Linebackers Ronnie Feist and Carlos Mendoza, safeties Ronald Geohaghan and
Marcus Maye and offensive linemen Brian Gaia, Joe Harris and Ian Park have been selected to play for the 2012 U.S. Under-19 National Team, assembled by USA Football. The team will compete Feb. 1 – National Signing Day – in the third annual International Bowl®, formerly Team USA vs. The World.
The International Bowl is sanctioned by International Federation of American Football. IFAF is composed of 62 nations spanning six continents that possess a national federation dedicated solely to American football.
The U.S. Under-19 National Team, comprised of high school athletes, will face an IFAF World Team of top players age 19-and-under from outside the United States. Both teams will field a roster of 50 players. Team USA’s players and coaches are selected by USA Football.
The 2012 International Bowl will be played at The Palace at Round Rock in Austin, Texas.
Feist registered 22 sacks as a junior at Edgard (La.) West St. John High School, leading to offers from most major colleges before he verbally committed to LSU. Feist also had 35 tackles for loss in earning all-state honors. A 6-foot-1, 225-pound defensive end in high school, he is projected as a linebacker in college.
A standout linebacker at Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian High School, Mendoza verbally committed to play at Arizona State after finishing 2010 with 63 tackles and four sacks. As a 6-0, 215-pound running back, he rushed for 519 yards and six TDs on just 71 carries (7.3 average), helping his school go undefeated in league play and reach the postseason.
Geohaghan is a hard-hitting, athletic 6-0, 185-pound safety from Allendale-Fairfax (S.C.) High School, who compiled nearly 100 tackles as a junior. Verbally committed to play at Clemson, Geohaghan has played linebacker, cornerback and both safety positions in high school but is projected as a free safety for the Tigers.
Maye is an explosive player who has battled calf and foot injuries the last two seasons. He had four interceptions as a junior despite playing in just five games for Melbourne (Fla.) Holy Trinity Episcopal High School. He has verbally committed to play at Florida.
Gaia is a two-way lineman who has the ability to play on either side of the ball in college. A big, strong run-blocker, Gaia had 13 tackles for loss and two sacks as a junior for Baltimore Gillman School. The 6-3, 290-pounder has verbally committed to play at Penn State.
An offensive guard with a strong upper body and good footwork, Harris has verbally committed to play at South Carolina. At 6-4, 290 pounds, Harris received more than 20 scholarship offers for his play at Lithonia (Ga.) High School.
Park is a 6-2, 295-pound offensive lineman from Pittsburgh Upper St. Clair High School. With good size and footwork, Park is able to get out and lead a running play or drop back in pass protection. A three-year starter, he has verbally committed to play at Northwestern and is the younger brother of Dartmouth quarterback ALEX PARK.
Team USA is led by Steve Specht, head coach of Cincinnati St. Xavier High School. Specht led St. Xavier to Ohio Division I (largest school division) state titles in 2005 and 2007. He is 80-19 (.808) since becoming the head coach at his high school alma mater following the 2003 season.
A national team exemption granted by the NCAA allows high school seniors to play for USA Football and not have their participation count as one of their two permitted all-star game appearances. The International Bowl is recognized as a national team competition.
USA Football is the sport’s national governing body in the United States and is the official youth football development partner of the NFL and NFL Players Association.
Greg Marshall of the University of Western Ontario in Canada is the IFAF World Team’s head coach. His 10-member staff consists of assistant coaches from Canada, France, Great Britain, Japan, Mexico, Spain and Sweden.
The U.S. Under-19 team defeated The World, 21-14, in February 2011 in Austin, Texas, as well as 17-0, in January 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The U.S. also won the gold medal at the IFAF Under-19 World Championship in Canton, Ohio, during the summer of 2009.
U.S. Under-19 National Team roster:
|
Name |
Pos. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
High School |
Hometown |
College verbal |
|
Cory Batey |
WR |
6-0 |
185 |
Ensworth |
Nashville, Tenn. |
Vanderbilt |
|
Malcom Brown |
DT |
6-2 |
280 |
Brenham |
Brenham, Texas |
Texas |
|
Ray Buchanan Jr. |
DB |
5-10 |
176 |
Peachtree Ridge
|
Suwanee, Ga. |
Arkansas |
|
Alex Carter |
S |
6-0 |
195 |
Briar Woods |
Ashburn, Va. |
Stanford |
|
Timothy Cole |
LB |
6-2 |
220 |
Brenham |
Brenham, Texas |
Texas |
|
Imani Cross |
RB |
6-1 |
220 |
North Hall |
Gainesville, Ga. |
Tennessee |
|
Ronald Darby |
RB |
5-11 |
180 |
Potomac |
Oxon Hill, Md. |
Notre Dame |
|
Noor Davis |
LB |
6-4 |
225 |
Leesburg |
Leesburg, Fla. |
Stanford |
|
Romond Deloatch |
WR |
6-4 |
215 |
Phoebus |
Hampton, Va. |
Uncommitted |
|
J.J. Denman |
OL |
6-7 |
305 |
Pennsbury
|
Fairless Hills,
Pa. |
Wisconsin |
|
Ronnie Feist |
LB |
6-1 |
225 |
West St. John |
Edgard, La. |
LSU |
|
Boone Feldt |
OL |
6-3 |
285 |
Buda Hayes |
Buda, Texas |
North Texas |
|
Devin Funchess |
TE |
6-5 |
205 |
Harrison |
Farmington Hills,
Mich. |
Michigan |
|
Brian Gaia |
OL |
6-3 |
290 |
Gilman School |
Baltimore, Md. |
Penn State |
|
Greg Garmon |
RB |
6-2 |
195 |
McDowell |
Erie, Pa. |
Uncommitted |
|
Ronald Geohaghan |
S |
6-0 |
185 |
Allendale-Fairfax |
Fairfax, S.C. |
Clemson |
|
Deontay Greenberry |
WR |
6-4 |
187 |
Washington Union |
Fresno, Calif. |
Notre Dame |
|
Paul Griggs |
K-P |
6-0 |
195 |
Latin |
Charlotte, N.C. |
Purdue |
|
Todd Gurley |
RB |
6-1 |
195 |
Tarboro |
Tarboro, N.C. |
Uncommitted |
|
Mark Harrell |
OL |
6-5 |
270 |
Charlotte Catholic |
Charlotte, N.C. |
Notre Dame |
|
DeVante Harris |
DB |
5-11 |
160 |
Horn |
Mesquite, Texas |
Oklahoma |
|
Joe Harris |
OL |
6-4 |
290 |
Lithonia |
Lithonia, Ga. |
South Carolina |
|
Nick James |
DT |
6-5 |
335 |
Long Beach |
Long Beach, Miss. |
Mississippi State |
|
Royce
Jenkins-Stone |
LB |
6-2 |
215 |
Cass Tech |
Detroit, Mich. |
Michigan |
|
Trey Keenan |
OL |
6-5 |
275 |
Argyle |
Argyle, Texas |
Texas Tech |
|
Marcus Maye |
S |
6-1 |
195 |
Holy Trinity
Episcopal |
Melbourne, Fla. |
Florida |
|
Carlos Mendoza |
LB |
6-0 |
215 |
Oaks Christian |
Westlake Village,
Calif. |
Arizona State |
|
Hardy Nickerson
Jr. |
LB |
5-11 |
210 |
Bishop O’Dowd |
Oakland, Calif. |
California |
|
Ifeadi Odenigbo |
DE |
6-4 |
210 |
Centerville |
Centerville, Ohio |
Uncommitted |
|
Moana Ofahengaue |
DE |
6-4 |
210 |
Westlake |
Lehi, Utah |
Uncommitted |
|
Ian Park |
OL |
6-4 |
295 |
Upper St. Clair |
Pittsburgh, Pa. |
Northwestern |
|
Jordan Payton |
WR |
6-2 |
200 |
Oaks Christian |
Westlake Village,
Calif. |
Uncommitted |
|
Se’Von Pittman |
DT |
6-5 |
245 |
McKinley |
Canton, Ohio |
Michigan State |
|
Gimel President |
DE |
6-3 |
240 |
Wando |
Mount Pleasant,
S.C. |
Auburn |
|
Terry Richardson |
CB |
5-9 |
160 |
Cass Tech |
Detroit, Mich. |
Michigan |
|
Rob Riederer |
S |
6-1 |
205 |
Holton |
Holton, Kan. |
Tulsa |
|
James Ross |
LB |
6-0 |
209 |
St. Mary’s |
Orchard Lake,
Mich. |
Michigan |
|
Tee Shepard |
CB |
6-1 |
180 |
Washington Union |
Fresno, Calif. |
Notre Dame |
|
Canon Smith |
TE |
6-4 |
240 |
Briarwood
Christian |
Birmingham, Ala. |
Uncommitted |
|
Caleb Stacy |
OL |
6-4 |
275 |
Oak Hills |
Cincinnati |
Michigan |
|
Spencer Stanley |
OL |
6-4 |
275 |
Trinity Valley |
Fort Worth, Texas |
Rice |
|
Max Tuerk |
OL |
6-6 |
290 |
Santa Margarita
Cath. |
Rancho Santa
Margarita, Calif. |
Southern Cal |
|
Chad Voytik |
QB |
6-1 |
185 |
Cleveland |
Cleveland, Tenn. |
Pittsburgh |
|
Jameis Winston |
QB |
6-4 |
200 |
Hueytown |
Hueytown, Ala. |
Florida State |
USA Football’s national team program is supported by corporate partners Marriott, Riddell, Sports Authority, Rawlings, Gatorade, Upper Deck, Shock Doctor and St.Vincent Sports Performance.
About USA Football: USA Football, the sport's national governing body in the United States, hosts more than 80 football training events annually offering education for coaches and game officials, skill development for players and resources for youth football league commissioners. The independent non-profit is the official football development partner of the NFL and its 32 teams, the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Mid-American Conference and the Patriot League. USA Football manages U.S. national teams within the sport for international competition and awards $1 million annually in equipment grants to youth and high school football programs based on merit and need. Endowed by the NFL and the NFL Players Association in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund, USA Football is chaired by former NFL team executive Carl Peterson.