Brandon Faircloth of Port Neches-Groves High School selected to coach 2011 U.S. Under-19 National Team

BRANDON FAIRCLOTH, head football coach at Port Neches-Groves High School, has been selected to serve as the offensive coordinator of the 2011 U.S. Under-19 National Team, assembled by USA Football. The team will compete Feb. 2 in Austin, Texas, against a collection of athletes from four continents in the second Team USA vs. The World game.

Faircloth is one of 13 members of Team USA’s coaching staff spanning five states and Washington, D.C., led by head coach DARREN ALLMAN of Austin (Texas) Westlake High School. Forty-five U.S. high school seniors will take part in the game to be held on National Signing Day. Team USA’s player roster presently stands at 42 athletes with the remaining three roster spots to be announced soon.

A national team exemption granted by the NCAA allows high school seniors to play for USA Football and not have their participation count as one of their two permitted all-star game appearances. Team USA vs. The World is recognized as a national team competition.

USA Football is the sport’s national governing body and the official football development partner of the NFL and NFL Players Association.

Faircloth has led his football program at Port Neches-Groves to a 19-6 (.760) record in his first two seasons. He was selected to Dave Campbell’s Texas 4A Coach of the Year in 2009, when he led the school to its first 10-0 season since 1977. Before coming to Port Neches-Groves, Faircloth was an assistant at Odessa Permian, Highland Park and Austin Westlake, all in Texas. Faircloth was Highland Park’s running backs coach when the team won the 2005 Division 4A state championship.

Allman, USA Football’s 2011 Under-19 National Team head coach, led Westlake to the Texas Class 5-A (largest school division) state final in 2009. He is 57-19 (.750) overall in six seasons as a head coach.

“This roster holds tremendously talented players, but its blueprint is centered on the assemblage of a true team, a national team,” Allman said. “Representing the United States in our country’s favorite sport is a high honor – our coaches and players understand this. We’ll be prepared to face a strong opponent on Feb. 2 and to celebrate football on an international scale.”

The U.S. Under-19 team defeated The World, 17-0, in January 2010 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The U.S. also won the gold medal at the IFAF Junior World Championship in Canton, Ohio, during the summer of 2009.

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. CT at Austin Westlake Stadium. Tickets are $8 and available atwww.usafootball.com/app/webroot/teamusa. More details regarding the game’s television partner and the teams’ practice schedules will be announced in the weeks ahead.

U.S. Under-19 National Team roster:

U.S. Under-19 National Team coaching staff:

About USA Football

USA Football, the sport’s national governing body, inspires participation, and ensures a positive experience for all youth, high school, and other amateur players. The independent non-profit hosts more than 80 football training events annually for coaches, players and youth football league commissioners. USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the NFL, its 32 teams and the NFL Players Association and manages U.S. national teams for international competition. Endowed by the NFL and NFLPA in 2002 through the NFL Youth Football Fund, USA Football distributes $1 million annually in equipment grants and offers youth league volunteer background check subsidies. Former NFL team executive Carl Peterson is USA Football’s chairman.