Two current members of the York University Lions football team and one recruit were among the initial 30 players named to the roster for the 2016 International Bowl Wednesday (Jan. 13).
Lions receivers Colton Hunchak and Jacob Janke, and Lions recruit Skye King, were among the initial players named to the roster for the 2016 International Bowl
The International Bowl features Team Canada taking on Team USA, and it will be played on Saturday, Jan. 31, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Tex.
After respective strong rookie seasons, star wide receivers Colton Hunchak (Calgary) and Jacob Janke (Edmonton) will look to lead Team Canada's receiving corps. Hunchak is preparing for his third consecutive International Bowl appearance and is currently the only returning member of Canada's silver medal-winning entry at the 2014 IFAF U19 World Championship in Kuwait.
This past season, he caught 32 passes for 355 yards during the regular season, including a breakout game against the Queen's Gaels where he picked up 13 receptions for 135 yards.
Janke was also named to the U19 national team for the second straight year, after picking up 11 receptions for 94 yards on the season.
Lions recruit Skye King was also named to the team. Hailing from Calgary, King is a 6-foot-4, 285-pound defensive tackle who committed to the Lions in late 2015. A former teammate of Hunchak's at the prestigious Notre Dame High School in Calgary, King helped the team to back-to-back provincial championships in 2013 and 2014, and played for the Calgary Colts of the Calgary Junior Football League in 2015.
York head coach Warren Craney will again lead Team Canada as head coach, after being named to the position in 2014.
Based on player performance at the International Bowl, a roster of 45 players will be selected to represent Canada at the 2016 IFAF U19 World Championship in China.
The series of games featuring U18 and U19 programs is 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. Canada's counterparts feature a lineup of players committed to big-time U.S. schools such as Notre Dame, Texas, Oregon, Texas Christian University (TCU) and Oklahoma.
The game can be seen live online on Jan. 31 at footballcanada.com.