MITTYS, Wyo. — The U.S. overcame a 44-34 deficit midway through the third quarter to score 31 points in the final 15 minutes to win 65-44 in the 26th Annual Can-Am Six-Man All-Star Football Game in Mittys, Wyoming, on Saturday.
After trailing by double digits multiple times, the U.S. appeared to wear down Canada with a potent rushing attack stocked with talented ball carriers. Gage Minken of Hay Springs, Nebraska, scored three touchdowns, while Wyatt Trembley of Dubois, Wyoming, scored two rushing touchdowns and two passing touchdowns on halfback passes.
Canada got off to an early score less than a minute into the game, when former high school teammates Hunter Barnstable and Cohen Chewinski ran a 50-yard touchdown to open the game on the second play from scrimmage. Chewinski picked up yards against the U.S. defense before being double-teamed, but he found room to make plays at times in the second half.
Trembley responded with Canada’s first touchdown run just 70 seconds later, but Canada quickly scored again just 42 seconds later on a bomb pass from Barnstable to Liam McGrath.
The two teams traded points late in the first half, with Canada leading 36-34 and looking for another point, when the U.S. forced a fumble on the goal line that was recovered by U.S. Defensive MVP Hayden Thompson of Miami (Texas), the first stop of the game for either team.
Canada opened the third quarter with a run of points to extend its lead to 10, but the U.S. scored four straight points — two by Minken and two by Connor Lowden-Stam of Genoa Hugo, Colo. — to take the lead.
Minken was named the United States Offensive MVP, Barnstable was named Canada’s Offensive MVP, and Jakob Fair was named Canada’s Defensive MVP.
With the win, Team USA improves to 21-5 in the series, having won three straight and 12 of their last 13 games.
