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PLATTSBURGH — High school football players from the North Country and Ontario, Canada will kick off the first Upstate NY Spring Football Bowl Sunday at 2 p.m. at Melissa Penfield Park.

The Plattsburgh Panthers and the Upstate Thunder and Lightning, two new local spring football organizations, will host Ontario-based teams Tagwi and Cornwall, respectively, in JV-level action.

The Panthers and Thunder and Lightning's Varsity teams will square off for the finale at 6:30 p.m.

Upstate NY Spring Football League Director and Malone coach Fred Gagnier said the event is a celebration of both international relations with Canada and the United States, as well as an opportunity for high school football players to get an opportunity to play in a championship atmosphere and get football-ready for the fall school season.

The bowl is the finale of the Upstate teams' participation in a league with the Ontario teams.

Gagnier said the level of competition in Canada has been surprising to some players.

"Our kids definitely had to adapt to playing in Canada," he said. "Canada's intensity level in football is unbelievable. They don't let up on any plays. Those kids are taught to go 100 percent for four quarters and never let up."

The final game between the Upstate varsity teams will play a significant role in the continuing development of an Upstate league Gagnier hopes will expand to a few more teams and a modified level next season.

"In the finale game, we'll display to fans that the quality of play in spring football is really up there with the play in the fall. We're hoping to pull more kids in from outside. We welcome anyone and everyone from Section VII and X to come out," he said.

The spring league, as expected by both Gagnier and Panthers Varsity Head Coach/Assistant League Director Dave Staley, had a sense-of-community effect on top of getting players experience on the field.

"We established what we wanted to — Some young kids came out and learned fundamentals, but also got to meet a lot of kids from different schools," Staley said. "Our goal wasn't just about winning. Hopefully we'll see those friendships carried on into the CVAC season."

Nate Marshall, a top-36 American Idol contestant from Malone, will perform both countries' national anthems and two other songs at halftime in the finale game. The league will also present three awards at that time.

"We would definitely like to invite all of the local dignitaries to the event," Gagnier said. "It would be a nice showing of support of Canada and our cause.

"We would also like to thank Jim Amorelli, Larry Ewald, Personal Touch for being the best sponsor could ask for, the Mayor, the City recreation department and Franklin Academy for the use of fields, as well as the referees for their support and the Canadian league for allowing us to play."

Game notes: The Malone JV team qualified for the playoffs in league-play but lost to Cornwall in the quarterfinals. However, Malone defeated Cornwall in the regular season, so the teams expect a good battle when they face each other at 4 p.m. The Plattsburgh JV team has never faced Tagwi, so both teams will be unfamiliar, unlike the varsity teams that faced each other twice already during the season.

Upstate NY Spring Football Bowl

Schedule of events

2 p.m.

Plattsburgh (JV) vs. Tagwi

4 p.m.

Malone (JV) vs. Cornwall

6:30 p.m.

Plattsburgh (V) vs. Malone

Halftime

National Anthems/two songs by Nate Marshall