Team World adds Dino’ Cassama, BC’s Jamie Wandell: Anthony forced to withdraw

PARIS, FRANCE – WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 19, 2011– The International Federation of American Football (IFAF) has selected three more players to the World Team roster to face the U.S Under 19 National Team, assembled by USA Football, at Austin Westlake Stadium in Austin, Texas on Wednesday, February 2.

The annual game will match an eventual 45-man World Team against 45 of the top high school seniors from the United States. The World Team features the best players aged 19-and-under selected from among the 59 IFAF member countries under Canadian head coach GREG MARSHALL, whose coaching staff is selected from eight countries.



The roster is now made up of 42 players from eight countries and four continents. The final players will be selected from the IFAF development team, which will take part in practices in Austin with the aim of identifying and developing future prospects. The team will form the basis of the 2012 World team.

The 2011 World Team roster is comprised of players representing American Samoa (3), Austria (5), Canada (22), Finland (2), Germany (3), Japan (2), Mexico (2) and Sweden (3), who were selected from a provisional list of players nominated by IFAF federations. They will practice nine times while in Austin from January 28 to February 1.






Added to the World Team roster are Canada offensive lineman Jamie Wandell [#77 in above picture] (New Westminster Secondary), Mexico defensive lineman Octavio Gonzalez (UANL) and Sweden defensive back Doctor Cassama [top picture] (University of Calgary). Canadian wide receiver Alex Anthony, who represented the World Team in 2010, has been forced to withdraw due to injury.

Cassama began his football career with the Kristianstad Predators in Sweden and was also selected to the Swedish Junior national team that competed in the IFAF Junior World Championship in Canton, Ohio. Cassama completed his first season at the University of Calgary helping the team reach the Desjardins Vanier Cup.

Wandell is a starting offensive lineman at of the British Columbia’s top high school programs – New Westminster Secondary. He has earned attention from a number of NCAA Division 1 programs at summer camps.

Gonzalez is a starting defensive lineman for the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL) Tigres, whose team played for the Mexican national college championship in 2010, and is considered one of the best young talents in Mexico.

“It is a challenge to put together a roster of players who are spread around the world and speak different languages, but we are confident that we have selected the best junior international players available,” said coach Marshall, who is also head coach of the University of Western Ontario Mustangs.

“We believe we will be competitive and will give players from several countries an opportunity to showcase their talents and to show the American football community that there is a wealth of talent outside what people regard as the game’s traditional borders.”

The Team USA vs. The World series kicked off in January 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where Team USA earned a 17-0 victory. The World Team held the hosts scoreless until the final play of the first half, suggesting that the gap in quality between international junior football players and their counterparts from the United States is narrowing as the game’s popularity spreads around the world. The second annual game will kickoff at 7:30 pm CT at Austin Westlake High School Stadium. Tickets cost $8 and are available at www.usafootball.com/app/webroot/teamusa.

“IFAF is excited to again send a team of the world’s best under-19 players to take on Team USA,” said IFAF President TOMMY WIKING. “In the last game, the World Team showed that they can compete with the best the United States has to offer. When we play again in Austin, we will be out there believing we will not only compete, but win.”

“It is important that we expose younger players to this high level of intense practice and play as we continue to develop quality players internationally,” added Wiking. “The World Team is part of a bigger picture that will increase the standard of the game outside of the United States.”

USA Football’s 2011 Under-19 team is led by DARREN ALLMAN, head coach of Austin (Texas) Westlake High School, has also announced the majority of players selected for his 45-man roster. Team USA’s roster presently stands at 42 athletes from 21 states and Washington, D.C. The remaining three roster spots will be announced soon.

Allman led Westlake to the Texas Class 5-A (largest school division) state final in 2009. He is 57-19 (.750) overall in six seasons as a head coach.

Participation in “Team USA vs. The World” is recognized as a U.S. National Team competition by the NCAA and not considered an all-star game.

No.	Pos	Name	Last Name	Country	Ht.	Wt.	Team
44	DL	David	Katina	American Samoa	6-2	225	Fa’asao Marist High School
31	LB	Beck	Coulter	American Samoa	6-2	240	Southern Methodist University
54	LB	Penitito	Faalologo	American Samoa	6-2	200	Fagaitua High School
29	RB	Andreas	Hofbauer	Austria	5-11	198	Swarco Raiders Tirol
85	WR	Laurinho	Walch	Austria	5-11	148	Raiffeisen Vikings
70	OL	Michael	Habetin	Austria	6-3	309	Swarco Raiders Tirol
61	OL	Aleksandar	Milanovic	Austria	6-6	290	Vienna Vikings
52	LB	Jakob	Baran	Austria	6-0	220	Danube Dragons
9	QB	Ben	Rossong	Canada	6-3	210	Sackville High School
3	RB	Steven	Lumbala	Canada	5-11	200	University of Calgary
23	WR	Jake	Harty	Canada	6-6	205	Henry Wisewood High School
1	WR	Tevaun	Smith	Canada	6-1	180	Chaminade College High School
55	OL	Kyle	Brow	Canada	6-4	275	University of Alberta
63	OL	Matthias	Goossen	Canada	6-3	290	Vancouver College
75	OL	Winston	Miles	Canada	6-5	310	Forest Hill
7	ATH	Jahlani	Gilbert-Knorren	Canada	6-1	186	University of Saskatchewan
13	K/P	Felix	Faubert-Lussier	Canada	5-11	200	Spartiates du Vieux-Montreal
98	DL	Lindon	Gaydosh	Canada	6-4	320	University of Calgary
90	DL	Levi	Steinhauer	Canada	6-4	235	University of Saskatchewan
2	DL	Joel	Seutter	Canada	6-2	235	University of Saskatchewan
51	LB	Drew	Morris	Canada	6-1	225	Ottawa Sooners
10	LB	Andrew	Rowe	Canada	6-1	215	Acadia University
22	DB	Soon	Cha	Canada	5-11	180	University of Ottawa
4	DB	Thomas	Girard	Canada	5-11	176	Élans du Collège François-Xavier Garneau
36	DB	Marcus	Grandison	Canada	6-0	200	Chaminade College High School
5	DB	Luke	Thiel	Canada	5-10	190	University of Saskatchewan
26	DB	Cameron	Wade	Canada	6-2	185	Acadia University
76	OL	Roman	Grozman	Canada	6-4	330	St Thomas of Villanova Coll.
97	DL	Shaquille	Armstrong	Canada	6-2	288	Concordia University
67	OL	Jamie	Wandell	Canada	6-4	300	New Westminster Secondary
95	DL	Victor	Sarvi	Finland	6-5	243	Helsinki Wolverines
28	DB	Tuomas	Nurmi	Finland	6-1	198	Helsinki Roosters
8	QB	Marco	Ehrenfried	Germany	6-5	216	Schwabisch Hall Unicorns
62	OL	Farid	Jansen	Germany	6-1	267	Dusseldorf Panthers
99	DL	Marcel	Riep	Germany	6-0	231	Cologne Falcons
33	RB	Shun	Yokota	Japan	5-10	192	Chuo University
25	WR	Shin	Takasaki	Japan	5-11	180	Kansai University
81	WR	Andres	Salgado	Mexico	6-2	170	PUMAS CU
96	DL	Octavio	Gonzalez	Mexico	6-4	275	UANL
21	DB	Doctor	Cassama	Sweden	6-1	190	University of Calgary
42	FB	Pontus	Westman	Sweden	6-2	200	Tyreso Royal Crowns
34	LB	Markus	Westman	Sweden	6-2	205	Tyreso Royal Crowns