch.
The action at The Bolles School kicks off at 11am when
Mexico, placed third after the first round, takes on Japan.
France then meets Japan at 12.30pm before France and Mexico
clash at 2pm. Tickets cost $6.
Team France warmed up for its Bronze Medal playoffs by
practicing at Alltel Stadium on the hallowed Super Bowl
XXXIX field. The 36-man roster replicated the offensive
plays of the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles
for the benefit of FOX Television, whose production crew
filmed the workout to test camera angles.
To be on the field just two days before the biggest
game in the world and be running plays is just incredible,
said France head coach Vincent Miraval. It is almost
impossible to put into words how excited we are, but I
do know the players had a fantastic time.
The French youngsters also ran out onto the field among
the cheerleaders of the two Super Bowl teams as a rehearsal
for the pre-game team announcements. |
