Football Canada adds ten to U19 national team
Canada’s U19 national team face US on Jan. 31 at AT&T Stadium in Texas
Photo credit: USA Football
Football Canada announces the addition of JESSE AMANKWAA, NICHOLAS DHEILLY, LIAM DOBSON, CONNOR GUILLET, NIKOLA KALINIC, STAVROS KATSANTONIS, CODY PETERS, JASON PRICE, ALEXANDER SALYTCHEV, and JAY YAUSIE to Canada’s U19 roster in preparation for their 2016 International Bowl game against the US national team on January 31 in Arlington, Texas.
Games will take place at AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and are a collaboration of the sport’s national governing bodies in each country – USA Football and Football Canada – featuring top student-athletes in football’s greatest annual international competition.
A rookie at UBC this past season, STAVROS KATSANTONIS became a game changer for the Thunderbirds as they capped off a miracle season. The freshman was named the defensive MVP of the 2015 Vanier Cup after posting 6.5 tackles, a knocked down pass and 1 forced fumble, which he recovered himself.
JESSE AMANKWAA had an impressive first season of his own with the York Lions, earning the 2015 OUA Rookie of the Year Award. Amankwaa appeared in all eight games for the Lions last season and finished second in the OUA in rushes with 137, while his 689 yards placed him sixth in the conference. The 6-foot-0, 216-pound running back averaged 86.1 yards per game and finished inside the top 10 with four TDs.
Rounding out the additions are NICHOLAS DHEILLY (LeBoldus), NIKOLA KALINIC (York), Saskatoon Hilltops CONNOR GUILLET, CODY PETERS, JASON PRICE and JAY YAUSIE, as well as a pair of Ontario prep players – ALEXANDER SALYCHEV (The Taft School [CT]) and LIAM DOBSON (Canada Prep).
Canada’s U19 national team will be coached at the International Bowl by the Junior National Team coaching staff for a second consecutive year.
Canada’s under-18 national team will also be taking part in the 2016 International Bowl with games on January 31 against the U.S. U19 Selects followed by the U.S. U18 national team on February 3. Canada’s under-18 national team was selected from participants of the 2015 under-18 national tackle football championship, the Football Canada Cup, which took place July 13-19, in St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.
Canada’s U18 and U19 national team programs represent a pool of identified players in preparation for the 2016 worlds. Based on player’s performances at this year’s International Bowl, a roster of 45 players will be selected to represent their country at the 2016 IFAF U19 World Championship in China.
The International Bowl, held to coincide with NCAA’s National Signing Day, was established in 2010 as an annual Team USA versus the World game until it transitioned into its current format in 2014.
More information is available at www.footballcanada.com or www.InternationalBowl.com.
Canada’s U19 national team, 2016 International Bowl
|
Name / Nom |
Pos. |
Team in 2015 – Commitment/ Équipe en 2015 – engagement |
Hometown /Ville natale |
| Jesse Amankwaa | RB/DO | York | Etobicoke, Ont. |
| Nicholas Dheilly | DE/AD | Dr. Martin LeBoldus HS | Regina, Sask. |
| Liam Dobson | DL/LD | Canada Prep. | Ottawa, Ont. |
| Connor Guillet | DL/LD | Saskatoon Hilltops (CJFL) | Humboldt, Sask. |
| Nikola Kalinic | TE/AR | York | Etobicoke, Ont. |
| Stavros Katsantonis | DB/DD | UBC | Vancouver, BC/C.-B. |
| Cody Peters | LB/SEC | Saskatoon Hilltops (CJFL) | Saskatoon, Sask. |
| Jason Price | WR/RÉ | Saskatoon Hilltops (CJFL) | Saskatoon, Sask. |
| Alex Salytchev | WR/RÉ | The Taft School (CT) | Cambridge, Ont. |
| Jay Yausie | DB/DD | Saskatoon Hilltops (CJFL) | Saskatoon, Sask. |
| Giordy Belfiore | QB/QA | Canada Prep | St. Catharines, Ont. /Vancouver, BC/C.-B. |
| Dimitri Morand | QB/QA | Cégep St-Jean-sur-Richelieu | Gatineau, Qué. |
| Adam Machart | RB/DO | Saskatoon Hilltops (CJFL) | Saskatoon, Sask. |
| Dynell Pierre | RB/DO | Cégep Vieux Montréal | Montréal, Qué. |
| Julien Bourassa | WR/RÉ | Cégep Vieux Montréal | Laval, Qué. |
| Colton Hunchak ** | WR/RÉ | York | Calgary, Alta. |
| Jacob Janke * ** | WR/RÉ | York | Edmonton, Alta. |
| Chris Osei-Kusi | WR/RÉ | Queen’s | Brampton, Ont. |
| François Rocheleau * | WR/RÉ | André-Grasset | Saint-Basile-le-Grand, Qué. |
| Drew Desjarlais | OL/LO | Windsor | Belle River, Ont. |
| Jesse Gibbon | OL/LO | Waterloo | Hamilton, Ont. |
| Liam Jensen | OL/LO | Regina | Watrous, Sask. |
| Samuel Lefebvre * | OL/LO | Cégep Levis-Lauzon – Laval | Saint-Lambert-de-Lauzon, Qué. |
| Pier-Olivier Lestage | OL/LO | Cégep St-Jean-sur-Richelieu | Saint-Eustache, Qué. |
| Philippe Robitaille | OL/LO | Cégep Levis-Lauzon | Montréal, Qué. |
| Spencer Roy ** | OL/LO | Calgary | Calgary, Alta. |
| Isyah Obas-Cahuaza | OL/LO | Vanier | Saint-Laurent, Qué. |
| Zack Williams * | OL/LO | Manitoba | Winnipeg, Man. |
| Jack Cassar | LB/SEC | Canada Prep. | Mississauga, Ont. |
| Lowhya Lako ** | LB/SEC | Windsor | Windsor, Ont. |
| Kean Harelimana * | LB/SEC | Vanier | Laval, Qué. |
| Deshawn Stevens * | LB/SEC | Kent School (CT) | Toronto, Ont. |
| Eric Thakurdeen * | LB/SEC | Saskatchewan | Saskatoon, Sask. |
| Ben Whiting * | LB/SEC | Saskatchewan | Saskatoon, Sask. |
| Nathan Cherry | DL/LD | Aden Bowman – Saskatchewan | Saskatoon, Sask. |
| Skye King | DL, OL / LD, LO | Calgary Colts (CJFL) – York | Calgary, Alta. |
| Payton Hall * | DB/DD | Saskatchewan | Caronport, Sask. |
| Elijah Hamilton * | DB/DD | Guelph | Brampton, Ont. |
| Ted Kubongo | DB/DD | Notre Dame (Calgary) | Calgary, Alta. |
| Greg Hutchins * | K/B | N. Mexico St. – transf. UBC | Bedford, NS/N.-É. |
| * | Alumni of 2015 U18 national team at International Bowl |
| ** | Alumni of 2015 U19 national team at International Bowl |
