by Jeff Fisher
High School Football America
Twenty different states are represented on the
USA Football Under-19 national team that will play in the 2012
International Federation of American Football (IFAF) World Championship.
Earlier this week, USA Football announced its 45-man roster that will be led by head coach
Steve Specht for the eight-team tournament that will be played in Austin, Texas. The United States won the inaugural world championship in 2009.
The United States will be trying to defend its gold medal against the likes of American Samoa, Austria, Canada, France, Japan, Panama and Sweden.
Here's the U-19 USA Roster:
#1 - Darrius Sims, 5-10, 170, DB, Southaven, Miss., Whitehaven HS
#2 - Jesus Wilson, 5-10, 170, WR, Homestead, Fla., Christopher Columbus HS
#3 - Cameron Walker, 5-10, 180, DB, Los Angeles, Calif., Loyola HS
#4 - Tyler Willis, 5-11, 190, DB
Indianapolis, Ind., Cathedral HS
#5 - Rashad Kinlaw, 6-2, 180, WR, Galloway, N.J., Absegami HS
#6 - Dajuan Drennon, 6-3, 230, DE, Clementon, N.J., Timber Creek HS
#7 - Rodney Adams, 6-1, 170, WR, St. Petersburg, Fla., Lakewood HS
#8 - Desmond Wyatt, 5-11, 170, WR, Austin, Texas, Westwood HS
#9 - Dashon Hunt, 5-10, 175, DB, Simi Valley, Calif., Westlake HS
#10 - Tarean Folston, 5-9, 185, RB, Rockledge, Fla., Cocoa HS
#11 - Brayden Scott, 6-3, 200, QB, Tulsa, Okla., Tahlequah-Sequoyah HS
#13 - Reggie Chevis, 6-2, 238, LB, Houston, Texas, Sharpstown HS
#15 - Trent Hosick
6-2, 223, QB, Kansas City, Mo., Staley HS
#16 - Demarcus Ayers, 5-10, 165, WR, Lancaster, Texas, Lancaster HS
#17 - Malique Belfort
6-4, 175, WR, Staten Island, N.Y., Tottenville HS
#18 - Isaac McDonald, 6-5, 210, LB, Hialeah, Fla., Champagnat Catholic HS
#19 - Samuel Douglas, 6-2, 180, LB, Arlington, Texas, Arlington HS
#20 - Lorenzo Woodley, 6-0, 210, RB, Miami, Fla., Christopher Columbus HS
#21 - Kight Dallas, 6-2, 220, DE-LB, Lithonia, Ga., Arabia Mountain HS
#22 - Chase Abbington, 6-4, 210, LB, St. Peters, Mo., Fort Zumwalt South HS
#23 - Darius Mosley, 5-11, 175, DB, O’Fallon, Ill., O’Fallon HS
#24 - Conor Hundley, 5-9, 185, RB, Cincinnati, Ohio, St. Xavier HS
#25 - Khari Harding, 6-1, 205, LB, Edmond, Okla., Santa Fe HS
#26 - Malik Rucker, 6-0, 175, DB, Minneapolis, Minn., Robbinsdale Cooper HS
#28 - Eric Beisel, 6-4, 235, LB, Fenton, Mo., Rockwood Summit HS
#29 - Cameron Vanwinkle, 5-11, 165, K-P, Fall City, Wash., Mount Si HS
#32 - Reggie Spearman, 6-2, 210, LB, Burnham, Ill., Simeon HS
#40 - Daeshon Hall, 6-6, 235, DE, Lancaster, Texas, Lancaster HS
#41 - Justin
Bridges-Thompson, 6-2, 200, LB, Spartanburg, S.C., Spartanburg HS
#43 - Lance Duran, 6-0, 215, LB, Austin, Texas, Westlake HS
#44 - Dakota Jackson, 6-3, 250, TE, Roanoke, Va., Northside HS
#54 - Cory Jasudowich, 6-2, 235, LB, North Branford, Conn., Cheshire HS
#62 - Bobby Billingsley, 6-2, 273, OL, Memphis, Tenn., Memphis East HS
#63 - Alec Abeln, 6-4, 275, OL, St. Louis, Mo., St. Louis University HS
#66 - Phil Clay, 6-3, 275, OL, Plainfield, Ind., Plainfield HS
#68 - Austin Bland, 6-3, 275, OL, Weston, Fla., St. Thomas Aquinas HS
#70 - Hunter Bivin, 6-7, 288, OL, Owensboro, Ky., Apollo HS
#72 - Logan Tuley-Tillman, 6-7, 321, OL, Peoria, Ill., Manual HS
#77 - Ethan Pocic, 6-7, 285, OL, Lemont, Ill., Lemont HS
#78 - Logan Stott, 6-3, 300, OL, St. George, Utah, Pine View HS
#79 - Jack Kurzu, 6-4, 305, OL, St. Louis, Mo., MICDS
#81 - Tyler Provo, 6-3, 240, TE, West Palm Beach, Fla., American Heritage HS
#88 - Durham Smythe, 6-6, 230, TE, Belton, Texas, Belton HS
#98 - Jacob Hyde, 6-2, 338, DT, Manchester, Ky., Clay County HS
#99 - Herbert Moore, 6-1, 335, DT, Memphis, Tenn., Memphis East HS
U.S. Under-19 National Team coaching staff: Steve Specht
Cincinnati, Ohio
St. Xavier (Head Coach) Chris Merritt
Miami, Fla.
Christopher Columbus (Offensive Coordinator) Rick Streiff
Indianapolis, Ind.
Cathedral (Defensive Coordinator) Tom Bolden
Cincinnati, Ohio
Colerain (Offensive line) Gabe Infante
Philadelphia, Pa.
St. Joseph’s (Defensive line) Ken Lucas
Annapolis, Md.
Annapolis Area Christian (Secondary) Greg McCaig
Houston, Texas
Cypress Creek (Tight Ends & Special Teams) Cory Moore
St. Petersburg, Fla.
Lakewood (Linebackers) Charlie Ward
Houston, Texas
Westbury Christian (Wide Receivers) L.D. Williams
Austin, Texas
Westwood (Offensive line)
Team USA's first game will be on June 30th against American Samoa.
Below are the rest of the first-round match-ups:
June 30th
#1 USA vs. #8 American Samoa
#2 Canada vs. #7 Sweden
#3 Japan vs. #6 France
#4 Panama vs. #5 Austria
The semifinals will be played on July 3rd, with the championship game set for July 7th. All of the games will be played at Burger Stadium in Austin.
In the past month I've spoke with USA Football executive director
Scott Hallenbeck and Team USA head coach Steve Specht on High School Football America's radio show.
Click here to listen to the Hallenbeck interview.
Click here to listen to the Specht interview.
