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Teammates Invited To Bowl Game

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By NICHOLAS J.E. MURRAY nmurray@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 17, 2008

New Tampa Wildcats Jake Kennedy and Jacob Meier have grown up playing football together. Now, the two friends are gearing up for a big opportunity.

Both running back/linebacker Kennedy and guard/defensive lineman Meier have been named to the 2009 Football University (FBU) Youth All-American game, which is being held in conjunction with the U.S. Army All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas, in the first week of January. Three games will be played, with an Under-13 game, and two Under-14 games, one with a weight-limit of 170 pounds, the other without.

In the 170-pound game Meier and Kennedy will play in, only three players were selected from Florida, the other being Ray Lewis III, the son of Baltimore Ravens All-Pro linebacker Ray Lewis. The selection process began earlier this year, with FBU scouts traveling to games, and watching game film of potential candidates. While both players knew being named to the East squad was a possibility, neither was expecting it.

"I was shocked," Kennedy said. "I couldn't believe that I had been selected. It was just such an honor."

"I was really excited," Meier added. "I was just overwhelmed by it. It's just really exciting."

Meier's father, Chad, was both players coach with New Tampa. The Wildcats junior varsity squad went 10-0 in the regular season, and reached the Mid-Florida Football Conference Super Bowl before falling to the Osceola Panthers.

"I knew that we have several good kids on our team," Chad Meier said. "But to have one selected, let alone two, was a huge accomplishment for the boys."

An impressive feat, considering only 22 players were selected for each team. Jacob Meier said he had always wanted to play in the trenches, and that he enjoyed the physical part of the game.

"I just fell in love with the position," Meier said. "I've never really wanted to play anything other than O-line and D-line. It's fun hitting someone every play. It's really the only position you do his everyone on every play."

Kennedy is a tough runner, who according to Meier will turn a 6- or 7-yard run into a 30- or 40-yard one. An Alabama Crimson Tide fan thanks to his cousins, Kennedy attended the Nick Saban Football Camp in Tuscaloosa, Ala., earlier this year, and was named to the camp's All-Saban team.

Still, Kennedy said - as did Meier - going to the All-American game with a teammate and a close friend is going to make their trip all the more special.

"It's going to make it much more fun and enjoyable," Kennedy said. "He's a great football player, too, and it's going to be fun to play with him down in Texas."

Both players will also get to take part in the same activities as their high school counterparts. Local standouts Orson Charles and Aaron Murray of Plant and Ryne Giddens of Armwood have accepted invitations to the All-American game, giving Meier and Kennedy a chance to learn what it might take to continue their progression.

"I think they're going to see what other players are out there in the country, the top other players in their age group," Chad Meier said. "It'll give them a good measure of their abilities and what they need to work on.

"The other thing is ... they're going to witness what's involved with the top high school players in the country and the recruiting aspect of it, and what the coaches are looking for, so I think from that aspect, it's going to be a huge learning experience for them."

Tampa Tribe Aiming High At TOC

WESLEY CHAPEL - After its Under-17 squad reached the final of the Rising Stars division at the Dick's Sporting Goods Lacrosse Tournament of Champions last season, the Tampa Tribe is looking for more.

This year's tournament begins Jan. 2. in Wesley Chapel, and this weekend saw the final tryout camp for the Tribe squad. Supervised by Tribe coach Tom Fitzsimons and Ted Garber, the offensive coordinator of Major League Lacrosse's Boston Cannons, the players engaged in a tough series of workouts to determine who would represent the two squads next month.

"We're trying to ramp up the competition and make the kids better," Fitzsimons said. "There's five teams coming for the TOC from Canada, and we know how well they are, and a lot of them are state all-star teams. We've got Team Georgia, Team Illinois, so there's a couple of teams that are really going to be stacked with talent."

The Tribe is the same way, with players from as far as Fort Myers, Sarasota and the east coast traveling to earn a place on one of the two teams. That has meant while some players have competed together before, others are having to learn to adapt to new teammates. Cameron Clearwaters, a regular for the Tribe, said the practices have been full of intensity.

"It's been pretty heated," Clearwaters said. "There's teams from all-around that are usually in competition against each other, but we've got to come together and learn new things together."

Clearwaters and his teammates are confident they can make the transition to find success in the Elite division. The Tribe have been drawn in a pool with Team Headstrong from Pennsylvania and True Lacrosse from Illinois in the opening round.

"I think we'll make the transition well," Clearwaters said. "There's a lot of good teams coming down, but we've got a lot of players and a lot of skill."

Nicholas J.E. Murray can be reached at (813) 259-8243.

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