July 27, 2006

All-Star stunner

Late-game scoring drive sees North top South 7-3 at
32nd Annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Game

Westmont’s Chantz Staden catches 15-yard touchdown
pass with 1:19 left to seal the win for the North

By Diego Abeloos
Sports Editor

Chantz Staden’s 15-yard touchdown reception with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter gave the North team something it hadn’t accomplished since 2001—a win over the South by the final score of 7-3—at the 32nd Annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game on July 19.

Jerid Ferrante, left, of Oak Grove, Alex Gomez, center, of Santa Teresa, and Bryan North, of Valley Christian walk to the sidelines before the start of the 32nd annual Charlie Wedemeyer High School All-star Football Classic on July 19 at San Jose City College. Photo by Dan Miranda

The win for the North, coached by Prospect head coach Carlos Boles, set the all-time series record at 17-13-2 in favor of the South.

“I knew, going along, that these guys were going to make plays,” said Boles. “…We got a broken play and he (North quarterback Rich Scudellari) finds Chantz on the backside. Who would’ve expected it? But that’s just them. That’s why they’re all-stars.”

The North put together the winning drive by getting the ball back on offense with 6:43 left at its’ own 35 after a failed fake punt attempt by the South. The North then proceeded to put together its most promising drive of the game, going from its own 35 to the South 15 on 10 plays. Finally, on second-and-10 at the South 15, Scudellari (St. Francis) dropped back in the pocket to pass, before rolling right to elude the oncoming rush of South defender Michael Dally (Leland), who left his feet to leap in an attempt to sack the quarterback. Scudellari then threw across his body to Staden near the left sideline, who then eluded a South defender and scampered into the end zone for the game-winning score.

The South’s Joshua Taufalele (left) and A.J. Alvarez (right) get each other motivated during pre-game introductions at the 32nd Annual Charlie Wedemeyer All-Star Football Game on July 19. Photo by Jeff Frazee

“I left my feet a little too early and I didn’t wrap up quite right and he got outside on me,” said Dally of the near sack on Scudellari.

“I knew coming in that the defenses would dominate. That was to be expected,” added South head coach Jason Tenner, who also serves as the head coach for Leland. “…It came down to one missed tackle and a big play on their part.”

Offenses for both sides were stagnant for most of the game, as numerous penalties, swarming defenses and physical mistakes plagued progress for both teams.

In the first quarter, the North started out on the South 29 and progressed slowly to the South 21 before Scudellari fumbled the snap on fourth-and-two, with South defender A.J.

Alvarez recovering the ball on the play to end the drive. Another fumble with 5:53 left in the first by the North on the South 37 also ended another drive when Dally recovered the ball for the South.

Likewise, the South offense struggled early on, taking a drive from its own 38 with 2:12 left in the first quarter and taking it all the way to the North 25 before a holding call on the South set the team back to the North 37. After an incomplete pass from South quarterback Duce Ferrante (Branham) on second-and-22 and a 9-yard loss on a lateral from Ferrante to running back Jerid Ferranti on third-and-22, the South was forced to punt the ball away, stalling an otherwise promising drive.

Charlie Wedemeyer gives a friendly wink to a player on the South team. Photo by Jeff Frazee

“Some of them were a little overzealous,” said Tenner, explaining the numerous penalties on both sides. “The kids were intense and there was some physical play on both sides of the ball. Some kids got a little too aggressive, but you’re going to get that in an all-star game, because these kids really want it and sometimes they cross the line.”

With two minutes left in the third, the South was rebuffed again, this time on a goal line stand by North defense, as the South offense drove the ball from the North 32 to the North 5 before four straight running plays resulted in the South offense stalling out at the North 1.

“It’s tough to have a group of 60 kids come together in two weeks,” said Ferrante, explaining the South’s missed opportunities on offense. “Getting used to your centers, getting used to the speed of your running backs, and the speed of your receivers, it’s just a lot different to how it was at (Branham).”

The South managed to get on the scoreboard first however, taking a drive with 8:26 left in the second quarter and moving the ball to the North 4 before kicker Ben Hansen (Valley Christian) booted through a 22-yard field goal with 5:19 left for a 3-0 lead. The scoring drive was set up in part by a 39-yard pass play from Ferrante to tight end David Carranza (Silver Creek) on third-and-six from the 50, as well as a personal foul penalty on the North on third-and-nine at the North 11.

Leigh’s Blake McFarland will head to West Valley College in the fall to play football and baseball. At Leigh, McFarland was a three-sport athlete, playing basketball for the Longhorns on top of football and baseball. Photo by Dwayne Woods

With a chance to add to the lead in the third quarter, the South failed on another promising drive that started at its own 34 with 9:32 left. The South drove the ball to the North 26 on six plays before Hansen booted through a 43-yard field goal on fourth-and-five. But on the play, the North was whistled for an illegal substitution, resulting in a 5-yard penalty and a fresh set of downs for the South.

Despite the opportunity, the South failed to advance beyond the North 21, settling instead for a 39-yard field goal attempt by Hansen on fourth-and-10, whose kick sailed wide right, negating the drive for the South.

“In an all-star game, you’re going to get a lack of execution,” said Tenner. “That’s what you saw. The kids barely knew each other and they had 10 practices … that kind of stuff hurts you, and then you don’t execute come game night.”

Finally, with seven seconds left in the game, the South tried in vain to put one final score on the board, moving the ball from its own 4 to the South 20 before Ferrante threw an interception right into the arms of North defender Carlos Alonso (Los Gatos), sealing the win for the North.

“It’s frustrating, but that’s the game of football. Anything can happen at any time,” said South linebacker C.J. Miller (Pioneer). “One play can change a whole game …that’s just football.”