This season just keep on getting better for Peacock Tornadoes grade 11 Maguire Abell.

The local football player was named to the National Under-18 Team this week to square off with the United States at the 2016 International Bowl in Arlington, Texas coming up in February.

“I was really excited when I found out,” said Abell. “It was a goal of mine and I thought that next year might be my year to go down and play in that game and then when I got the phone call this year that I was invited, it was a dream come true.”

Abell's football season has included a bronze medal finish with Saskatchewan at the 2015 Football Canada Cup and a third straight Moose Jaw High School League and 3A provincial championships.

The starting centre with Tornadoes continued to be the anchor along the offensive line during their championship season.

“This is going to be a great experience, just going against that next level,” said Abell. “Playing against the best in Canada at the Canada Cup was pretty good and now this will be just that much better.”

The experience at the Canada Cup is something that Abell will be leaning on when he heads down to Texas for the International Bowl.

“I got to work against the best in Canada and the best in Saskatchewan, and that just made my game that much better, so hopefully I can use some of that going forward with Team Canada,” he said.

The game will be played at the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium, which features one of the largest video screens in the world hanging above the field.

Abell said getting to play there among many things is something that he's really looking forward to.

“There's so much that I'm looking forward,” he said. “Playing in AT&T Stadium, practicing with some of the best in Canada, going against some of the best in America, there's just so much.”

This experience is something that one of Abell's former teammates had the chance to go through a few years ago when former Tornadoes, current Regina Thunder, quarterback Sawyer Buettner suited up for Team Canada.

Former Vanier Viking and Saskatchewan Huskie Keegan Arnyek also played in the International Bowl back in 2013 with Team World.

Abell said he's spoken with Buettner about the experience.

“He was one of the first guys that I phoned and talked to about it because we're pretty close friends,” he said. “He told me some of the experiences that he had, that it was a really fun time and some of the stuff to expect.”

The 2016 International Bowl goes on Feb. 3 in Arlington, Texas.