Lorenzo James of Sparkman High School will play with the American Football Worldwide ELITE team. A past year’s team is shown here. (americanfootballworldwide.com). CONTRIBUTED

HARVEST – Lorenzo James, a standout athlete at Sparkman High School, will represent the United States in the American Football Worldwide (AFW) ELITE team.

“Lorenzo James and his AFW teammates will play against the national U19 team of France in Paris on March 29, 2014,” AFW President Jim Barnes said. This game pits graduating high school seniors in the United States against the French team.

The game is a rematch of last year’s historic contest that was the first time a scholastic team from the United States competed in France. The American team won with 19-0.

This year marks the first time a scholastic U.S. team has traveled overseas to play another country’s national team that has previously qualified for the World Championships of American Football. France, current runner-ups to Austria in Europe at the U19 level, finished sixth at the World Championships of American Football in Austin, Texas in July 2012.

The AFW team represents all regions of the country. “Meeting one another for the first time and installing an effective and well coordinated game plan in all phases of football in less than a week will be a formidable challenge,” Barnes said.

However, Barnes is confident with the integrity and intelligence of the American team. “We are excited about the potential for this team and what Lorenzo brings to our team and tour,” Barnes said.

AFW Elite Team members will tour many historical landmarks of France, including Paris, Versailles and the Normandy coast. They also will visit D-Day beaches and the U.S. Cemetery and Peace Memorial on the bluffs overlooking the English Channel.

For more information on American Football Worldwide, email to jb@americanfootballworldwide.com or visit americanfootballworldwide.com or Facebook/AmericanFootballWorldwide.