Every day during the Global Challenge Bowl, the event’s media team of Michael Preston and Lauren Hickey will post an update here on the official site of Team Stars & Stripes.

First update – Sunday, March 15, 8.15am… Yokoto US Airbase, Tokyo, Japan, By Michael Preston:

So the blog begins some 36,000 feet above the Pacific Ocean, where Team Stars & Stripes is set to embark upon the adventure of a lifetime.

That sounds corny, but there were some expectant faces among the 60 or so players, coaches, staff and a few parents who boarded Singapore Airlines flight 11 from Los Angeles a little before 3pm today.

By today I mean Friday, though when we arrive it will be Saturday evening, which in the US is still Saturday morning.  Confused?  Yes, so am I and I am yet to figure out what happened to Friday night along the way.

This week Team Stars & Stripes press officer Lauren Hickey and I will be charged with blogging from Yokota Air Base, Kawasaki and Tokyo, an as the event PR Director, I felt compelled to get the ball rolling.  Last year I experienced Tokyo and its surroundings for the first time for the inaugural Global Challenge Bowl and can assure everyone that this is going to be a wonderful week of discovery both on and off the football field.

Organizer Patrick Steenberge was the first on hand at LAX around 7.30 this morning to begin welcoming and checking in the party as they arrived from 12 different states across the country.  Make that 13 if you count the media team flying in from Massachusetts.  Patrick’s first concern is his players and coaches, so when he finally got around to checking himself in for the flight, all that remained in the way of available seats was one of those undesirable seats in the middle of a group of four people on the double-decker 747.  But don’t worry.  I just chatted with Patrick in-between on-demand movies and one of the players was kind enough to give up an aisle seat to our leader.

Here’s a question for you: what is the difference between US domestic airlines and international carriers?  Well where do I start?  My six and a half hour flight from Boston to Los Angeles came with two rounds of free soft drinks and a sandwich, which was available for six dollars.  I actually can’t knock the movie – The Express – which put me in true football mode since it depicts the life of Syracuse University Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, but I had to crane my neck to see a screen for general viewing and fork out another two bucks for headphones. 

I don’t mean to complain, more to compare.  I just finished watching Quantum of Solace, the James Bond movie on my personal stowaway TV screen and I was able to pause the film for a bathroom break.  Next up, the Oscar winner Slumdog Millionaire, which I’ve selected from a choice of a few dozen movies. 

Then there’s the food – all complimentary of course, as are the wine and beers (though our athletic trainer Cailee Welch has suggested we avoid alcohol on this 12-hour flight). 

I believe most of the team opted for the international serving of smoked salmon salad, braised beef in red wine sauce with vegetables and potatoes, followed by ice cream and coffee or tea.  Personally I preferred the Japanese option of Zensai (a combination of starters including sushi, which the players have suggested they are reluctant to try and my wife thinks I don’t particularly care for), Japanese cold noodles, braised chicken with steamed rice, green tea and ice cream.  Writing this I’m starting to crave the next meal.

My point is, that having flown internationally with Japanese, British, German and French airlines, they all outdo the Americans when it comes to food and service.  Who’d have thought?

The stewardesses are friendly, polite and immaculately dressed in elegant outfits that I imagine include an element of national costume.  (Singapore Airlines gets my vote in case you hadn’t noticed, as did ANA last year)

Oh, I almost forgot the free headphones, socks, wash cloth, toothbrush and toothpaste and the cologne in the bathrooms.’

Coach Jeff Scurran went on ahead of the team to give a coaching presentation to the Japan American Football Federation (JAFA) at its annual congress, so his assistant coaches who made the trip last year – John Storey and Greg Patrick – have been assisting Patrick Steenberge with keeping everyone heading in the right direction.  Equipment manager Jose Duran has also returned and the banter between he and those who know him well that has already started!

Jose will be one of the busiest people on the trip this week.  We’re already asking him for extra sweats or the blue USA jerseys that all the players are wearing today.  They created a lot of interest walking around LAX before departure in their matching shirts…

So here we are now at Yokoto airbase, which the team will testify is a tiring two-hours bus ride from Tokyo Narita airport.  Once the excitement of arriving in Japan and enjoying spectacular nighttime views of downtown Tokyo as we drove through the city, tiredness set in and the majority of the traveling party slept on the buses. 

Once security check in had been completed, coach Jeff Scurran met us at the Kanto Lodge where the team is staying for two nights.  Used as a holding area for families either moving into or out of the base, the Lodge will be Team Stars & Stripes’ home for two nights.  Three or four players are sharing a fully-equipped apartment with either a coach or member of staff and the first night proved to be a short one as once pizza and rehydrating water were consumed, it was time for lights out.  At least that was the case in my apartment where Christian Ramirez (Salpointe Christian, AZ), John Norman (Santa Rita, AZ) and Bruce Maldonado (Glen Oak, OH) got some welcome rest after an 11-hour flight.  And we still haven’t figured out what happened to Saturday once we crossed the international date line…

The second annual Global Challenge Bowl featuring Team Stars & Stripes and the Japanese under-19 Junior National Team kicks off Saturday, March 21, 2009 at Kawasaki Stadium in the Tokyo suburb of Kawasaki in front of an anticipated crowd of 7,000. 

 

Team Stars & Stripes is led by Santa Rita High School (Tucson, AZ) head coach and three-time Arizona state champion JEFF SCURRAN and Team Japan is coached by Osaka Sangyo University Junior & Senior High School head coach TAKAO YAMAZAKI.

 

Team Stars & Stripes features seniors from 30 US high schools covering 12 states as well as an American school in Japan.  Players were selected not only for football ability, but also as all-round student-athletes.  Texas-based Global Football assisted Coach Scurran in identifying suitable players and organized the unique visit to Japan.

 

“I know from the wonderful experience we had in Japan last year that selecting young men who will be a credit to themselves, their school and their country is as important as picking them for their football abilities,” explained Scurran.  “We will visit a military facility, the Kawasaki Mayor’s office and some very special historical sites, so this is much more than simply an overseas football game.”

 

The team will arrive in Tokyo on Saturday, March 14 and will spend two days living and practicing at the Yokota Station US Air Base.  The Commander of the 374th Airlift Wing, Colonel John F. Newell III, will address Team Stars & Stripes at one of the practices, which will be held on the Yokota High School field at 10.30am and 2.30pm on Sunday, and 8.30am and 1.30pm on Monday.

 

The 45 players will then live with Japanese host families for the remainder of the stay.  The week will feature daily practices in Kawasaki Stadium and cultural visits to a local high school, places of historical significance and popular tourist attractions, concluding with the bowl game on Saturday, March 21.  Following a free day spent sightseeing with host families, the group will return to the United States on Monday, March 23.

 

Among the players selected by coach Scurran, several committed to US colleges on national signing day, including two Somerset High School football players from Somerset, Wisconsin.  Senior BRYAN WITZMANN is one of Wisconsin’s top two-way starters, playing offensive line and defensive end and accepted a scholarship from South Dakota State University.  Witzmann received First-team All-State and All-Region for both positions in his senior year.  Teammate DARRIN EMMECK who is a two-time First-team All-Conference defensive lineman and will be playing football at Minnesota State University in Moorhead, Minnesota.

 

Running back JASON SIMPSON (Woodside High School, CA), who signed a letter of intent with San Jose State, should play a key role in Team Stars & Stripes offensive game plan.  Simpson was a two-time first-team All-County selection who rushed for 1,336 yards, averaged 7.0 yards per carry and led the county in scoring with 122 points on 20 touchdowns and one two-point conversion. 

 

Linebacker TRAVIS FREEMAN should also play a big part for Team Stars & Stripes.  Freeman, who was ranked number three linebacker in the state of Ohio in the 2008 season, has committed to Ball State University and posted 97 tackles, six sacks, and two interceptions his senior year at Cleveland Grenville High School in Ohio.

 

Team Stars & Stripes will feature two American-born students studying in Japan, STEPHEN HAYMAN and NICK WELLS, and a female player, MAILE LABOR (Santa Rita, Tucson AZ), on the all-star roster.  Hayman and Wells attend the American School in Japan in Tokyo. Hayman has been playing football for four years and has received Most Valuable Lineman honors.  Wells may only have played football for two years, but he quickly became effective in the sport being named Rookie of the Year in 2007 and Most Valuable Linebacker in 2008.

 

Labor will be the kicker for the US team.  She was a member of head coach Jeff Scurran’s Santa Rita football team that reached the 4A Arizona State Championship game in the 2008 season.   

 

Team Japan head coach Yamazaki and his coaching staff held a tryout on Sunday, February 22, at Nihon University.  The players selected attended a training camp at Ritsumeikan University from February 27 to March 4 to prepare for the second annual Global Challenge Bowl.

 

Under coach Yamazaki, the Japanese under-19 team that Team Stars & Stripes will face will travel to Canton, Ohio to compete in the 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship this summer.  The inaugural event will be played from June 27 to July 5 at the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Fawcett Stadium and will feature an eight team, four-continent field of Canada, USA, Mexico, Japan, Germany, Sweden, France and New Zealand.

 

The 2009 Global Challenge Bowl will be officiated by USA Football Officiating Consultant and veteran Big Ten Conference football official BILL LeMONNIER.  The Chicago resident has been a college official since 1989 and was selected for 12 college bowl games in his 15 years as a Big Ten referee. He also oversees USA Football’s officiating curriculum with USA Football Officiating Director and NFL Umpire Tony Michalek.  LeMonnier was the head referee for the 2008 GE Global Challenge Bowl, which was won by Japan 24-14. 

Santa Rita High School (Tucson, Arizona) head coach JEFF SCURRAN will host a series of coaching clinics in Tokyo this month, aimed at helping to continue the development of local Japanese American Football coaches.  

 

Scurran will take time out from leading a US high school all-star roster, Team Stars & Stripes, against the Japanese junior national team (19 and under) in the second annual Global Challenge Bowl to instruct the coaches.

 

“The purpose of holding these clinics is to help coaches to gain a more precise knowledge and understanding of coaching football in order to help them in areas of player development,” explained Scurran.  “We are coaching the coaches rather than players, so that these coaches can in turn pass on the things they learn to young athletes playing American football in Japan.  Last year I found them willing and eager to learn and to then use that knowledge for the betterment of the game in their country.”

 

The clinics will kick off on Thursday, March 12 when Scurran makes a presentation to coaches and representatives from the Japanese Federation of American Football (JAFA) as part of the federation’s annual convention. 

 

As he did in 2008, as part of the activities surrounding the Global Challenge Bowl, Scurran will then host two clinics at Kawasaki Stadium on the morning and afternoon on Friday, March 20.

 

On the eve of the March 21 game, the clinic will be split into two sessions with the first two hours from 1pm to 3pm held outdoors on the football field and the second session from 3pm to 5pm held indoors in the classroom.

 

 

Following the 2009 Global Challenge Bowl, coach Scurran and Team Stars & Stripes offensive line coach JOHN STOREY from Villa Angela St Joseph High School (Cleveland, Ohio) will extend their stay in Japan to conduct additional coaching clinics on March 26, 27, and 28.  The sessions will be held at Rikkyo (St. Paul’s) University in Ikebukuro, Tokyo.

 

Yuji Kakizawa, Director of General Affairs of Kantoh Collegiate American Football Association and Secretary General of Rikkyo University American Football Alumni Association, said, “I went to Coach Scurran’s clinic held last year in Kawasaki, and was moved by his deep knowledge, commitment to football, so I asked him to hold these clinics for the coaches of our teams.”

 

Approximately 30 to 40 coaches from the St. Paul’s Rushers team, Momoyama-Gakuin (St. Andrews) University in Osaka and Kyushu Sangyo University in Fukuoka are expected to attend along with coaches from several universities in Tokyo.  These coaches represent players at the primary school, junior high school, high school and university age groups.

 

 

Coaching Clinic Schedule:

 

 

Thursday, March 12       Japan American Football Association (JAFA) coaching            

      presentation at the JAFA annual convention        

 

Friday, March 20            1pm – 3pm     Outdoor Clinic at Kawasaki Stadium

                                         3pm – 5pm     Indoor Clinic at Kawasaki Stadium

 

 

Thursday, March 26       7pm – 9pm     Rikkyo (St.Paul’s) University

 

 

Friday, March 27            7pm – 9pm     Rikkyo (St. Paul’s) University

 

 

Saturday, March 28        10am – 5pm   Rikkyo (St. Paul’s) University

 

 

Team Stars & Stripes will hold a two-day training camp at the Yokota Air Base prior to the second annual 2009 Global Challenge Bowl game against the Japanese junior national team in Kawasaki, Japan on Saturday, March 21, 2009.

 Team Stars & Stripes is a 45-player roster of American student-athletes, led by Santa Rita High School (Tucson, AZ) head coach and three-time Arizona state champion JEFF SCURRAN and features high school seniors from 12 states – Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington and Wisconsin. 

Team Stars & Stripes will arrive in Japan on Saturday, March 14 and will transfer to Yokota Air Base for a two-night stay the Kanto Lodge on the base.  They will use the military facility to practice ahead of the March 21 game against Team Japan and will then live with host Japanese families from the Kawasaki area for the remainder of the ten-day visit.

“We are delighted to have formed this partnership with the US military and are grateful for their offer of hospitality,” said event organizer PATRICK STEENBERGE of Global Football.  “Team Stars & Stripes will practice for the first time as a complete unit in the ideal setting of Yokota Air Base.”

Yokota Air Base is one of three operational U.S. Air Force installations in Japan and opened in 1940 as Tama Army Airfield, a flight test center and aviation maintenance school for the Japanese Imperial Army during World War II.  The 374th Airlift Wing is host unit at Yokota and is the only airlift wing in the Far East.  The wing provides airlift support to all Department of Defense agencies in the Pacific area of responsibility.  It also provides transportation for people and equipment throughout the Kanto Plain and Tokyo metropolitan area.

The Commander of the 374th Airlift Wing, Colonel John F. Newell III, will address Team Stars & Stripes at one of the practices, which will be held on the Yokota High School field at 9.30am and 1.30pm each day.

The second annual Global Challenge Bowl game will kickoff on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 2pm at Kawasaki Stadium in front of an anticipated crowd of 7,000 Japanese American football fans.  The event creates the ultimate Japanese sporting experience for participating players, coaches and staff and will run from March 13-23, 2009.  In addition to taking part in a unique international event, the Team Stars & Stripes group has an opportunity to visit local schools, places of historical significance and popular tourist attractions. 

Team Stars & Stripes has finalized the 45-man all-star roster of high school football seniors that will travel to Kawasaki, Japan to take part in the second annual Global Challenge Bowl on Saturday, March 21, 2009.  The team will be led by Santa Rita High School (Tucson, AZ) head coach and three-time Arizona state champion JEFF SCURRAN.

The roster features seniors from 30 US high schools covering 12 states as well as a school in Japan.   Team Stars & Stripes will play against the Japanese junior national team in the Tokyo suburb of Kawasaki.  Players were selected not only for football ability, but also as all-round student-athletes.  Texas-based Global Football assisted Coach Scurran in identifying suitable players and organized the unique visit to Japan.

“I know from the wonderful experience we had in Japan last year that selecting young men who will be a credit to themselves, their school and their country is as important as picking them for their football abilities,” explained Scurran.  “We will visit a military facility, the Kawasaki Mayor’s office and some very special historical sites, so this is much more than simply an overseas football game.”

Team Stars & Stripes will feature two American-born students studying in Japan and a female player on the all-star roster.  Stephen Hayman moved to Japan in the second grade and currently attends American School in Japan (ASIJ) in Tokyo, Japan.  Hayman started playing football his freshman year of high school, and has received Most Valuable Lineman honors.  He also has won numerous awards for wrestling. 

Another AISJ student, Nick Wells has been selected for Team Stars & Stripes. He has spent the majority of his life in Japan and only has been playing football for two short years.  His first year, Wells was named Rookie of the Year and this 2008 season he received Most Valuable Linebacker honors. He also plays basketball and baseball.

Maile Labor (Santa Rita High School, AZ) will be the kicker for the US team.  She was a member of head coach Jeff Scurran’s Santa Rita football team that reached the 4A Arizona State Championship game this 2008 season.  Maile also plays soccer and boxes.     

Coach Scurran will have his pick of quarterbacks for the 2009 Global Challenge Bowl including Beau Benner (Brodhead High School, Wisconsin), Trent DeBraga (Churchill Co., Nevada) and Brandon Cluff (Cesar Chavez High School, Arizona).  Benner was named First-Team All Conference this 2008 season.  DeBraga, a three-sport athlete, received All-League and Sierra League Player of the Year honors.  Arizona native Cluff led his high school team to a 7-4 record with 19 touchdown passes and accumulated 2,063 total yards on the season averaging 206.3 yards per game.

Running back Jason Simpson, who will play football at San Jose State in the fall, should play a key role in Team Stars & Stripes offensive game plan.  His senior year at Woodside High School, CA, Simpson rushed for 1,336 yards and led the county in scoring with 122 points on 20 touchdowns and one two-point conversion. 

Other offensive threats include Christian Ramirez and Andre Wells.  Ramirez was the top scorer for his Salpointe High School team in Arizona with a total of 126 points on 21 rushing touchdowns.  He finished the season with 1,307 total yards averaging 108.9 yards per game.  Wells was a versatile player for his Villa Saint Angela Joseph, Cleveland, Ohio, team as he played quarterback, running back and defensive back in the 2008 season.  In one game, he accounted for 440 of his team’s total yards – running for 257 yards and throwing for 183 yards.

Four-year varsity strong safety, Cade Warren should make his defensive presence known during the game in Kawasaki.  Warren has helped the Bolles School football team in Jacksonville, Florida, to four district championship titles and two undefeated state championships with a career 200 tackles and 61 tackles his senior season. 

Along with Warren, highly recruited linebacker Travis Freeman should also play a big part for Team Stars & Stripes.  Freeman, who was ranked number three linebacker in the state of Ohio in the 2008 season, has committed to Ball State University and posted 97 tackles, six sacks, and two interceptions his senior year at Cleveland Grenville High School in Ohio.

The Japanese under-19 team that the US all stars will face in the 2009 Global Challenge Bowl will be led by Osaka Sangyo University Junior & Senior High School head coach Takao Yamazaki, who was appointed by the Japan American Football Association (JAFA) in February. 

Yamazaki and his coaching staff held a tryout on Sunday, February 22, at Nihon University. The players selected will attend a training camp at Ritsumeikan University from February 27 to March 4 before competing in the second annual Global Challenge Bowl.

While Team Stars & Stripes will focus on the value of being positive ambassadors of their country, the Japanese under-19 team will use the game as preparation for the 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship to be played in Canton, Ohio from June 27 to July 5.  Yamazaki will also lead Japan in the inaugural event, which will feature an eight team, four-continent field that includes Canada, USA, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, France and New Zealand.

 

The Japan American Football Association (JAFA) has appointed TAKAO YAMAZAKI, the current head coach at Osaka Sangyo University Junior & Senior High School, as head coach of the Japanese under-19 Junior National Team.

Yamazaki will lead Japan at the second annual 2009 Global Challenge Bowl to be played at Kawasaki Stadium near Tokyo on Saturday, March 21, 2009 (kickoff 2pm), when Japan will face Team Stars & Stripes, a visiting American all-star team. 

The 45-man roster of American student-athletes will be coached by Santa Rita High School (Tucson, AZ) head coach and three-time Arizona state champion JEFF SCURRAN and is represented by high school seniors from 11 states, with some roster spots still to be announced.  Texas-based Global Football will again organize the team’s visit to Japan from March 13 to 23, 2009.

Yamazaki led his Osaka team to the Christmas Bowl in 2008 and won the Japanese high school championship for the second consecutive year.  He became head coach of the Fighting Angels (then known as the Golden Angels) when American football was first established at Osaka Sangyo University Junior & Senior High School and reached the national high school American football championship game within two years. 

Yamazaki and the Fighting Angels won the championship game four years in succession from 1999 to 2002 and added to that success from 2006 to 2008, winning an impressive seven out of ten championship games.

“JAFA took great care to select the best possible head coach because the historic summer tournament marks football’s first IFAF world championship among high school-aged national teams,” said SHINZO YAMADA, general manager of Team Japan.  “We considered coaches not only from universities but also from high schools.  As a result, we asked an excellent coach who is a true leader among high school football in Japan.”

Team Japan will select the remainder of its coaching staff from Japanese college football teams and has already held its first tryout for players in Kanto and Kansai.  A second player tryout is scheduled for Sunday, February 22, at Nihon University.  The players selected will take part in a training camp at Ritsumeikan University from February 27 to March 4 before taking part in the second annual Global Challenge Bowl in Kawasaki.

Yamazaki will also lead Japan at the inaugural 2009 IFAF Junior World Championship to be played in Canton, Ohio from June 27 to July 5.  Japan will be among an eight team, four-continent field that includes USA, Canada, Germany, France, Sweden, New Zealand and either Mexico or Panama competing at Fawcett Stadium at the Pro Football Hall of Fame this summer.

 

Team Stars & Stripes – Global Challenge Bowl Itinerary, March 13-23, 2009

Friday, March 13         

2pm          Team Stars & Stripes leave LAX for Japan

 Saturday, March 14         

8pm          Team Stars & Stripes arrive at Yokota Air Base

 Sunday, March 15         

9am-4pm     Team Stars & Stripes practices Yokota Air Base

 Monday, March 16         

9am-4pm     Team Stars & Stripes practices at Yokota Air Base

7pm          Arrive in Kawasaki to meet host families

 Tuesday, March 17         

11am-1pm     Team Stars & Stripes Practice at Kawasaki Stadium

2pm-4pm      Team Stars & Stripes Practice at Kawasaki Stadium

4.30pm          Major visit at Kawasaki City Hall (Captains, Coach)

 Wednesday, March 18    

11am-1pm     Team Stars & Stripes Practice at Kawasaki Stadium

 2pm          Japanese High School cultural exchange visit

7pm          Welcome Banquet for VIPs, host families and teams

 Thursday, March 19         

11am-1pm     Team Stars & Stripes Practice at Kawasaki Stadium

2pm-6pm     Team visit to Asakusa and Buddhist Temple

Friday, March 20         

9.30-11.30am     Team Stars & Stripes Practice at Kawasaki Stadium

1pm-3pm     Local Coaches Outdoor Clinic with Coach Scurran

3pm-5pm     Local Coaches Indoor Clinic with Coach Scurran

3pm-5pm Players to Kawasaki Station tour

Saturday, March 21         

2pm          Global Challenge Bowl, Kawasaki Stadium
                  Team Japan vs. Team Stars & Stripes

Sunday, March 22                   

Players spend the day with host families

Monday, March 23         

6.55pm          Return flight to LAX

TUCSON, ARIZONA – Thursday, January 8, 2009 – Team Stars & Stripes head coach Jeff Scurran has announced his coaching staff for the second Global Challenge Bowl to be played in Kawasaki, Japan on Saturday, March 21, 2009.

 

Team Stars & Stripes is a traveling all-star team made up of 45 US high school seniors who are top student-athletes.  The group will travel to Japan from March 13 to 23, 2009 to play against the Japanese junior national team (aged 19 and under).  Texas-based Global Football is assisting Scurran in selecting the US high school seniors from across the country.

 

The 45-man team and staff will leave Los Angeles on Friday, March 13 for Japan, arrive the following day and practice through March 20, before facing Team Japan in Kawasaki Stadium in front of an anticipated 7,000 Japanese football fans.  The group will return to the United States on Monday, March 23.  Three-time Arizona state champion coach Scurran has enlisted eight assistants to help him prepare Team Stars & Stripes for the game.

 

Two coaches from the 2008 GE Global Challenge Bowl – John Storey and Greg Patrick – have been invited to return for a second year.  Storey was named as the team’s offensive line coach.  He has many years of coaching experience and is currently the head coach for football and wrestling at Villa-Angela Saint Joseph High School in Cleveland, Ohio.

 

Patrick, who will be in charge of linebackers, is the defensive coordinator at Cesar Chavez High School in Phoenix, Arizona.  This past season, his first with the squad, the team finished 7-3 improving from a 3-7 finish in 2007.  Patrick, a former professional football player, was the defensive coordinator of Valley Christian High School in Chandler, Arizona, for six years.

 

Scurran has selected five new faces to join the Team Stars & Stripes staff this year.  Alan Baize of Sabino High School in Tucson, Arizona, will be the kicking coach.  This season, Baize helped Sabino to an 8-3 record and a second place finish in the 4A Kino conference.

 

Scurran has added to the Tucson presence among the coaching staff by selecting Andy Krause, who will coach the defensive backs and wide receivers.  Krause has experience working with Scurran as he is also a coach within the successful Santa Rita High School program.  Tucson resident Glenn Howell will coach the defensive line and will be the team’s strength and conditioning coach.

 

A fifth Tucson connection is Jose Duran, who will return as the team’s equipment manager for a second year.  Duran is the equipment manager at Santa Rita High School in Tucson, Arizona.  Since 2006, he has been the Director and coach for the Arizona girls wrestling team for USA Wrestling and an assistant coach for Sunnyside High School in Tucson, Arizona.

 

Dennis Wulfeck, whose son Alex will be the Team Stars & Stripes punter, will take on the role of assistant coach and will be responsible for punters.  This past season Alex Wulfeck punted at the Bolles School as they completed an undefeated season and won the Florida 2A State championship.

 

 

 

Team Stars & Stripes coaching staff for the 2009 Global Challenge Bowl

 

Coach                  High School               City, State                   Position

Jeff Scurran          Santa Rita                    Tucson, AZ                   Head Coach
John Storey          Villa-Angela St Joseph Cleveland, OH             Offensive Line
Greg Patrick         Cesar Chavez              Phoenix, AZ                 Linebackers
Alan Baize             Sabino                         Tucson, AZ                  Kickers
Andy Krause         Santa Rita                   Tucson, AZ                  Defensive Backs / Wide Receivers
Glenn Howell                                            Tucson, AZ                  Defensive Line /

                                                                                                    Strength & Cond.
Dennis Wulfeck                                        Jacksonville, FL           Punters
Jose Duran           Santa Rita                    Tucson, AZ                 Equipment Manager

Team USA was unable to recover from conceding 17 unanswered first half points and despite outscoring Team Japan after the break went down to a 24-14 defeat at a Kawasaki Stadium overflowing with 4,800 enthusiastic football fans.  

“We gave ourselves a mountain to climb and never fully recovered,” said Team USA head coach Jeff Scurran (Santa Rita, AZ). “But I am proud of the way we showed spirit and came back in the second half. This whole week has been an enjoyable and memorable experience and everyone conducted themselves with dignity and can leave here with their heads held high,”  

After Japan came firing out of the starting blocks and scored on the game’s first possession, Team USA found its offense stifled and was forced to make adjustments at halftime. After Japan had extended its lead to 24-0, Akeem Satterfield (Erie Prep, PA) turned the tide with a one-yard touchdown run and Daniel Nicholas (Canyon Del Oro, AZ) hit Aubura Taylor (Santa Rita, AZ) on a 15-yard score. But the fourth quarter comeback came too late to deny Japan victory.  

Team USA lost the coin toss and Japan, having elected to receive the ball, overcame some early nerves to put points on the board early. Things might have been different had fumbles on the opening kickoff and the third play of the game bounced into US hands.  

Quarterback Shohei Kato and six feet seven receiver Hiroki Matsubara both gained crucial first downs and a 15-yard penalty also helped move the ball before the blistering speed of Tatsuya Kureta took him in for a rushing touchdown to delight the home crowd.  

Team USA went three and out on its first possession, the highlight of the fierce Japanese defense being a hit by safety Hideoshi Yano that stopped Marquese Wheaton (Mountain Pointe, AZ) in his tracks. Fumbled balls continued to elude the US as a snap over the head of Masashi Ishikawa forced the punter to improvise and he narrowly got his kick away with Satterfield bearing down on the ball.  

With 3:54 played in the second quarter, Japan quarterback Kato went to the air and hit his receiver a fraction before Wheaton arrived to try for the interception and the defensive back’s gamble left 47 yards of open field for a 14-0 Japan lead.  

The touchdown was rough justice on the US defense that had started to show signs of calming a frantic first half. Tony Martin (Somerset, WI) came up with an interception as American confidence grew, but the Japanese defense continued to flush Nicholas out of the pocket and he was sacked and then forced to dump off a short pass that Taylor turned into a tough 11-yard gain.   

Faced with a difficult fourth and one decision at his own 30-yard mark, coach Scurran opted to punt the ball away rather than risk turning the ball over so close to the red zone.  

Japan took the ball at its own 36-yard mark and drove downfield to set up a 19-yard Ishikawa field goal and a 17-0 lead as first half time expired.  

Team USA stalled at the beginning of the third quarter and Japan delivered the sucker punch that effectively ended the contest. Two pass interference calls, the second a harsh call on Tyler Ward (Seven Lakes, TX), helped move the chains to the two-yard mark. Japan punched the ball in to leave Team USA facing a 23-point deficit and only 17:27 in which to recover.  

Wheaton caught a 44-yard pass down the right sideline despite being impeded by the cornerback and Nicholas picked up a first down on a short run as Team USA gathered momentum. On the first play of the fourth quarter, Riley Bushman’s (Sabino, AZ) 11-yard reception came up just a yard shy of the end zone, so Satterfield stepped up to put six points on the board for Team USA. The two-point conversion attempt was fumbled away.  

It was Japan’s turn to feel the heat defensively and after they had been forced to punt, Team USA drove again. Nicholas eluded the blitz to find Scotty Smith (Davis County, KY) for a first down, but facing third and 11 on the Japan 24, Nicholas was hit as he threw and Japan pounced on the loose ball.  

Throwing caution to the wind, Nicholas pitched a bomb to Wheaton worth 35 yards and after Satterfield had been stopped for a loss, the Southern Arizona player of the year lofted a 15-yard scoring strike to Taylor. A successful two-point conversion pass from Nicolas to Satterfield meant the US was behind only two scores with 4:13 remaining.  

As quickly as hope of a recovery had appeared it vanished as Michael DiGangi’s (Highland, AZ) onside kick landed untouched out of bounds. When the US did get the ball back, Nicholas was pressured into a desperation pass and Yasuhiro Kawano came up with the game-ending interception.  

Quarterback Nicholas, who completed 16 of 23 attempts for 179 yards, one touchdown and an interception, also led the US on the ground with 25 yards on 12 carries, ahead of Taylor (9-7), and Satterfield (5-6-1). Wheaton was the most productive receiver with 5 catches for 81 yards, followed by Taylor (6-46-1), Scotty Smith (3-32), Bushman (1-11) and Satterfield 1-9.  

Defensively, Wheaton stepped up with 7 tackles and an interception, while Ward, Mike Parsons (Erie Prep, PA), Mike Snively (Santa Rita, AZ), Nick Viola (Villa Angela St Joseph, OH) and Jordan Ralph (Gibson Southern, IN) each had three tackles. Martin claimed a tackles and an interception and there were three sacks for Viola and one for Darius Petraitis (Villa Angela St Joseph, OH).  Japan’s starting quarterback Kato (Kwansei Gaukin University) completed 13 of 21 pass attempts for 162 yards, one touchdown and an interception.

Quotes and photos to follow… 

Every day, Michael Preston, who is responsible for Team USA media relations, will post a blog here on GlobalFootball.com…

They arrived here football players, but will go home samurai warriors. 

Without wishing to spoil the surprise, more than a third of the Team USA contingent that enjoyed a two hour visit to the Buddhist temple at Asakusa made the most of an opportunity to do some shopping to buy samurai swords. The uniquely Japanese souvenirs will be popping up from Arizona to Kentucky and Wisconsin to Louisiana when the team arrives home next week.  

The visit to the Tokyo district of Asakusa came after Team USA had completed its final practice session before Saturday’s big game against Japan at the Kawasaki Stadium. The final run through of the game plan was held in blustery conditions, but thankfully there was no rain to dampen the mood. Saturday’s forecast is for sunny skies and some welcome warm weather. 

The bus ride into Tokyo gave us another look at some gridlocked traffic and an impression of just how vast this city really is. I heard Tokyo compared in terms of size to an area equivalent of the San Francisco bay area, only with 13 million inhabitants all crammed into the city. Quite different from lineman Billy Deane’s home of Adams Friendship, WI, which he estimates is home to less than 2,000 people. 

While the team pressed on with their shopping expedition in Asakusa, team manager Patrick Steenberge and yours truly wandered off the beaten track to sample some local culinary delights. After being lured into paying 400 yen (about $4) for a baked potato with an artery-clogging amount of butter, we sampled a mystery dish that tasted as odd as its description suggests. A mix of an omelet, pasta, seaweed, a barely fried egg and a topping of dried haddock flakes, it made for an interesting lunch. As did the cookie covered with a very hot red spice that a couple who had befriended us at our table encouraged us to try.

They clearly expected us to gasp for water once the spices kicked in (and boy did they kick in!) but I grew up in an area of England where burning Indian curries are popular and Patrick lives in Texas and regularly samples authentic Mexican dishes, so we spoiled their fun and ate the cookies. Well, we ate some of it. 

Talking of food, here are the Team USA culinary likes and dislikes that we promised you in yesterday’s blog. First the likes / then the dislikes: 

Darius Petratis: Loves noodles / hates seaweed
Tony Martin: Rice and gravy / Chinese vegetables
Jordan Ralph: Sushi / sea urchin
John Pokorny: Noodles / sushi
Matt Groudle: Miso soup, beef stew / some of the fish
Jake Thompson: meals with meat / sushi
Michael DiGangi: I love sushi. I’ll eat anything
Troy Roffi: Tempura / sushiJoe Zambito: I have liked every food that I have tried, but my favorite is probably sushi
Daniel Nicholas: I have liked everything so far except sushi
Rob Moran: Tempura and some sushi / tofu
Akeen Satterfield: Whatever I ate, it was good. I don’t know what it was
John Earl: So far I like all the foods I have tried here
Billy Deane: I like the Japanese pound cake and raw salmon eggs
Mike Parsons: Noodles with sauce / sushiJon Harms: Soup / anything not cooked
Brandon Young: Noodles, egg, fish / wasabi, scallops
Taylor Ward: Tempura, sukiyaki  

So a divided camp when it comes to sushi then. 

After an hour-long ride back to Kawasaki, the team checked into rooms at the Sunroute Hotel where the coaches and staff have been staying this week. The team will all be together to walk the short distance to Kawasaki Stadium to begin preparations at 10am. The group bonded on Friday evening at a team dinner at a Korean barbeque where the all-you-can-eat policy was well received. 

Next time on GlobalFootball.com…. The GE Global Challenge Bowl game recap…