The Sun
Sunnyvale's Newspaper

Only the best make it to the summer classic

By Dick Sparrer

Darren Fisk didn't start out as a football player.

Oh, he played football all right. And he was pretty good, too. He just wasn't totally committed.

"I remember he went out for badminton in the spring of his sophomore year so he wouldn't have to go into the weight room with us," said Los Gatos coach Butch Cattolico.

But Cattolico knows that to be an all-star caliber player, it takes dedication, commitment and a whole lot of hard work.

Darren Fisk was about to find that out.

It was somewhere during Fisk's junior season that he saw the light. He started working, and working hard.

He worked hard enough to become a starter at Los Gatos, and following his senior season he earned a place on the North squad in the 1992 Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game.

Then he worked hard enough to earn a place on the University of Colorado football team as a walk-on, and before his career was over he was starting at fullback for the Buffaloes.

And he worked hard enough to catch the eye of the Atlanta Falcons, who claimed him in the recent NFL draft.

"He's one of those kids who made himself into a real football player," said Cattolico of Fisk. "He was a kid who really came on, and it was a big plus for him to play in a game like this."

Fisk's story is not an isolated one. Most of the players who have strapped on the pads for the Wedemeyer summer classic have shared his dedication and work ethic.

"It takes much more of a time commitment to compete at the all-star level," said Myron Zaccheo, who recently stepped down as the Pioneer head coach. "But these kids have dedicated themselves, and made that commitment."

Dedication. Commitment. Hard work.

Darren Fisk had it.

And so do the more than 90 all-star football players preparing to take the field for the Wedemeyer summer classic on Wednesday night.

The 24th annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game returns to San Jose State University's Spartan Stadium on July 22, and the legendary Wedemeyer will be on hand to greet the players prior to the 7:30 p.m. kick off.

Among those participating in the "The Best Game in Town" this year will be local stars linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, offensive lineman Warren Rick and defensive lineman Justin Stichter of Fremont, and linebacker Chris Brooker and defensive lineman Matt Kenney of Homestead.

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This article appeared in the Sunnyvale Sun, July 22, 1998.
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