If Aaron Dobson were to not play a down in the inaugural JuniorWorld Championship of American Football, his training campexperience still puts him a few steps ahead of other freshmenheading into his first season at Marshall.
But Dobson will play for the United States in the eight-teamtournament, which kicks off today at Fawcett Stadium in Canton,Ohio. In fact, he has been tabbed as a starting flanker for theAmericans, who play France at 7 p.m.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, Dobson has practiced for the pasttwo weeks with 44 others on the 19-and-under squad. All have justgraduated from high school and are heading to 33 different schools,most in the major-college ranks.
Dobson has easily kept pace with the practices, and will fill arole as perhaps the Americans' most physical of six receivers.
'You can tell he's been coached well,' said his position coach,Marcus Boyles. 'He's running good routes and catches the ball well,and he has a big body. We've got a couple of guys 6-1, 6-2; one ofthem is not quite as thick and another is not quite as tall.'
Dobson helped lead South Charleston to a perfect season infootball, and was the Bill Evans Award winner in basketball as thestate's player of the year. Ordinarily, he would have been pullingdouble duty during North-South week, playing both sports on back-to-back days.
That went out the window when he was selected by Team USA for thefirst JWC, a tournament run by the International Federation ofAmerican Football. During the camp, he was featured in a CantonRepository story, in which he said this experience far exceedsanything he could have expected in the North-South game.
He said he has really stepped his game up this month. Goingagainst defensive backs who are headed to schools including SouthCarolina and Virginia, he probably had to.
'Being from West Virginia, I'm not used to the defensive backsbeing that good and that physical,' Dobson said. 'I can get mycompetition level ready for Marshall. I have to use more of my skilllevel.'
Boyles, a 15th-year high school head coach who has a 177-21record in Mississippi, said Dobson has met the challenge.
'He's learning how to use his body,' Boyles said. 'You can seehim progressing against those good defensive backs. You can tell hehas a good work habit.'
USA assembled a coaching staff that could double as a who's whoin high school coaching. The head coach is Chuck Kyle of Clevelandpowerhouse St. Ignatius and the offensive coordinator is GarySwenson, who has won 257 games in the Des Moines, Iowa, area.
Elsewhere on the field, the offensive line coach, Frank Lenti,has won nine Illinois state titles and he coached Donovan McNabb.Linebackers coach Allen Wilson is a two-time Texas coach of the yearand offensive coach Ed Croson owns several Los Angeles citychampionships.
Dobson said the team bonded quickly, pretty much by the secondday of camp at nearby Walsh University. He shares a four-room condoapartment with fellow receivers Jamal Davis of Coral Springs, Fla.(headed to Florida Atlantic), Kevin Cummings of Encino, Calif.(Oregon State), Noel Grigsby of Los Angeles (San Jose State) andErik Lora of Miami, Fla. (Eastern Illinois).
Team members have had a variety of off-field activities and haveheard motivational speeches from Pro Hall of Famers JoeDeLamielleure and Anthony Munoz, as well as College Hall of FamerChris Spielman.
Dobson said the speakers served to pump up the players. Spielmanprobably issued the strongest challenge, once admonishing a playerfor texting a picture back to his father during his speech.
According to a Repository report, Spielman said:
'You're representing your country, and if that does not dosomething to you, get your ass out of here and go back home. Ifyou're here to go through the motions, then go home. But if you'rehere to make a statement about football, how important it is, thenaccept the responsibility of being the favorites and kick everyone'srear end back to whatever country they came from.'
In the past few days, the cultural exchanges have begun. Swedenarrived first and had a joint practice with the U.S. team - theAmericans were well ahead in skill level, but the Swedes do have ajump-ball receiver in 6-11, 243-pound Filip Persson.
The U.S. stopped one practice to welcome the New Zealand team,seeded last in the eight-team field. The Kiwis had to beat Australiaon the road to qualify, and then endured a 37-hour plane-and-busride from Down Under.
'It's really a great experience, because I haven't met peoplefrom other countries,' Dobson said.
Dobson's family was to arrive this weekend to take in the games -parents Angela and Robert and siblings Anthony Johnson and AmberSanders. The team has yet to make its journey to the Pro FootballHall of Fame, adjacent to Fawcett Stadium, but that will come afterthe first game.
The Americans are favored - hey, this is American football, afterall - but Canada is the top seed by virtue of winning the last IFAF-sanctioned tournament, the NFL Global Junior Championship in 2007.This is the first U.S. entry into international competition.
Mexico, Germany and Japan are also represented. An estimated2,000 players, coaches, family members and media representatives areexpected in Canton, along with as many as 40,000 fans over thecourse of the tournament.
All contests are being Webcast at www.jwcfootball.com andfoxcollegesports.com. Fox College Sports Atlantic, available on theSuddenlink digital sports package, is televising the bronze medalgame, 7 p.m. July 4, and the gold medal game, 1 p.m. July 5.
The next Junior World Championship is scheduled for 2012, withplans to conduct them every two years after that.
SCHEDULE
Junior World Championship of American Football
At Fawcett Stadium, Canton, Ohio
Today
* Game 1: Canada vs. New Zealand, 10 a.m.
* Game 2: Japan vs. Germany, 1 p.m.
* Game 3: Mexico vs. Sweden, 4 p.m.
* Opening ceremonies, 7 p.m.
* Game 4: U.S. vs. France, 8 p.m.
Wednesday
* Game 5: Loser Game 1 vs. loser Game 2, 10 a.m.
* Game 6: Loser Game 3 vs. loser Game 4, 1 p.m.
* Game 7: Winner Game 1 vs. winner Game 2, 4 p.m.
* Game 8: Winner Game 3 vs. winner Game 4, 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 4
* Seventh-place game, loser Game 5 vs. loser Game 6, 1 p.m.
* Fifth-place game, winner Game 5 vs. loser Game 6, 4 p.m.
* Bronze medal game, loser Game 7 vs. loser Game 8, 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 5
* Gold medal game, winner Game 7 vs. winner Game 8, 1 p.m.
Live Webcast, real-time stats: www.jwcfootball.com.
TV (medal games): Fox College Sports Atlantic.
Photo courtesy USA FOOTBALL South Charlestons Aaron Dobson, whosheaded to Marshall in the fall, hauls in a pass during practice forthe Junior World Championship in Canton, Ohio.
Reach Doug Smock at 304-348-5130 or dougsmock@wvgazette.com.
