Rosters announced, stage set for U.S. Under-15 “Stars” vs. “Stripes” at International Bowl VIII

Rosters announced, stage set for U.S. Under-15 “Stars” vs. “Stripes” at International Bowl VIII

By Steve Alic | Posted 12/9/2016

Career educators Matt Gallagher and Jason Tenner possess 42 years of combined teaching experience and put their students first.

Gallagher teaches social studies to sixth-graders in New York. In California, Tenner directs high school classes on world history and Advanced Placement psychology.

Normally 2,700 miles apart, the pair will be separated by 53 yards on opposing sidelines as competing head coaches in the U.S. Under-15 “Stars” versus “Stripes” game on Jan. 17 at International Bowl VIII. Gallagher will coach Team Stripes while Tenner will lead Team Stars at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“No matter what level, a coach is to make his athletes better,” said Tenner, an assistant coach at Oak Ridge High School in El Dorado Hills, Calif.

Prior to his current 18-year high school coaching career, Tenner was a defensive tackle and team co-captain at Villanova before playing professionally with the San Francisco 49ers (1999-2000) and NFL Europe’s Scottish Claymores (2000). “It’s my job and my staff’s job to see where kids need to improve. And if they’re pretty good at something, let’s make them great at it.

“These are young athletes who are ready to be coached and have goals – and watching them fulfill them is a lot of fun.”

Although only half of the 100 players in the Under-15 game (rosters below) will attain an International Bowl victory, all of them can improve their skills under credentialed head coaches.

“We consider the field an extension of the classroom,” said Gallagher, who has coached his three sons during an active 24-year coaching career, with 19 of those seasons coming on the high school level. Gallagher just completed his ninth season as head coach at Maine-Endwell (N.Y.).

Gallagher led Maine-Endwell to a state-record 62-game winning streak from 2010-2015. Still, he knows all success starts by mastering the basics.

“(At the International Bowl), we’ll emphasize the fundamental skills and our position coaches will work with their groups. Having the fundamentals is important and they can build on them no matter what program they’re in.”

In addition to focusing on skills and technique, both Gallagher and Tenner will look to cultivate in their players the values that football instills.

“I grew up in a single-parent household,” added Tenner. “My mom did her best, but there were some things that she couldn’t teach me. My football coaches helped make me the man that I am. They helped give me structure, discipline and other values that help me lead my family today. You’ll have adversity in life. Football teaches you to get back up. It’s a sport that helps you learn there’ll be a tomorrow and fix what you make mistakes on the previous day.”

2017 U.S. Under-15 Stars roster:

Team	Name	Pos.	Hometown
Stars	William Angel	OL	Liberty, Mo.
Stars	Lincoln Banez	OL	Elk Grove, Calif.
Stars	Jayden Bankston	OL	Chicago Heights, Ill.
Stars	Todd K. Beatty II	DL	Mountain House, Calif.
Stars	Sean Berardino	DL	Millersville, Md.
Stars	Darius Brown	WR	Cordova, Tenn.
Stars	Devin Brown	DB	Killeen, Texas
Stars	Daron Bryden	QB	Enfield, Conn.
Stars	Colin Chatman	LB	Colorado Springs, Colo.
Stars	Josiah Christensen	DL	Lake Stevens, Wash.
Stars	Klaysen Christianson	DB	Orem, Utah
Stars	Jovanni Colon	DB	Perth Amboy, N.J.
Stars	Robert (Rj) Connell	QB	New Berlin, Wis.
Stars	Troy Corson	WR	Wernersville, Pa.
Stars	Quintin Effinger	OL	Houston, Texas
Stars	Ammad Foston	RB	Milledgeville, Ga.
Stars	Elijah Foxx	DB	Lynchburg, Va.
Stars	Walker Garrett	OL	Woodway, Texas
Stars	Jayson Gilliom	WR	Alpharetta, Ga.
Stars	Michael Gould	LB	Lake Hopatcong, N.J.
Stars	Christopher Gundy	DB	Carrollton, Va.
Stars	Hunter Hargrave	LB	Bethalto, Ill.
Stars	Ethan Hebb	RB	Apex, N.C.
Stars	Austin Henry	DB	Round Rock, Texas
Stars	Wesley Hickle	OL	Dandridge, Tenn.
Stars	Christian Hunter	DB	Mount Holly, N.C.
Stars	Cameron James	DB	Powder Springs, Ga.
Stars	Daniel Jenkins Jr	OL	Lynnwood, Wash.
Stars	Talon Jones	DL	Herscher, Ill.
Stars	Trey Lane	WR	Lake Stevens, Wash.
Stars	J.C. Latham	TE	Oak Creek, Wis.
Stars	Jayden Louis	DB	Central Islip, N.Y.
Stars	Connor Lytton	K	Christiansburg, Va.
Stars	Ashton Martin	OL	Milton, Ga.
Stars	Cameron Martin	DL	Fenton, Mo.
Stars	Joshua Mccarron	DL	Mukilteo, Wash.
Stars	Derron Mcquitty	Ath.	Greensboro, N.C.
Stars	Johnathon Miller	OL	Vermont, Ill.
Stars	Max Moenoa	WR	Lake Stevens, Wash.
Stars	Justin Oyler	LB	Gilbert, Ariz.
Stars	Cooper Petty	LB	Mcgregor, Texas
Stars	Adrian Pietri	LB	Hoboken, N.J.
Stars	Gage Sales	DL	Evansville, Ind.
Stars	Daelon Shockley	DL	Carthage, Mo.
Stars	Preston Stone	QB	Dallas, Texas
Stars	Kameron Swope	RB	Bonner Springs, Kan.
Stars	Siddhant Thadani	WR	San Jose, Calif.
Stars	Samuel Webert	DL	Wentzville, Mo.

2017 U.S. Under-15 Stripes roster:

Team	Name	Pos	Hometown
Stripes	Tommy Atherton	RB	Columbia, Mo.
Stripes	Jackson Baldi	OL	Mountain House, Calif.
Stripes	Joshua Bell	WR	Coram, N.Y.
Stripes	Octavious Benton	WR	Greensboro, N.C.
Stripes	Gatlin Brown	DB	Basehor, Kan.
Stripes	Kenny Butler	TE	Newburgh, Ind.
Stripes	Brooks Byers	LB	Port Orange, Fla.
Stripes	Nyk Comer	OL	Farmington, Ark.
Stripes	Mekhi Crawley	RB	Powder Springs, Ga.
Stripes	Tyler Dean	OL	Placerville, Calif.
Stripes	Tyler DeLeon	LB	Rossmoor, Calif.
Stripes	Jacob Earle	DL	Little Chute, Wis.
Stripes	Hall Edmonds	LB	Milliken, Colo.
Stripes	Tyvon Edmonds jr.	DB	White Plains, Md.
Stripes	Anthony Galati	WR	Lake Saint Louis, Mo.
Stripes	Micah Gallegos	DL	Henderson, Nev.
Stripes	Nathan Gargano	TE	Bartlett, Ill.
Stripes	Tedros Gleaton	QB	Waldorf, Md.
Stripes	Maxwell Gregor	OL	Easton, Conn.
Stripes	Ethan Holsenbeck	OL	Spring Hill, Tenn.
Stripes	Zaire Jackson	DB	Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Stripes	Andrew Jarman	OL	Palm Harbor, Fla.
Stripes	Brandon Johnson	DB	Conover, N.C.
Stripes	Liam Johnston	WR	Enid, Okla.
Stripes	Aidan Keith	LB	Pflugerville, Texas
Stripes	Grayson McClendon	OL	Waco, Texas
Stripes	Key'Shard McCroey	DB	Rock Hill, S.C.
Stripes	Brady Meitz	QB	Cumming, Ga.
Stripes	Ethan Myers	OL	Whiteland, Ind.
Stripes	Gabriel Perez	DL	Ashburn, Va.
Stripes	Clayton Peters	DL	Avon, Ind.
Stripes	James Jacob Ransford	OL	Sheridan, Ind.
Stripes	Je'Mazin Roberts	DL	Milledgeville, Ga.
Stripes	Bailey Russ	DL	Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
Stripes	Myron Scott	QB	Tampa, Fla.
Stripes	Jaquate Simpson	LB	Charlotte, N.C.
Stripes	Caleb Smith	DB	Kankakee, Ill.
Stripes	Jacob Smith	DL	Portland, Ore.
Stripes	Alex Sorge	WR	Lake St Louis, Mo.
Stripes	Marshall Stafford	OL	Catawba, S.C.
Stripes	Gabriel Stephens	DB	Mount Holly, N.C.
Stripes	Cade Uehling	RB	Fresno, Calif.
Stripes	Jake Vance	WR	Knightstown, Ind.
Stripes	Tyson Vida	DB	Walnut Creek, Calif.
Stripes	Cole Walter	DL	New Glarus, Wis.
Stripes	Cameron Welch	K	New Braunfels, Texas
Stripes	Liam Wrench	OL	Sussex, Wis.

Click here for more information on International Bowl VIII at AT&T Stadium.

TagsAthlete High School Tackle football National Team International Bowl

Rosters announced, stage set for U.S. Under-15 “Stars” vs. “Stripes” at International Bowl VIII

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