North Battleford Comprehensive High School Vikings football players J.T. Lamb, Apete Tuiloma and Zack Weber got the chance to experience something that most students their age can only dream of.
The trio had the chance to play for Team Saskatchewan at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Jan. 16 as they went up against an all-star team from the United States during this year’s International Bowl.
“To play in the same stadium as the Dallas Cowboys was pretty wild,” Lamb, who played at running back, said.
“The big screen there is about 80 yards long, so you look up every now and then just to see the replay,” Weber, who played on the defensive line, added. “You see it on television, but that doesn’t do it justice as to how big the stadium is.”
The game itself ended up going in favour of the American Under-17 squad by a score of 42-15.
However, the Saskatchewan team held their own against a team that will see many of their players go on to play for some of the top programs in NCAA football.
“There’s that hype that surrounds those players, especially when you hear that they are four-star recruits and all that,” Tuiloma, who played on the offensive line, said. “Once you line up against them, however, you realize that they are just another football player.
“We got the lead and we were pretty fired up, but they just didn’t let their foot off of the gas pedal. When we got to halftime, we felt like we were still in the mix, but they just kept their stepping up their level of play.”
One of the major differences that the players had to work through was playing on a smaller field and with an extra down instead of what they are used to playing in Canada.
“In the CFL you have to give the extra yard but down there you’re right on top of the ball,” Weber said.
“That extra down can drain a lot of you, especially if you are out on the field for quite awhile, but you have to adjust to those challenges.”
Looking towards the future, Vikings head coach Mike Hummeny believes that the trio can gain a lot from the experience.
“I’m a big believer that you can get better as a football player by playing against higher-quality players,” Hummeny said.
“They held their own down there, and they’ll be a huge part of our team coming into next season.”
All three players will also be trying out to make the provincial team for the Canada Cup football tournament, which will take place in Halifax in July.
