Representing the Stars and Stripes

Six-Man football isn't something that exists everywhere. In fact, Montana is one of the few places where the game is celebrated, and that passion will show next Monday as a number of players are representing the Big-Sky state at the CanAm Bowl Monday in Hafford, Saskatchewan.

The CanAm Bowl is a Six-Man all-star game that features some of the best players from Canada against a United States all-star team that selects players from Montana, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming to participate.

This year's game, which will kick off at 5 p.m., will be the 20th annual edition of the game, with the United State winning 15 of the previous 19 meetings, including a 16-9 win for the Americans in the 2015 contest.

The roster will boast many players from the state of Montana, with four of the five belonging to the Six-Man North Division. Two players from right along the Hi-Line will play in the game as North Star's Gavin Spinler will be in attendance, as will Shane Ketchum of Box Elder.

C.J. Stevenson of Tri-Cities also made the team, as did Kendall Carpenter and Kade Woodhall of Denton-Geyser-Stanford, Montana's defending Six-Man state champion.

The United States team will also be coached by Montana's Jake Stevenson of Tri-City, which was a semifinalist a season ago.

Those five players will all make the trip to Canada to begin practicing Friday, as they get set to join players from five other states in a quest to notch a 16th victory in the game for the United States.

"I am just really looking forward to playing one last high school Six-Man game," Spinler said. "I really love football and I think in Six-Man football, it's really like a brotherhood. You play with those few guys and that really brings you close. And now, I get to play and represent my country, which isn't something I thought I would ever say."

Spinler, who has at times played running back, receiver and even quarterback for North Star, is a two-time All-Conference selection and also earned his way onto the Six-Man All-State squad in each of the past two seasons.

Spinler's play not only earned him an invite to CanAm Bowl, it will also give him the chance to play collegiately at the NAIA level. He signed an NAIA letter of intent to play for Rocky Mountain College of the Frontier Conference back in the spring.

However, Spinler isn't focused on that right now, he's focused on the opportunity ahead of him Monday and the chance to represent his country in the sport he loves. But he is also excited about meeting other players and adapting to their style of the Six-Man game.

"Football is different wherever you go, but it can be especially different in Six Man," Spinler said. "I have heard that teams play a lot differently than we do here in Montana, so I want to see their style of play and see what we can learn from them."

In addition to the five Montana players, the roster also features six from the state of Texas, three from Wyoming and two from Nebraska.

"I think it will be a great chance to meet some new people," Spinler said. "It will be nice to have some guys from Montana. I know most of them just from playing football, but it would have been fine even without them."

The players will also take part in some other activities like a tailgate party and a coaches clinic that takes place leading up to the game. But, even though he is looking forward to the activities and getting to meet his new teammates, the game and more importantly, its outcome, is the focus for Spinler.

"I am really excited to play one more game," Spinler said. "Anytime you get to play, that's great. But really my focus will be on winning and doing what I can to help Team USA."