TEAM USA FOOTBALL GOES COMBINED 4-0 ON OPENING DAY OF IFAF AMERICAS CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP

U.S. opens with four total victories against top teams from North and South America   

PENONOMÉ, PANAMA – Group play for the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Americas Continental Championship officially began on Friday morning. Held at Estadio Virgilio Tejeira in Penonomé, Panama, the event features the top men’s and women’s flag football teams from North and South America. Team USA Football went 4-0 to begin the tournament, with both the men’s and women’s teams winning their first two games of group play.  

A full schedule for Team USA Football’s games at the IFAF Americas Continental Championship is available on usafootball.com. All times listed are in Central Time. The semifinals and championship games are scheduled for Sunday. Games are streamed on IFAF.tv. 

The U.S. Men’s National Team is paired with Brazil, Canada, Colombia and Guatemala in Group A. The U.S. Women’s National Team is competing in Group A against Brazil, Jamaica and Panama. Mexico and Canada, who, along with the U.S. women, claimed medals last month at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China, are in Group B.  

IFAF’s Americas Continental Championship is a biennial event that began in Charlotte, N.C. in 2023 as part of the strategic development of global competition leading up to and beyond flag football’s Olympic debut in Los Angeles in 2028.  

The U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams both defeated Mexico in the finals in 2023 to be crowned the first continental champions of the Americas. Both teams subsequently won IFAF Flag Football World Championships in Lahti, Finland in 2024.  

Below is a recap of Friday’s action.  

U.S. Women Game No. 1: U.S. 46, Colombia 12 

Colombia scored on the opening possession of the game. It was the only time they led. The U.S. Women’s National Team responded with a touchdown drive culminating in a Vanita Krouch pass to Maci Joncich. With the score tied at 6-6, Amber Clark-Robinson intercepted Colombia, setting up a quick touchdown from Krouch to Ashlea Klam.  

At one point, Colombia shrank the lead to a one-score 20-12 game. Krouch responded with a deep touchdown pass to Klam before finding Madison Fulford for the extra point. Krouch finished the game with 27 completions on 35 pass attempts for 268 yards, five touchdowns and three extra points.  

Joncich, who became the youngest member in team history in 2024, completed four of five passes for 51 yards and an extra point and carried the ball twice for 35 yards and a touchdown. Joncich also contributed as a receiver, snagging four receptions for 34 yards and a pair of touchdowns.  

Klam led the team in all receiving categories with seven receptions for 85 yards, two touchdowns and an extra point. Isabella Geraci followed close behind with six receptions, 78 yards, a touchdown and an extra point. Fulford, who led the team in receiving yards at The World Games 2025, added six receptions for 64 yards and an extra point.  

London Jenkins and Brianna Hernandez-Silva contributed on both sides of the ball. Jenkins caught five passes for 53 yards and recorded three pressures as a rusher, including coming within a finger’s tip of forcing a safety. Hernandez-Silva made four receptions for 39 yards, a touchdown and an extra point. Defensive back Laneah Bryan also spent some time on offense, tossing Hernandez-Silva her touchdown. 

The pillars of Team USA Football’s defense held strong against Colombia. Clark-Robinson intercepted a pair of passes. Bryan also recorded an interception. Deliah Autry-Jones, who was the defense’s star performer at The World Games 2025, broke up two throws. Rusher Addison Orsborn added five pressures.  

U.S. Women Game No. 2: U.S. 47, Brazil 13 

Brazil opened the scoring with a long touchdown on a stutter-go to take a 6-0 lead. Joncich, who played the majority of the game at quarterback, responded with a drive that culminated in a touchdown pass to Geraci and a successful conversion to Fulford. A Fulford touchdown on the following drive gave the U.S. women a lead they never surrendered.  

Joncich finished the game with 23 completions on 32 attempts for 303 yards, seven touchdowns and five extra points.  

Klam again emerged as Team USA Football’s leading receiver, making seven receptions for 115 yards, four touchdowns and an extra point. Fulford also scored multiple times, contributing five catches for 94 yards, two touchdowns and an extra point. Geraci added five receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. Jenkins caught two extra points, and Hernandez-Silva also added an extra point.  

The defense’s pass rushers put on a show. Orsborn, who was denied several close sack opportunities in the tournament’s opening game, recorded two sacks as part of a four-pressure performance. Autry-Jones and Jenkins also recorded sacks. Hernandez-Silva continued her breakout showing by intercepting a pass.  

Head coach Saaid Mortazavi and assistant coaches Mary Kate Bula and Matthew Hernandez have gotten impressive utility out of their team’s two-way contributors early in the tournament.  

U.S. Men Game No. 1: U.S. 66, Guatemala 7 

Three-time gold medalist Laderrick "Pablo" Smith got Team USA Football on the board first with an eight-yard rushing touchdown. Quarterback Darrell "Housh" Doucette III followed up by finding first-time team member Shawn Theard Jr. for the extra point to take a 7-0 lead. Guatemala responded to tie the game, but the U.S. Men’s National Team’s offense continued marching up and down the field.  

Quarterback Nico Casares shoveled the ball to Doucette for the team’s second score before Doucette connected with Tyler Davis on the extra point. The U.S. proceeded to take a commanding lead, with the defense preventing any response from Guatemala.  

According to statistics provided by IFAF, Casares passed for four touchdowns in the victory. Doucette also passed for a score in addition to his receiving touchdown. Davis, who made his international debut in the game, caught three touchdown passes. Theard also scored through the air.  

Former West Virginia Mountaineers cornerback Mike Daniels led the way for the defense. He intercepted two passes. Fellow ball hawk Jamie Kennedy also picked off Guatemala. Former college track star Laval Davis, who began his U.S. National Team career as a receiver, added a sack, and defensive back Aamir Brown led the team with five tackles.   

U.S. Men Game No. 2: U.S. 62, Colombia 13 

The U.S. immediately set the tone for the game against Colombia. Kennedy intercepted the first play of the game to set up a touchdown pass from Doucette to Smith. The duo, who have played on the U.S. National Team together since 2022, also connected for the extra point to give the U.S. a 7-0 lead. The following Colombia drive ended poorly, with defensive back Isaiah Calhoun intercepting a pass and taking it back for a touchdown.  

Calhoun continued his dominant performance by adding another pick-six. His two interceptions were among the four recorded by the U.S. Daniels made a goal line interception in the first half, and Brown generated an interception of his own later in the game.  

Davis, who was the German Football League (GFL) MVP with the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes in 2015 as a two-way player, emerged on Friday as a touchdown magnet at wide receiver. He caught touchdown passes from Casares and Smith. Casares also threw a touchdown to Doucette.  

The U.S. converted numerous extra points, with Doucette finding wide receiver Velton Brown Jr. multiple times. Casares also tossed extra points to Brown and Davis. The multi-positional skill sets on Team USA Football’s offense highlight the sport’s creativity and emphasis on versatility. 

Assets for use – Please courtesy USA Football:   

• USA Football logos for editorial use are available at this link.   

• Highlight video from the U.S. National Teams’ gold medal winning performances at the 2024 IFAF Flag Football World Championships for use is available at this link.   

• USA Football’s 2025 U.S. National Team Media Guide.  

2025 Team USA Football Men’s Roster   

Name; Position; Hometown (Current Residence)  

Aamir Brown; DB/WR; Philadelphia, Pa. (Philadelphia, Pa.)  

Velton Brown Jr.; WR/DB; Orlando, Fla. (Orlando, Fla.)  

Isaiah Calhoun; DB/WR; Riverside, Calif. (Plano, Texas)  

Nico Casares; QB; Miami, Fla. (Miami, Fla.)  

Mike Daniels; DB/WR; Miami, Fla. (Miami, Fla.)  

Laval Davis; WR/Rush; Jacksonville, Fla. (Jacksonville, Fla.)  

Tyler Davis; WR/DB; Oakland, Calif. (Austin, Texas)  

Darrell “Housh” Doucette III; QB/ATH; New Orleans, La. (New Orleans, La.)  

Ja'Deion High; WR/DB; Hereford, Texas (Lubbock, Texas)  

Jamie Kennedy; DB/WR; Pompano Beach, Fla. (Jacksonville, Fla.)  

Laderrick “Pablo” Smith; WR/QB; Pompano Beach, Fla. (Goodyear, Ariz.)  

Shawn Theard Jr.; Rush/WR; New Orleans, La. (New Orleans, La.)  

Head Coach: Jorge Cascudo  

Assistant Coach: Willy Perez  

Assistant Coach: Rudy Fernandez  

2025 Team USA Football Women’s Roster   

Name; Position; Hometown (Current Residence)  

Deliah Autry-Jones; DB/WR; Tampa, Fla. (Tampa, Fla.)  

Laneah Bryan; DB/WR; El Paso, Texas (El Paso, Texas)  

Amber Clark-Robinson; DB/WR; Greenville, N.C. (Kansas City, Kan.)  

Ashley Edwards; DB/WR; San Antonio, Texas (San Antonio, Texas)  

Madison Fulford; WR/DB; Charlotte, N.C. (Round Rock, Texas)  

Isabella Geraci; WR/DB; North Ridgeville, Ohio (North Ridgeville, Ohio)  

Brianna Hernandez-Silva; DB/WR; Las Vegas, Nev. (Cedar Park, Texas)  

London Jenkins; WR/DB: Jacksonville, Fla. (Jacksonville, Fla.)  

Maci Joncich; WR/QB; Henderson, Nev. (Gainesville, Fla.)  

Ashlea Klam; C/DB; Austin, Texas (West Palm Beach, Fla.)  

Vanita Krouch; QB; Carrollton, Texas (Carrollton, Texas)  

Addison Orsborn; Rush/WR; Round Rock, Texas (Ottawa, Kan.)  

Head Coach: Saaid Mortazavi  

Assistant Coach: Mary Kate Bula  

Assistant Coach: Matthew Hernandez  

About USA Football: USA Football is the National Governing Body (NGB) for American Football in the United States and the sole U.S. member of the International Federation of American Football (IFAF), the international governing body for the sport of American football. USA Football selects, trains and leads Team USA in tackle and flag football disciplines, while delivering world-class football development resources, sport standards and competitive opportunities to empower athletes at every level. USA Football is committed to ensuring every athlete has access to develop and compete in the game through safer, inclusive and innovative pathways. For more information, visit usafootball.com.