Saratoga News

Sports

Football 'Stars return to Spartan Stadium

By Dick Sparrer

Spartan Stadium has been a major sports venue in the Santa Clara Valley since it first opened back in 1933 as the 4,000-seat home of the San Jose State University football team.

More than 70 years later, the Spartans continue to play football on the grass floor of the S. 10th Street stadium. It has since grown to become a 30,000-seat facility that through the years has also been home to the San Jose State soccer teams, professional soccer teams, the NCAA's now-defunct Silicon Valley Football Classic and many other events.

For many years, too, Spartan Stadium was home to the Silicon Valley Youth Classic Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-Star Football Game. Now, after a six-year hiatus, the all-stars are back.

The 33rd edition of the summer football classic will return to Spartan Stadium on July 18, 7:30 p.m., back on the turf where it all began in 1974. With the exception of 1976 when there was no game, the summer clash that features the top football players of each year's graduating class was played at Spartan until 1989. The game was played at San Jose City College from 1990 to 1996, returned to Spartan from 1997 to 2000, moved to Independence High School in 2001 and went back to City College from 2002 to 2006.

But finally the all-star game is back where it belongs--at Spartan Stadium. The South enters the July 18 game with a 17-13-2 edge in the series, but the North is coming off of a win that snapped a string of four South victories.

The game, sponsored by the Almaden Valley Rotary Club and called the "Best Game in Town," featured future National Football League stars as St. Francis tight end Doug Cosbie of the Dallas Cowboys and Archbishop Mitty linebacker Don Schwartz of the St. Louis Cardinals and New Orleans Saints in that first game in '74.

In following years, the game has included such future professionals as Jeff Garcia (Gilroy) of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Jeff Toews (Del Mar) of the Miami Dolphins; John Tuggle (Independence) and Erik Howard (Bellarmine) of the New York Giants; the late Pat Tillman (Leland) of the Arizona Cardinals; Jared Allen (Los Gatos) of the Kansas City Chiefs; Jeff Ulbrich (Live Oak), the late Carl Monroe (Overfelt) and Randy Kirk (Bellarmine) of the San Francisco 49ers; Rich Campbell (Santa Teresa) of the Green Bay Packers; Tim Ryan (Oak Grove) of the Chicago; and Nathan Jackson (Pioneer) of the Denver Broncos.

Los Gatos quarterback Trent Edwards, who recently signed with the Buffalo Bills, and Fremont's Tully Banta-Cain, a new addition to the 49ers, also played in the summer game.

Who knows what future pros may be on the field at Spartan Stadium for the 2007 summer classic on July 18? Another Jeff Garcia or Trent Edwards? Another Tully Banta-Cain or Don Schwartz? Another Pat Tillman or Doug Cosbie?

Among the local players set to play for the North team in the summer game are Sean Casserly and Alex Lagemann of Saratoga, Kevin Rahbar and Ben Shin of Lynbrook, Kendall Hendon and J.D. Snyder of Prospect and Kevin Blakley and Tremayne Johnson of Westmont.

Former local stars who have participated in the summer classic include:

Saratoga

1975--Larry Worman, Kyle Heinrich, Mike McKenna; 1976--Mike Heinrich, Travis McNulty, Bob Walter, George Zimmerman; 1978--Steve Worman; 1979--Rob Orlando, Jeffrey Lane, Mike Meteer; 1980--Lindsey Meggs, Dave Lynch, Don Kern; 1981--Kevin Tanner, Kurt Heinrich, Rick Worman, Mike Stypula, Greg Stangland; 1982--Matt Currie, Marshall Howard, Pat Sende; 1983--Kyle Druey, Ted Macauley, Vince Casarez, Phil Daggett, Darin Franklin; 1984--Bob Gatiss, Bill Haselman, Steve Fisher, Mike Bates; 1985--Gary Gatiss, Mike Schroeder, Gary Wilberding; 1986--Kevin Grant, Keith Wilson, Greg Mount; 1987--Joe Fragiadakis, Marshall Lee, Ken Henderson; 1988--Steve Mollin, Dave Rossi, Sam Meteer, Tim Hall; 1989--Dan Edson, Dan Pacheco, Jim Wild; 1990--T.J. Summers, Matt Donati; 1991--Mark Coleman, Brian Gaspar, Jason Balogh; 1992--Marc Hall, Peter Feng; 1993--Bill Hagman, Chris Byrer; 1994--Matt Jones, David Silberstein, Carl Martin; 1995--Kyle Goñi, Chris Kron, Chris Varnell; 1996--Gabe Calebotta, Joel Reikes, Johnny Taylor, Mike Wayne, Mike Whitcanack; 1997--David Goñi, Brennan Carroll; 1998--Tyler Hooper, Jeremy Devich, Michael Black, Matt McKenna, Cory Schwaderer; 1999--Ryan Bernard, R. Daniel Goñi, Lou Petrossi; 2000--Kelly Mathew, Andrew Bosworth; 2001--Jon Moshier, John Hart; 2002--Troy Follmar, Scott Moran, Devin Schrock, A.J. Weitsman; 2003--Greg Van Hoesen; 2004--Brett Granum, Dayne McGee, Ryan Newberry; 2005--Peter Rutti, Adam Sato, Phil Spencer; 2006--Augie Lagemann.

Prospect

1979--Phil Rebboah, Randy Chase; 1980--Dave Maloney, Greg Kent; 1983--Mike Bosco; 1984--Greg Bernarding; 1985--Kirk Niemeyer, Steve Walker; 1986--Mike McRoberts, Dean Crew, Steve Bosco, Kerrall Robinson, Donny Togisala; 1987--Dean Witkin; 1988--Ken Begnal; 1989--Jason Snodgrass, Eric Stafford; 1991--Steve Augenstein; 1992--Derrick Barnes; 1993--Brandon Peterson; 1994--Erwin Reyes, Jermaine Walker; 1995--Rich Curtis; 1996--Craig Nomura, Honeya Ordoubadi; 1997--Brandon Morgan; 1998--Matt Heling, Brad King; 2000--Andrew Heling; 2001--Saladin Washington, Carl Simien; 2002--Tony Barba, Ryan Schaefers; 2003--Austin Baumgarten, Ivan Biondic; 2004--Jeremy Nuia, Andrew Shouse; 2005--J.P. Nation; 2006--John Eseroma, Elvy Harris Jr., Daniel Huskin-Jones.

Lynbrook

1976--David Halliday; 1979--Bill Nicholas; 1981--Don Handley, Mike Nicholas; 1982--Doug Bloyd, Jim Cooke, Stephen Hopkins; 1983--Archie Rodich; 1984--Brian Hays, Steve Andris, Chris Saxen; 1985--Joe Urban; 1986--Dave Gillen; 1987--Chris Hart, Charlie Bostic, Dean Bambrick; 1988--Travis Lee Boeck; 1989--Daryl Rogers; 1991--Brian Martinez; 1992--Scott Schneider, Mike MacPherson; 1993--Ted Cocoles, Kevin Berns; 1994--Jeff Menold; 1995--Joel Rogers; 1996--Dan Sullivan; 1997--Steve Horner; 1998--Jason Chiang, Tony Klabo; 1999--Vik Rajagopal; 2000--Matt Fratus, B.K. Robertson; 2001--Gordon Hawley, Shawn Dormishian, Brodie Maag; 2002--Sean Imai; 2003--Chris Bencomo; 2006--Brian Cramer.

Westmont

1976--Eric Stark, Rocky Pena; 1979--Gregory Gorman, Steve Moore; 1980--Tod Devlin, Paul Hamill; 1981--Steve Cisowski; 1982--Brett Dawson, Russ Cooper, Scott Athearn; 1983--Ken Roberts, Gregg Skarmas; 1984--Matt Allison; 1985--Wesley Denton; 1986--Kelly Bailey, Pat Connell; 1989--Troy McFadden, Mike Zimmerman, David Jamison; 1990--Eric Liljenstople; 1991--David Seo; 1992--Ronnie Rogers; 1993--Beau Fernald; 1994--Eric Glader; 1997--Mat Meade; 1998--Dan Butler; 1999--Ryan Brando, T.J. Aimonetti; 2001--Billy Stouffer, Dave Horner; 2002--Chad Helmonds; 2003--Bryen Blankenship, Robert Jennings; 2004--Burt Codera; 2005--Ramsey Habib, Casey Modiri, Connor Quinn, Daniel Weller; 2006--Chantz Staden.

Blackford

1976--Sean O'Carroll; 1978--Guy Gandengerge; 1981--Greg Hershberger, Vinnie Daniel; 1982--Ed Conley, John Aimonetti; 1983--Greg Campodonico, Joe Lynam, Don Teague; 1984--Mike Guerrero; 1985--Scott Fitzgerald; 1986--Todd Kaanapu; 1987--Floyd Foreman; 1990--Ryshiem Henderson, Roelof Ytsma, Bert Gomez; 1991--Jeff Frederick.

Tickets for the game, priced at $15 for adults (children under 8 admitted free with an adult with a ticket), are available locally at Almaden Barber Stylists, 5945 Almaden Expressway (408.997.1424), and at the following Old Republic Title Locations: in Almaden, 5570 Sanchez Drive, Suite 100 (408.445.5800); in Campbell, 2105 S. Bascom Ave., Suite 120 (408.371.9950); in Cupertino, 10020 N. De Anza Blvd., Suite 101 (408.255.5880); in San Jose, 1900 The Alameda (408.556.2080); and in Saratoga, 12228 Saratoga-Sunnyvale Road (408.725.8500). Tickets will also be on sale at Spartan Stadium the night of the game. For more information, call 408.268.7196.