Team USA Announces Practice Schedule for NFL Global Junior Championship VIII

TEAM USA will kick off its preparations for the NFL Global Junior Championship VIII with practices at Rice University and North Shore High School later this month.

No sooner has head coach MIKE JOHNSTON celebrated leading Katy High School to the 5A Texas State Championship than he is back on the practice field plotting international success against visiting teams from Russia, Japan, Mexico and Canada.

In preparation for the tournament that will be played during the week of Super Bowl XXXVIII at Tully Stadium, Team USA's 36-man roster of Houston-Harris County high school all-stars will hold ten practice sessions. The schedule is as follows:

January 12, 13, 14 and 15 4:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. at Rice University

January 20, 21 and 22 4:00 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. at Rice University

January 26, 27 and 29 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at North Shore High School

Team USA will bring together scholar athletes, who had to post a minimum 3.0 GPA through their junior year to be eligible for selection. The following 26 high schools will be represented on the roster: Aldine, Alief Elsik, Alief Hastings, Baytown Lee, Bellaire, Booker T. Washington, C.E. King, Clear Lake, Cy Creek, Cy Fair, Cy Falls, Humble, Katy, Klein, Klein Forest, Lamar, Langham Creek, Mayde Creek, Memorial, North Shore, Pearland, Sam Rayburn, Stratford, Waller, Waltrip and Wheatley.

We are looking for players to be versatile and help us out at a number of positions, said coach Johnston. We feel we've got some outstanding talent and have some good speed and size.

The NFL Global Junior Championship VIII action begins at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 28. USA first plays Russia (2.40pm), then Canada (4.20pm), Japan (6.50pm) and Mexico (8.30pm), all at Tully Stadium over two seven-minute halves. The top two teams from the round robin shootout will meet in the Championship Game at 4:00 p.m. on the eve of Super Bowl XXXVIII, Saturday, January 31. Tickets are available priced $6 per day from Katy, Stratford, Memorial, Cy-Fair and Cypress Creek high schools.

USA Roster:

QB: Brian Johnson, Baytown Lee; Jason Phillips, Waller

WR: Daniel Goetz, Bellaire; Terrance Nunn, Cy Falls; Justin Perry, Langham Creek; Jeremy Haynes, Waller

RB: Brandon Jackson, Booker T. Washington; RB, Brandon Roberson, Pearland

FB: Vernon Moore, C.E. King

TE: Huston Mgbamena, Alief Hastings; Tate Stewart, Katy

OL: Reggie Ballard, Alief Elsik; Joseph Longacre, Katy; Caleb Morris, Klein; Chris Herald, Klein Forest; David Accardo, Mayde Creek; Chris Simon, Waller

C: Stephen Ray, StratfordK / P: Jason Bondzio, Humble

DE: Shane Richborg, North Shore; Chris Bocard, North Shore; Michael Wagner, Waltrip

DT Todd Mohr, Cy Creek; Avery Williams, Lamar; Eric Mikolachak, Mayde Creek

LB: Larry Coleman, Aldine; Patrick Robinson, Baytown Lee; Zach Kenney, Memorial; Charles Robinson, North Shore; Daniel Adamek, Sam Rayburn

DB: Charles Godfrey, Baytown Lee; Russell Schober, Clear Lake; Shane Cassey, Cy Fair; Shaun Irehirl, Humble; Michael Parker, Katy; Frank Jones,Wheatley

* Please note Joseph Fields (Booker T. Washington) has been replaced by Vernon Moore (C.E King).

Ends.

Michael Preston
Media Relations
781-363-0305
michaelp67@aol.com