Penn football taking on Chinese all-stars in Shanghai on Saturday

Spring practice has been a little different for Penn’s football team, which has taken an extended road trip in preparation for a game against a Chinese all-star team.

The Quakers arrived in China last Saturday and has spent the week practicing and sightseeing in Beijing and Shanghai. They will play in what is being called the Ambassadors Bowl against the American Football League of China All-Stars in Shanghai on Saturday.

“There are a lot of benefits to this trip,” Penn coach Ray Priore said after a practice in Philadelphia during the last week of February. “Obviously, getting to play a football game any time is great, but there is no doubt culturally, our kids get to understand the experience they will go through is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

While Penn senior safety Sam Philippi says the cultural experience is important, he also is happy to compete against players other than his teammates.

“Usually in spring ball we only get to play against ourselves, so to play another team gives us a whole new advantage,” said Philippi, a 2016 and 2017 second-team all-Ivy selection who suffered a season-ending injury in the opener against Bucknell last year. “I think this is going to help us advance a little faster.”

Philippi also sees the Quakers as ambassadors for the sport.

“I am most excited to play a team and spread the popularity of the sport in another country,” he said. “It is not only for us, but for other people, too. Being able to represent our school in a game in another country is an amazing opportunity.”

This is a new experience for Penn walk-on sophomore offensive lineman Travis Wang, who was born in Taiwan, which is more than 400 miles from Shanghai.

“I have never been to mainland China and am excited to see it myself,” Wang said. “I anticipate it will be relatively similar to Taiwan, but it will be interesting to see it for the first time.”

Priore says this is one game where he won’t have too much advance information on the opponent.

“I do know that they have a number of young men playing for them from the U.S., so they will have some talent,” he said. “It is all about worrying about ourselves and preparing and worrying about fundamentals.”

Penn is coming off a 6-4 season, The Quakers were 3-4 in the Ivy League, tied for fourth place with Yale and Columbia.

Priore, who guided Penn to a share of the Ivy League title in his first two years, 2015 and 2016, says the goal is to get back into the Ivy League hunt.

And it will all begin on Saturday, 7,400 miles from home.