Team Stars & Stripes triumphed 47-6 over their Cataluña representative team opponents in front of 1,100 fans in Barcelona as Father Judge quarterback Kevin Kovacs rushed for two touchdowns and fellow signal caller Zach Samson (Baxter Community, IA) ran and passed for scores.
Head coach Bill Gallagher (pictured with his staff) named Most Valuable Traveler Riley Kordek of Germantown Academy, John Reynolds of Mountain View High School and Kevin Fabien from Roxborough High School captains for the game played in partly cloudy conditions on a windy afternoon in Spain.
The Americans wasted no time getting on the board as Kovacs scored on an 11-yard run and Father Judge teammate Connor Pelligrini-Foley tagged on the extra point. A one-yard run by Cody Russell (Episcopal Academy, PA) meant Team Stars & Stripes led 13-0 at the end of the first quarter.
An 18-yard run by James Biggs-Frazer (William Penn Charter, PA) and successful point after opened a 20-point advantage before the hosts, whose roster included players from Barcelona, Madrid and Mallorca, hit back through a 70-yard scoring pass. The Americans scored again through a 10-yard Zach Samson (Baxter Community, IA) run, making the score 27-6 at halftime.
Riley Kordek (Germantown Academy, PA) and Kovacs found the end zone from 12 and 31 yards respectively before an 81-yard connection between Samson and Hank Adens (Roxborough High School, PA) completed the scoring.
“A special thanks goes to former Barcelona Dragons national coach Marcos Guirles for his amazing work in putting together the Spanish team and all the game logistics,” said Global Football President Patrick Steenberge. “It is always a pleasure to work with Marcos. I look forward to returning to Spain this June with Rose Hulman College when they tour with Global Football.”
The game between Team Stars & Stripes and the Spanish youngsters was watched by the Presidents of the American football federations of Serbia, France, Italy and Spain.
The Team Stars & Stripes traveling roster was drawn from Mountain View High School in Arizona, Baxter Community School in Iowa, Gilmour Academy and Villa Angela-St. Joseph in Ohio and from Pennsylvania schools Cardinal O’Hara, Episcopal Academy, Father Judge, Germantown Academy, The Haverford School, Malvern Prep, Roxborough, and William Penn Charter.
The Global Bowl series has been contested previously in Japan (2008 and 2009), France / Belgium (2010), Germany (2011) and Italy (2012 and 2013). Team Stars & Stripes boasts an all-time 4-2 record, but it is the cultural experience and opportunity to enjoy the sights of Barcelona and the Catalan region that are as much a focus of the trip as time spent on the football field.
Box score
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Barcelona, Spain
Team Stars & Stripes 47 Cataluña representative team 6
Weather: partly cloudy, windy, 60 degrees
1st Quarter
Team Stars & Stripes 11 yard TD run Kevin Kovacs (Father Judge, PA)
PAT Connor Pelligrini-Foley (Father Judge, PA) 7-0
Team Stars & Stripes 1-yard TD run Cody Russell (Episcopal Academy, PA)
PAT failed 13-0
2nd Quarter
Team Stars & Stripes 18-yard TD run James Biggs-Frazer (William Penn Charter, PA)
Extra point Connor Pelligrini-Foley (Father Judge, PA) 20-0
Team Cataluña 70-yard TD pass Max Ruano to Fredy Garate
PAT failed 20-6
Team Stars & Stripes 10-yard TD run Zach Samson (Baxter Community, IA)
Extra point Connor Pelligrini-Foley (Father Judge, PA) 27-6
3rd Quarter
Team Stars & Stripes 12-yard TD run Riley Kordek (Germantown Academy, PA)
Extra point Connor Pelligrini-Foley (Father Judge, PA) 34-6
4th Quarter
Team Stars & Stripes 31-yard TD run Kevin Kovacs (Father Judge, PA)
2-PAT failed 40-6
Team Stars & Stripes 81-yard pass Zach Samson (Baxter Community, IA) to Hank Adens (Roxborough High School, PA)
Extra point Connor Pelligrini-Foley (Father Judge, PA) 47-6
History of Team Stars & Stripes games (high school age team)
2008
GE Global Challenge Bowl
Kawasaki, Japan
Japan U-19 National Team 24- Team Stars & Stripes 14
2009
Global Challenge Bowl
Kawasaki, Japan
Japan U-19 National Team 38 -Team Stars & Stripes 21
2010
Global Bowl France
Amiens, France
Brussels All-Stars 0-Team Stars & Stripes 83
2011
Global Bowl Germany
Munich, Germany
Munich Cowboys Juniors 0-Team Stars & Stripes 34
2012
Global Bowl Italy
Rome, Italy
Italian U-19 National Team 0-Team Stars & Stripes 50
2013
Global Bowl Torino
Torino, Italy
Italian U-19 National Team 0-Team Stars & Stripes 67
2014
Global Bowl Spain
Barcelona, Spain
Cataluña representative team 6-Team Stars & Stripes 47