A gridiron standout from Malibu High School will wear stars and stripes while hauling in passes in the Lone Star State in February.
Sharks football player Indiana McAlpine will take the field in the seventh annual International Bowl on Feb. 3 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas as a member of the United States U-18 National Team.
The senior is among over 50 high school football players from across the nation selected to play in the bowl, pitting the U.S. squad against the U-18 Canadian National Football Team.
Wide receiver McAlpine said he is excited to play in the contest.
“It feels really good,” the 2014 First Team All-Frontier League player said. “It is a big accomplishment. I am ready to go play.”
The two squads, composed of Class of 2016 members, will play on the field the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys call home. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3 and WatchESPN and will close out the five-day 2016 International Bowl week.
McAlpine learned last week that he was selected to the U.S. team along with over a dozen other Californians in his age group. The Golden State group includes former Malibu linebacker and reigning Frontier League Defensive Player of the Year Alec Stevenson, who now plays at Calabasas.
Several Californians were also selected to suit up for the U-15, U-16, U-17 and U-19 teams. The players will practice for a week and compete in a series of jamborees, followed by a game.
Last year the U.S. U-17 and U-19 teams won, while Canada’s U-15, U-16 and U-18 squads won.
McAlpine gained a spot on the team after standing out during a USA Football regional development camp last summer.
Six-foot-tall McAlpine, who runs a 4.5 in the 40-yard dash, said he was initially nervous during the camp.
“Once I got the hang of it, it was cool,” he said.
The International Bowl will close out McAlpine’s grade-school football career, which began when he played little league football at the age of eight.
Now, McAlpine stars for the 1-3 Sharks, who play the 2-1 Campbell Hall Vikings on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Birmingham High School in Van Nuys.
Sharks head coach Terry Shorten said McAlpine is very gifted football player.
“He is capable of making a big play on offense every time he touches the ball,” he said. “Indiana goes both ways, and defensively has a huge impact on the game with his run fills and plays man-to-man lock down coverage. I see Indiana playing college football on Saturdays next year.”
McAlpine said he and former MHS player Stevenson plan to be roommates during International Bowl week.
The receiver also said he hopes to standout during the contest and pique the interest of college coaches. McAlpine said he wants to go play college football and is interested in San Diego State and Syracuse universities.
“I believe I’m an overall solid receiver,” McAlpine said. “I’m really consistent, I catch everything, I run good routes.”