Football: Canada wins silver at inaugural junior worlds

No doubt few will be surprised by the final score, 41-3 for Team USA over Canada, at the International Federation of American Football junior world championship in Canton, Ohio.

When the tournament has your country's name in it, you should be head and shoulders above the competition. A tip of the cap is due Canada for representing well under Laval coach Glen Constantin.

The U.S., which outgained our guys 480-41, got three touchdown passes from QB Bryce Petty, who's headed to Baylor in the Big 12. David Wilson, a Virginia Tech running back, gained a game-high 87 yards and scored a touchdown. Lirim Hajrullahu's 38-yard field goal was the only points the Yanks allowed in the tournament.

The Americans are pretty proud of leaving "the rest of the world at least a generation behind" in football." Of course, there was no mention that Team Canada's players had to fork out $1,000 to play on the team, or that only seven players from the country's most populous province tried out. This blurb from the Akron Beacon-Journal has to be shared:

"The score was their statement.

" 'This,' Petty said, 'is our sport.' "

"Let the rest of the world play rugby."

It is, no question, but what was with saying, Let the rest of the world play rugby? Can you imagine a Canadian journalist, even with the TSN-fueled over-the-top chauvinism that you see during the world junior hockey championship, suggesting hockey's too good for other countries?

Anyway, note for Ottawa users: The Cumberland Panthers' Ron Omara had a sack in the championship game.

Japan won the bronze by beating Mexico 42-27. Yuichiro Araki threw for 354 yards and five touchdowns after throwing for 285 and 4 TDs vs. Canada last Wednesday. It's tempting to suggest tongue-in-cheek that some CIS school recruit him, language barrier be damned.

(Image of Laurier wideout Alex Anthony via Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, a fabulous Syracuse Orange blog.)