Several players and coaches with Arizona ties will compete for USA Football’s U-20 national team later this month.
Wide receivers Leighton Duncan and Kamron Jackson, linebacker Chris Pemberton and coaches Michael Patterson and Myron Blueford will be part of a team that will compete in Canada for the gold medal over the last 10 days of June. They leave for Edmonton, Alberta, Canada this weekend to prepare for the International Federation of American Football World Junior Championship, which runs from June 20-30.
Participating countries are the United States, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Japan and Panama.
Blueford built Chandler Arizona College’s football program from the ground up and developed it into a powerhouse 4A team since 2017, but stepped down after last season. He currently serves as the athletic director for American Leadership Academy Ironwood Junior High School and defensive coordinator for the ALA Ironwood varsity football team. He will also serve as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach for the U20 national team.
Patterson, who helped Blueford sign with USA Football and is the linebackers coach and assistant defensive coordinator at Phoenix Brophy Prep, will serve as the defensive backs coach for the U20 team.
Duncan played football at Brophy High School and graduated from the school in 2023. The 6-foot-4 Jackson graduated in May from Tempe High School, where he played. Pemberton played his senior season at Arizona College Prep in 2023. Blueford said he has invited him to play for the U.S. national team.
The event is held every four years to mimic the Olympics, and this is the first time it has been held since the COVID pandemic.
Canada was the No. 1 seed after winning the tournament five years ago, when it was held in Mexico, and the United States ultimately finished third.
“It’s a big thing for the team to be back at the top,” Bluford said. “We’re hoping to get into the finals. It’s going to be fun.”
The players, who hail from all over the country, are collegiate players, recent high school graduates and high school seniors.
“Most of them are either graduating in 2024 or freshmen (at the university),” Blueford said.
Blueford said he has been with the United States Football Association, working as a regional representative since 2019. The association has more than 150 coaches, eight of whom coach at the Junior World U20 tournament.
“It’s an incredible honor to be one of the eight coordinators,” Bluford said. “It’s a little stressful because we’re so eager to get back to the top and win a gold medal, but at the same time, I’m representing the state of Arizona, I’m representing the United States and my family, and we’re playing in Canada at Commonwealth Stadium, a historic stadium that seats more than 56,000 people. The U.S. is doing it right; they’re covering most of the costs.”
“It’s going to be a great experience.”
The U.S. is guaranteed to win all three games.
This will be Patterson’s second time joining the U.S. national team coaching staff.
“USA Football has been a big part of my life for the past 10 years,” said Patterson, who also serves as the head girls flag football coach at Phoenix Xavier Prep. “There’s no greater honor than representing my country in such a major international tournament.”
“I’m so grateful to Brophy, Xavier, my family and the community for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this championship.”
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